Apples to Apples Party Box - The Game of Hilarious Comparisons (Family Edition)

by Mattel

• Apples to Apples are the game of hilarious comparisons
• It's as easy as comparing apples to apples... just open the box, deal the cards, and you're ready to play
• Select the card from your hand that you think is best described by a card played by the judge
• Includes over 1,000 cards
• Each round is filled with surprising and outrageous comparisons from a wide range of people, places, things and events

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Origin: Made in USA
• ASIN: B00112CHCK
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: N1384
• Manufacturer recommended age: 12 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #9 in Toys & Games > Games > Board Games
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (635 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com

Apples to Apples is an award-winning party game that will have everyone laughing. We had a blast playing this game and think it is a perfect game for a "board game night" with friends and family. It is quick to set up, easy to learn, challenging, and a whole lot of fun.

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

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.

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

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.

At a Glance:

• Experience award-winning fun with family and friends
• Quick setup and easy to learn
• Inspires creativity and fast thinking
• Humorous gameplay keeps players entertained for hours
• Party box includes over a thousand cards

Age/Weight Requirements:

• 12 years and up

Assembly Requirements:

• At least four players

Product Description

Hilarious fun for four to ten players, Apples to Apples® is great for game nights with family and friends!

This award-winning party game contains over 1,000 cards for hours of entertaining play! Each round is filled with surprising and outrageous comparisons from a wide range of people, places, things, and events. For ages 12+.

See all Product Description

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

460 of 470 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A superior party game that always amuses November 23, 2004

By Daniel L Edelen TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Durability: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

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. Read more ›

146 of 149 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun family and friends game June 25, 2008

By J. Dueck

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

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..

159 of 165 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incomparable Fun January 8, 2005

By Mark Baker HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

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.

63 of 65 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Needs a good party! October 24, 2008

By Mace Thomas VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 3.0 out of 5 stars   

I just received this game and played it with family members. Overall the game is very basic. Red Cards (nouns-persons,places,or things) are dealt to players and a judge is assigned to monitor the players played red cards vs. the adjective description card (Green). The other good thing about this game, is that each card has additional information that will assist you with understanding what is written on the card - some with humor. With over 700 player (Red) cards, this game will not repeat very often and even if a card comes up again, the multitude of Green descriptive cards will keep up the variety. This game has a minimum of 4 players, but more than that is suggested for greater enjoyment. The players should also have a sense of humor, as if the game is played "Straight," it kind of loses some of that fun. Once you get tired of playing the "normal" game, they have suggestions for additional ways to play it.