Horrible Therapist is a physical party card game credited to The Oatmeal and sold by Exploding Kittens. Players assemble deliberately outrageous, three-panel therapy comics from a question, an answer and a treatment. It is an adult humor game—not a therapy tool or clinical resource.
How do you play Horrible Therapist?
Each comic has three parts: a Question, an Answer and a Treatment. One player acts as the therapist for a turn, while the others try to supply the funniest treatment for the situation.
- Deal five Treatment cards to each player and choose a therapist.
- The therapist turns over a Question card and chooses an Answer card to complete the comic’s setup.
- Other players submit one Treatment card face down.
- The therapist reads the submitted treatments and chooses a winner.
- The winner earns one point. The first player to earn three points wins.
The publisher’s US Base Edition page describes this quick-step loop. The game’s humor comes from pairing the prompt and answer with intentionally outlandish treatments.
How many people can play, and who is it for?
The official US Base Edition listing recommends ages 17+, supports 3–8 players and estimates a playing time of about 15 minutes. The publisher describes it as an adult game. That age recommendation is a product label, not a clinical assessment; the premise is best suited to groups comfortable with irreverent humor about therapy.
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- How to Play: Who knew therapy could be so funny? In this adult card game, you'll create a comic about therapy with a Question, Answer, and Treatment card. Whoever plays the funniest Treatment card wins a point. The first player to earn 3 points wins. It's fast to learn, endlessly replayable, and guaranteed to have everyone laughing.
- Who's It For? Perfect for ages 17+ and 3–8 players. Can you make it through a round without ugly laughing? Whether you're hosting game night, hanging out with friends, or looking for something hilariously inappropriate, this adult card game delivers unforgettable laughs every time.
- What's Included: Endless laughs and replayability. With 80 Question Cards, 158 Answer Cards, and 200 Treatment Cards, every round creates a brand-new comic. No two games are ever the same, making this a favorite adult card game you'll want to play again and again.
- Where to Play: Looking for the ultimate icebreaker? This hilarious card game is perfect for game nights, road trips, vacations, weekend getaways, or as a gift for anyone who appreciates questionable humor (or who probably needs therapy!). Easy to bring anywhere and fun with any group.
- Our Story: Unique art from a viral webcomic. Every card is written and illustrated by The Oatmeal, creator of one of the internet's most beloved comics and cofounder of Exploding Kittens, the record-breaking Kickstarter game that became the most-backed crowdfunding campaign of its time.
Age guidance varies by market: the German listing recommends 18+ and gives a duration of 15+ minutes. Check the local listing or the box rather than assuming the US label applies everywhere. Asmodee Deutschland’s listing provides the German-market specifications.
What comes in the box?
For the current US Base Edition, Exploding Kittens lists 70 Question Cards, 125 Answer Cards and 175 Treatment Cards. Those counts are specific to that listing, not a universal specification for every market or copy.
Rank #2
- Designed for adult players (17+) who enjoy dark humor and unapologetically twisted takes on romance and other topics that are firmly not for kids.
- How To Play: You'll compete to create a love story fit for a classic dark comedy. In the Extra Horrible Edition, you’ll have more material than ever to create distasteful comics starting with a Question card, then a Response card, and topped off with a ludicrous Compromise card. Play as a couple or with friends, cooperatively or competitively. Nothing says date night like a little chaos!
- What's Included: An Extra Horrible 57 Question cards, 166 Response cards, and 215 Compromise cards.
- No Couple? No Problem: You can play with just two or add up to eight degenerates who don’t mind laughing at love gone wrong.
- Be Horrible Anywhere: Take Horrible Couple Extra Horrible Edition anywhere you have space to spice up the romance with a comic about sexy handcuffs. From intimate date nights to full on game night , it’s always ready to stir up fun.
Other published listings give different counts. Asmodee Deutschland lists 80 question, 158 answer and 200 therapy cards. An indexed English rules sheet lists 70 Question, 135 Answer and 175 Treatment cards. The available listings do not establish whether each difference reflects a separate physical edition, a market variation or a listing error. If contents matter to your purchase, check the exact local box or current publisher page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which edition should you buy?
For a US purchase, look for the product identified as Horrible Therapist (Base Edition) and use the Exploding Kittens US listing to confirm its details. The page currently displays a price of $19.99; price and availability can change, so confirm them with the seller when buying. For purchases elsewhere, use the local publisher’s listing and age guidance rather than carrying over US specifications.
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Rank #3
- The perfect adult party game for ages 17+ and 2-5 players. Made for people who love inappropriate humor, ugly laughing, and turning awkward holiday moments into unforgettable memories. A must-have for holiday gifting, seasonal gatherings, and adult game nights.
- Includes 90 all-new holiday-themed Treatment Cards plus 40 Question Cards and 70 Answer Cards. With thousands of hilarious card combinations and a brand-new comic created every round, this game delivers endless laughs and replayability all holiday season long.
- From the creators of the viral bestselling game Horrible Therapist, this holiday edition is made for gift exchanges, holiday parties, and game nights with friends who appreciate inappropriate humor. The perfect adult party game to gift, bring, or break out all season long.
The game is a fit for a group of three to eight that wants a short, prompt-driven party game and is comfortable with its adult, deliberately subversive comic premise. It is not a substitute for professional mental-health care.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- UNO Show 'em No Mercy game adds 56 more cards, special rules and super-tough action cards for the most brutal edition of UNO ever!
- Tougher action cards, such as Skip Everyone, Wild Draw 6 and even Wild Draw 10 make game play merciless!
- The Stacking Rule lets players pass the penalty (Draw +2, +4, +6, +10) to the next player until whoever can't play has to take all the cards combined!
- Whenever a '7' or a '0' card is played, players must swap hands with another player!
- The Mercy Rule means that if any player gets 25+ cards in their hand, they are out of the game!
Rank #4
- WHAT IS THIS? I Hate My Friends is the party game where roasting your friends isn’t just allowed, it’s the whole point. Just write a friend’s name on the Setup card, let everyone submit their funniest Response card, and watch the chaos unfold as the judge picks the best roast. This hilarious party game for adults turns your inside jokes into brutal (but loving) burns.
- HOW TO PLAY The judge draws a Setup card and writes a friend’s name (or their own!) in the name spot. For example: “Have you noticed that Olivia always smells like ___?” Everyone else picks the best Response card from the 5 in their hand and places it face down in the middle. The judge reads them out loud and picks the best roast. Winner keeps the Setup card!
- WHEN TO PLAY Perfect for hangoutd, parties, Friendsgiving, game nights, birthdays, bachelor or bachelorette parties, and girls’ trips.
- WHAT’S IN THE BOX? 100 dry-erase Setup cards, 300 Response cards, and 1 marker. Friends not included.
- WHO SHOULD PLAY? 3+ players, ages 17+.
