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The party box includes over a thousand cards for many card combinations. View larger.

Unexpected and funny comparisons make the game fun to come back to again and again. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Quick set up; inspires quick thinking and creativity; fun for whole family The Bad: Not as fun without at least five players; subject matter targeted for mid-teens and older In a Nutshell: Quick-paced board game requires just a minute to set up and will have everyone laughing for hours At a Glance Ages: 12 and up Requires: At least four players

Smart, Award-Winning Fun
Apples to Apples has won numerous awards including "Party Game of the Year" by Games magazine and "Mensa Select" by Mensa International. And for good reason: it involves quick thinking, humor, and strategy. For teens, the game teaches them to think about how different things can be compared to one another and how analogies are formed. One of our criticisms is that although the game states that it is designed for ages 12 and older, many of the subjects are clearly for older teens.

Hilarious Comparisons and Analogies
The name of the game is a play on the phrase "apples to oranges," and the game is about making comparisons between different things. General game play is as follows: players are dealt red cards which have a noun printed on them, and the judge (a different player in each turn) draws a green card on which an adjective is printed and places it for all players to see. Each player then chooses a red card they are holding that they think best describes the green card. The judge then decides which adjective she likes best.

The fun is in the variety of unexpected comparisons people make, sometimes apt, funny, creative, or simply absurd. For example: people might match "Awkward" with "Oil Spills," "My First Kiss," "Dandruff," and "Gold Chains. " Or: "Painful" with "High School Reunions" and "Regis Philben. " Strategy comes into play since, because each player takes turns being the judge, you begin to pick up on the preferences of each player and tailor your choices accordingly.

Players can also try variations on the basic game play. For example, instead of choosing the most apt comparison, players might try choosing the red card that is least like the green one. These variations keep the game fresh and interesting every time.

Conversation Kick Starter
Part of the fun is in standing up for your choices. For instance, you might discuss why you think "Regis Philben" is painful, or segue into a discussion of the embarrassing situations you got into on your first day of school, or your first kiss. Apples to Apples excels as an ice breaker and promotes a good amount of social interaction, as many conversations will be kick started thanks to these little cards.

More Players, More Fun
Although the box states that the game is playable with just four players, we found that the game is a lot more fun when there are at least five or six players. This increases both the frequency of funny answers and also requires players to refine their strategy a little more. Once we got going, hours passed, and it was only the lateness of the hour that reminded some of us that we had to go home.

This Party Box set comes with more than 1,000 cards total, and will entertain for a long time. Additional expansion sets are available to further increase the variety of word combinations.

What's in the Box
756 Red Apple Cards, 252 Green Apple Cards, card tray, quick play rules.




Customer Reviews

Totally hilarious game!!! Posted 30 November 2008
I think it is a really fun game. i think it is a great game for all ages. All the people I know who have played it say "This is one of the best games I have tried!".

Very Fun Party Game Posted 30 November 2008
Apple to Apples is an extremely fun party game good for 4 or more people.

The set up is very easy. The game comes with 756 red apple cards with name of a person, place, or thing on it. There are 252 green apple cards which a characteristic of a person, place, or thing.

If you play with four people each person gets seven red apple cards. You then draw a green apple card that the judge reads to the players and lays face down on the table. The other players have to choose a red apple card that best matches the green apple card. The judge picks the red apple card that is the best fit and the player that laid down that red apple card wins the green apple card. If you are playing with four people the first person to win eight green apple cards wins the game. (That number is reduced when there are more players).

It's even more fun because everybody gets to be a judge. The role of judge passes to the next player going counterclockwise.

There are many reasons this game is very fun.

First, you can get some very funny comparisons. For example, let's say the green apple card is "dainty" - delicate, elegant, graceful. Let's say you have several red apple cards but the only one you can come up with is "hippopotamus." The judge may find that such a funny opposite he or she may choose that card as the winner.

Second, you can't cheat. The judge is the sole person who decides who wins the green apple card. You can hide and not let the judge know what you played, or you can sit and lobby the judge to choose your card. It's a wide open contest. It does get a little annoying when someone always chooses their spouses card regardless, but it's not against the rules. You can even play to the personality of the judge.

Third, you can play with a lot of players and the more players you have, the more fun the game becomes because you get even more funny comparisons.
And finally, the game is very fast moving and often after one game is over, people want to play it again.

I highly recommend this game for an easy, fast paced party game.

An outstanding game Posted 29 November 2008
We have enjoyed this game emensely... even playing with grandchildren as youg as 7... with a little help for them and in groups where there was a grandson that is 21. There is a lot of learning that occurs... at all ages... and there are a lot of different ways to play nthe game. This is one of the best games we have ever palyed as a family.

Absolute favorite game! Posted 28 November 2008
This is my absolute favorite game, hands down. I read some reviews of people saying the game is boring and not funny. Actually, the game is absolutely hilarious. All Apples to Apples fans know the key is to put down an opposite answer for the question! My favorite? Green card: touchy-feely, Red card: Helen Keller. Things like this make the game so much fun, we play it for hours. Sure, you're not learning a ton, but there's a lot of fun to be had. Ignore the negative reviews -- this game is more fun than you'll except!

Fun for the whole family... Posted 27 November 2008
This game is a real fun to play and is a treat for the whole family.
Little mind stimulation never hurts when you are having fun also.
You have to be careful to keep the cards away from the younger kids below the age of 8, as they want a piece of it too.