 A superior party game that always amuses |
| Review Date: November 23, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Daniel L Edelen, Mt. Orab, OH USA |
Trying to find a game that a large number of people can play, one that can be a great equalizer of abilities, yet is always fun? Go no further than Apples to Apples.
We purchased this game a year ago and it has been so well-received by the people we play it with that now many of those same people own it themselves. What higher praise can you give to a game that you play it and then want to own it yourself?
The play of Apples to Apples could not be easier. It contains nothing more than two sets of cards. Each green card has an adjective or description on it (like "Awful," "Scary," or "Scintillating")while red cards have nouns (like "Waterfalls," "The CIA," "George Washington," or "Mad Cow Disease.") Each person gets a set of red cards and each will be a judge in turn for the winning answer. The judge turns over a green card and players must play a red card from their hand that they believe will line up with the word on the green card or will appeal to that round's judge. Table talk is encouraged and makes the game more fun. The judge then decides which red card best fits the green card and the one who played the winning red card wins the round. It's that simple.
The fact that everyone gets to not only play, but also judge, makes the game unpredictable. Some judges will look for the most logical match, while others may go for the absurd pairing. You can also add some other tricks, too, that enliven the game. If you have six or more people playing, you can play so that the last person to play a red card has to take his back and sit out the round--makes for quick thinking and crazy answers.
We've never had a single person ever dislike this game and it is the one we reach for over Cranium, Taboo, Balderdash, and all the other party games like them. For its cleverness and simple play, Apples to Apples has won numerous awards, including Games Magazine's Top 100 Games award and a special citation from Mensa.
This edition is loaded with cards and has virtually unlimited gameplay. It's the best deal for the money. It is hard to tell if this version is the one that includes the wooden box (once called "The Crate Edition"), but that nice, woodburned box is truly wonderful to have and makes the game seem even more special.
Purchasing this game is a true no-brainer. It's fun for a wide variety of ages and number of players, takes no time to learn, and always plays differently from one match to the next. And it's a hoot! If there is any con, it's that the cards can get a little manhandled over time since they are not fully laminated, but that's not enough to diminish the joy this game brings.
A can't miss game and worth every penny. |
Incomparable Fun
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| Review Date: January 9, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Mark Baker, Santa Clarita, CA United States |
I was introduced to this game a year ago and fell in love with it. It's great for kids and adults and sure to provide plenty of fun.
Each player has seven red cards in their hand. They have actions or nouns on them. Things like "Charging Rhinos," "James Bond," "Paying Taxes," "Mirror," or "Walt Disney."
Each round has a judge. The judge turns over the top green card, which contains an adjective like creative, handsome, feminine, horrid, scary, etc. Each player then picks the card from their hand they feel best matches the green card and plays it face down. Now the fun starts. The judge picks the red card he or she feels best matches the green card. Obviously, there are some loosers since it's hard with seven cards to always match everything. But there are usually some good options as well. Once the winner of that round has been chosen, they take the green card and then become the judge of the next round.
Obviously, the more you know about the people you're playing with, the better off you'll be. And the funnier it can get. And you'll get to know other people quickly this way.
So what makes the Party Box Edition different from the regular version? This box contains not only the original cards, but also the cards that are in the first two expansion packs. You get twice the number of cards as the original box for only a little higher price. More fun. More outrageous comparisons. What's not to like?
This really is a game that kids and adults can play together and keep everyone entertained and competitive. And it's rather addicting. I can't wait to play it again. |
Fun family and friends game
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| Review Date: June 25, 2008 |
| Reviewer: J. Dueck, |
This is a great game, easily learned and played by younger players. Since it's hard to know what a game is like without knowing how to play it, im going to try to explain it too you.
Its simple: each player has seven RED cards with names of people, places or things on them. A GREEN card is randomly picked from a pile and set on the table: each GREEN CARD has a characteristic of an object or person, such as "Graceful" "Wild" "Neat" "Ancient", to name a few. Each person has to pick the RED card (out of their seven cards) that best matches with the GREEN card on the table, like the "pushups" red card would fit well with the "exhausting" green card, etc. Once everyone has placed one red card in the middle with the green card, a judge (assigned at the beginning of each round, so you take turns) picks the card that they think matches best, and the person that had that card gets a point. What makes this game fun is, like a previous reviewer said, is that there are no wrong answers, you can pick whatever you want. There also 5 or six variations to the game which can be VERY fun. May I warn you though, this game cannot be played with less than three players, and isn't really fun unless you have 5 or more, so bring friends over to try it out. I hope my review and explanation helped anyone considering buying it.. |
Apples to Apples works in many, many ways
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| Review Date: November 11, 2006 |
| Reviewer: P. Dreyer, Minneapolis, MN |
| We've only had the game a week, but we're loving it. We bought it as this year's game to try out at the holidays. Husband and I wanted to see if it was as good as advertised, so we began playing with just the two of us. Hey, it's fun as a two player game, especially if you and your S.O. can come to concensus by convincing the other that your card is the best. Great debate game in that regard. When we absolutely cannot agree, we toss the hand. Have played it with the kids (22 and 21) and 5 year old granddaughter. Granddaugher is on my team. Everyone gives me extra time to explain what the cards say and their meaning, and then she and I whisper and strategize on which one to play. She loves it and has been asking for it on game night. (She's getting the Jr. version for Christmas and we know she's going to love it.). Another very nice thing is it's easy to set up (actually, no setup required) and quick to play a hand. Youngest son (21) lives with us and if he's got a quick ten minutes or so, he'll bring it out and say "let's play a hand". He and his girlfriend stayed an hour past their scheduled departure time because someone always said "just one more hand". Our extended family is into Balderdash (acutally, Beyond Balderdash these days), but when I roll this out at the holidays, I expect it to be a new champion (Balderdash has been the leader for years). Highly, highly recommended, especially if you love thinking games. |
Minutes to Learn, a Lifetime to Master?
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| Review Date: November 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: E. Burian-Mohr, Los Angeles, CA USA |
Oops. No. That's Othello.
But the same applies.
Here's my Top Ten List of the 10 Best Things About Apples to Apples.
10. The rules of the game can be explained in three sentences or less.
9. It works for a small intimate group, or an overflow crowd at the Thanksgiving table. There's no boring wait time.
8. There are so many cards, the odds of getting a repeat are slim.
7. The game can be reconfigured in several ways, should anyone ever get tired of the first approach.
6. It can be played by a drunk crowd, a sober crowd, a young crowd, and old crowd, a totally mixed crowd.
5. No element of throat-cutting competitiveness.
4. You can play to win or you can play to amuse.
3. The loser doesn't feel like a loser.
2. The winner is unlikely to leap on the table dancing and screaming "I won, I won!"
1. It will make everyone laugh. It will make you laugh. Does life get any better than that?
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This is the best game ever!
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| Review Date: August 12, 2006 |
| Reviewer: , |
| I was at camp when one kid brought the Apples to Apples Jr. Edition to play. When I first herd the rules for Apples to Apples it seemed a little confusing. But after just 1 round we all understood the game and were laughing so hard. I don't think there was 1 round when I wasn't laughing. This game is good for all ages. I played with about 10 kids ages 5-15. I can't wait to buy this game. I am not sure which version to get. I played both the regular and Jr. version and love them both. But I do recommend that if you are playing with younger kids to get the Jr. version. It is a lot easier for them to understand and the cards have things that they know, for example a ham sandwhich, bike, red apple, a bad haircut, a school, etc. If you have never played this game you are missing out! |
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