The Apples To Apples card game is suitable for all ages and can be a fun group activity. The players must match the red object card with the green descriptive card, and the player who makes the most powerful or attractive card pair wins. The rules of the game are easy to learn: just share the deck, choose a judge, and have fun!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparation Stage
Step 1. Determine the number of participating players
Invite some friends to play. Players must gather at the table or sit in a circle on the floor. Apples To Apples is best suited for 4-10 people, but some versions can be played by more people. The fewer players there are, the faster the game will progress, which can add to the fun.
The “lux” version of the Apples To Apples game can be played by 2 or more people
Step 2. Shuffle the two decks of cards
Start by completely shuffling the red and green card deck to ensure the order of the cards is random. Cards from each deck will be used each round of play. Separate these two decks; the red deck should not mix with the green deck.
Always shuffle the deck after the game is over so that the same cards are not dealt in the next game
Step 3. Select a judge for the first round
Decide which of the players will be the judge in the first round. The judge is in charge of determining the best pair of cards, and crowning the winner. Each player has the opportunity to be a judge because this task is passed to the player to the left of the previous judge after each round.
- Judges are free to choose the winner for various reasons. Some choose the strongest card pair, for example a red card that says "Scissors" (scissors) for a green card "Sharp" while others choose the most ironic or funny pair of cards. This diversity is what adds to the fun of the game!
- Everyone will take turns being the judge so who starts first doesn't matter.
Step 4. Deal seven red cards to each player
The judge will also serve as the dealer who deals 7 red cards to every other player. You will get red cards again every round, which means each player must always have 7 red cards at the start of a new round. When each player has 7 red cards in his hand, the game is ready to start.
Check your red card to make sure the number is 7. Otherwise, you will be short of options
Part 2 of 3: Play and Win Apples To Apples
Step 1. Open the green card
The judge takes the card at the top of the green deck and reads its contents to all players. The green card contains a phrase that must match the person, object, place or event on each player's red card. This green card can say “Cute” (cute), “Harmful” (dangerous) or “Patriotic” (patriotic). These phrases are designed to describe the red cards that players place each round.
There are over 749 red cards and 249 green cards in the basic version of Apples To Apples; enough to play for hours on end
Step 2. Choose the red card that matches the green card
The player will now choose one of his seven red cards to pair with the green card played. For example, players can play a red card that says “Babies” (babies) to be paired with a “Cute” card. The possible pairs of red and green cards are endless so let your creativity run free!
- Each player must choose a red card to play as soon as possible so that the game is not boring. The red card is placed face down next to the green card.
- The judge did not participate in placing a red card. The judges change each round so that each player has an equal chance to play.
Step 3. Shuffle the red cards that are played
After each player has placed a red card, the judge will shuffle these cards so that he no longer knows the owner of the red cards being played. Cards must remain face down after being shuffled.
You don't need to shake vigorously. Simply random the order of the red cards so that the order changes when placed
Step 4. Determine the winner
The judge will turn and look at each card, then determine the best card pair. The winner will take a green card from the round played as points. The player to the left of the judge becomes the new judge, then each player takes one red card from the deck so that the number in the hand returns to seven. If so, the player continues again.
- The total green cards are added up at the end of the game to determine the winner. The official Apples To Apples rules state that the player who gets 8, 7, 6, 5 and 4 green cards wins for games with 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 players, respectively.
- Once a round winning card is selected, all red cards played are returned to the bottom of the red deck.
Step 5. Select the number of green cards that need to be obtained to determine the winner
The official rules of the game suggest that players compete for a certain number of cards to emerge victorious. However, you can change it as you wish. For example, you could play 10 green cards to extend the game, or have a “sudden death” round and see who gets 3 green cards first. This option can be changed at will, depending only on the number of players and how the game is played.
You should also choose a player to replace his red card with a green card to come out victorious. The trick, players will add the green cards won to their deck after each round so that they reduce the number of red cards that can be selected. The player who first has seven green cards in his deck wins
Part 3 of 3: Changing the Game
Step 1. Pair the opposite cards in the “Crab Apple” version
Instead of looking for the most suitable pair of cards, try changing the mood with the “Crab Apple” version. If the green card reads “Scary” (scary), players try completely opposite words such as “Kitten” (kitten) or “Love” (love) to win the game. Choose carefully because finding a good combination is harder than you think!
- Apple's Crab game doubles the number of possible pairs of cards.
- Varied versions of Apples To Apples force you to think more carefully in choosing cards and the game is no longer so monotonous.
Step 2. Play “Apple Potpourri
” For a more challenging and funnier version, try playing “Apple Potpourri”. This version is played by selecting a red card before the green card is opened. Judges still choose the best pair, but players lose control of matching cards so the results are often random. Apple Potpourri is great fun in large groups because there are more pairs of cards for the judge to choose from.
Try playing Apple Potpourri as this alternative is perfect for groups where judges tend to choose the most entertaining pair of cards
Step 3. Try “2-For-1 Apples”
To increase the difficulty of the game and keep the fun going, double the points each round. The judge will turn over two green cards instead of one, and the player chooses the one red card that best matches both green cards. This variation of the game forces players to think more carefully each round because a red card must correspond to two different words, and one round costs two green cards.
For the 2-For-1 Apples version, you can specify the same number of cards to win the game so it goes faster, or whether the number of green cards is doubled and only the difficulty increases with each round
Tips
- Remember, the judge has the right to choose a winning red card for any reason. Some judges choose the funniest or most interesting card instead of simply the most accurate.
- Make sure you shuffle both decks before and after the game to keep it spontaneous.
- Get players to talk! Let the player convince the judge why his most worthy card was chosen.
- Blank cards can be played as any word.
- Apples To Apples is a great game to help young children learn new words and their meanings, spellings, and associations.
- Playing Apples To Apples can help break the ice when meeting new people.
- Red cards starting with " My " must be read from the judge's point of view. For example, the card "My Love Life" refers to the judge's love life described by the green card.
- A more “adult” version of Apples To Apples is Cards Against Humanity, which is not very suitable for children.
