Apples to Apples - Game Review

by Lauri Griffin | More from this Blogger

29 Dec 2007 07:33 PM

Last night our family played Apples to Apples. We laughed harder than we have in a long time. It only takes a few minutes to learn how to play, is a fast moving game, and it is great for multiple ages. The game comes with red apple cards and green apple cards, no dice, no board, no other pieces.

Players take turns being the judge. The judge puts down a green card. Green cards have descriptive words like cowardly, refreshing, dainty, frazzled and heartless. The other players each choose a red card. These red cards each have the name of a person, place, thing, or event. In case the players aren't familiar with that particular place, or person, a small and often humorous description is provided on the card. For example, the card for George Washington reads "1732-99, first president of the United States. He chopped down a cherry tree to make false teeth .... or something like that." The card for "A High School Bathroom" has a quote from Alexander Pope, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." Other red cards are bingo, my first kiss, marriage, King Arthur, and getting a hug.

The judge selects the red card that he or she feels best matches the green card. Some of the matches can be very funny. Players are allowed to lobby for their card. The game has a lot of variations. You can play an opposite mode where the judge would pick the red card that is the most opposite of the green descriptive word card. Or the players can bet using their green cards.

My teenager received the game for Christmas. This particular version is for ages 12 and up. My almost ten year olds didn't have any trouble with the reading, but some of the cards had words my younger children had never heard of. I think it's a great way to learn vocabulary words like visionary and profound. The trouble with the adult version is that my children have never heard of Marilyn Monroe, or Regis Philbin, or Lucille Ball. And while it's a good opportunity for culture and history lessons, I think we will probably go ahead and get one of the more Junior versions.

The game even comes in a Bible and a Jewish version.

Also See:

Whoonu - Game Review

Lilly's 3 For All - Game Review

More Fun with Playing Cards

Learn more about Lauri Griffin

Lauri lives in Colorado with her husband and three sons. Amidst all the laundry and packing of lunches, she tries to keep parenting fun.

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Nicole Humphrey (15757) 16 Jan 2008 10:14 AM

This is one of our families favorite games! Great review. Also, if you like Apples to Apples, you might also like checking out In a Pickle. These two games are our top two game choices, however my kids range in age from 8-13. :D

Lauri Griffin (2703) 20 Jan 2008 09:44 AM

I know it's going to be one of our long time favorites, too.