Epinions.com
Tammi
January 2003
USA

Apples to Apples Core Game: One Bad Apple Might Be a Winner!

Author's Product Rating

Durability:

Pros
Hilarious fun, Allows creativity, Great for a party\

Cons
You need four to play!

The Bottom Line
I haven't laughed so hard for a long time. Apples to Apples is worth every cent.

Full Review

Author's Note: It seems like forever since I've written a review that has nothing to do with my child. I'm giddy with excitement!

I can always count on my husband to give me an unusual gift for the holidays, and this year was no exception. Knowing that I love to play games, he did his research and bought me a new one. As I tore the paper from the box and saw the title, Apples to Apples, I have to admit that just a bit of doubt crept in. I'd never heard of the game or of its maker, Out of the Box, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd already been burned a couple of times on little-known games (Trumpet, anyone?). But hey, I'm always willing to give another one a try. I'm pleased to report that this game was the hit of the holiday season and has quickly become a favorite!

What's It Take to Get Started?

Besides the game itself, all you'll need to play Apples to Apples is four to ten players, ages 12 to adult. Though a child younger than 12 would probably be able to grasp the concept of the game just fine, many of the topics referred to in the game may be unfamiliar to them (Humphrey Bogart, Confucius, Berlin, etc.). If you desire to play the game with children, I would suggest sorting out some of the cards that you think would be frustrating for them, in order to make the game go more smoothly for all. Of course, leaving a few of those cards in the deck will also make for an interesting learning experience, which can never hurt!

The Rules...Now Pay Attention

Thankfully, the rules to this game are very simple, which means that getting started takes only a matter of minutes. A laminated rules sheet contains the 10 steps to playing the game, as well as some game variations and tips.

Each of the players receives seven "red apple" cards, which feature the name of a person, place, event, or thing, as well as a brief description of it and some sort of funny comment. (For example: Oxygen. Oxygen was discovered in 1774. You'd think someone would have noticed it earlier.) Players keep their cards hidden from their opponents but should become familiar with them themselves.

One player is selected to be the judge and reads aloud a "green apple" card. The green card features a characteristic that would describe a person, place, event, or thing, as well as several synonyms. (Example: Saintly: virtuous, angelic, divine)

Players must quickly choose the red apple card from their hand that they think best matches the green apple card and lay it face down on the table. If there are 4-5 players, each person may place two cards on the table, one at at time. However, only the first four cards placed on the table are accepted, and the rest must be placed back in the players' hands. If there are 6 or more players, each person may play only one card, and the last card to be played must be picked up and returned to the player's hand. This adds an element of quick thinking and speed.

The judge shuffles the red apple cards and reads them aloud. He or she then picks the card that is the "best" match (in his/her opinion of course) and awards the green apple card to the corresponding player. The red apple cards that were played during the round are placed in the discard box, and judgeship passes to the player on the left. Replacement red apple cards are then distributed.

The first player to collect a given number of green apple cards (with four players, it's eight) is the winner!

I've found game play to take about an hour with five players. Of course this will depend upon the flow of your game and how much time is "wasted" in hysterical laughing!

A Sample Hand

The only way to gain a real appreciation for this game is to sit down and play it, but I thought I'd provide an example of what one player's hand might look like.

Say the judge puts down a green apple card with he word "adorable" on it. I look at my hand and see the following red apple cards: Black Holes, Commuting, Silk, Martha Stewart, Olive Oil, Puff Daddy, and Communists. It's now my job to select a card that I think is best described by the word "adorable" and to place it on the table as quickly as possible. Depending upon the number of players, I may get a chance to put another card down, increasing my chances of winning. As I get better at the game, I'm also going to try to take the judge's likes and dislikes into consideration in order to try to sway him or her to choose my card.

Perhaps you can get an idea of how quickly this game becomes hilarious. Putting down cards that "stretch it" is a great idea, because some judges will be pleased by the creativity. At the very least, it will be good for a laugh. I try to put a card down every time, because for all I know, everyone else's cards could be even worse. Sometimes there's a perfect fit, but more than likely there will be some pushing and shoving necessary. That's the fun part, and the instructions actually encourage lots of "table talk" and lobbying for particular cards to be chosen. I once was able to convince a judge to choose my card (socks) for the word awkward. Need I say more?

An Apple a Day? I'd Love It!

Of the many wonderful things about this game, the most important is the fact that there are so many different card combinations. The game is never boring or repetitive. We must have played it five times in the first couple of days I owned Apples to Apples, yet we never felt that we were rehashing old discussions. Once you shuffle the 321 red apple cards and 107 green apple cards, you are in for an entirely new experience. For those of you who still think you might eventually get bored, however, expansion packs are available for the game. Now that's good news!

Another interesting feature of Apples to Apples is the ability of the owner to personalize the game. It comes with one blank green apple card and three blank red apple cards, which you can write on to make the game that much more hilarious.
I love a game that is versatile, and this one completely fits the bill. On the back of the rules card are several variations on the basic game, for those who are ready for a challenge. One of them, "Crab Apples," asks the judge to choose the card that is least like the green apple card. Another, "Apple Turnovers," has players receiving a hand of green apple cards instead of red.

Even the box is something special and well-designed. The bottom of the box is mean to double as a "discard box." In addition, in large letters on all four sides are tips and reminders for game play. These include a list of the responsibilities of the judge and a recap of how many green apple cards are needed to win. Is This Apple for You?
I'm the type of person who loves party games, yet I'm on the shy side. Unless I'm with a group of people I know well, I don't like to play games that put all eyes on me, like charades. Apples to Apples is very non-threatening, easy to learn, and doesn't require any acting. In other words, it perfect for someone like me! I would feel comfortable playing it anywhere, with anyone.

If you enjoy party games in general and word games in particular, I think Apples to Apples will be a great choice for you. If you love to laugh, this game will quickly become a favorite. I literally couldn't breathe because we were all laughing so hard. My husband's choice was excellent (how could I have doubted it?), and now I'm constantly wondering when we can play again. That's right, the only con to this game is gathering four people in order to play.

And the Winner Is...

Many organizations have honored Apples to Apples, and the game has won several awards, including the following.

Party Game of the Year 2000, Games Magazine
National Competition Winner, Mensa
Tiger Award for Best American Game, The Game Report 2000

Recommended
Yes

Back to Apples to Apples Reviews page