Apples to Apples/Sour Apples to Apples

Today's board game is Apples to Apples. This is a really popular game. You have probably heard of it and you may even own it already. It still is worthy of the blog. It is one of our favorites. There are TONS of games out there like this now (both kid-friendly and adult-only) but this is one my kids always return to. 

The Point:

Collect enough green apple cards to win the game. 

Gameplay:

Each player is dealt seven red apple cards, face down. Look at your cards. 

One person is deemed the "judge". The judge picks a green apple card from the top of the stack, reads the word aloud, and places it face up on the table.

All players except the judge quickly choose the red apple card from their hand that they feel best goes with the green apple card played by the judge. Players place these red apple cards face down on the table.

The judge mixes the red apple cards so no one knows who played which card. The judge turns over each red apple card, reads it aloud, and then selects the one he thinks is best described the word on the green apple card. The player of the selected red apple card is awarded the green apple card played by the judge.

To keep score, players keep the green apple cards they have won on the table until the end of the game. 

Once the judge has completed her turn, the role of judge passes to the player on the left. Everyone should make sure they have seven cards in their hand, and the new judge lays out the new green apple card. Play continues from there!

Winning the Game:
If 4 players: 8 green apple cards are needed to win
If 5 players: 7 green apple cards are needed to win
If 6 players: 6 green apple cards are needed to win
If 7 players: 5 green apple cards are needed to win
If 8+ players: 4 green apple cards are needed to win

Things to Note:

• Your red apple card doesn't have to be a perfect fit. It might be the most creative or hilarious that gets chosen!
• You can agree before the game to allow "lobbying" for your card. If you play this way, players can try to convince the judge which card should be picked!
• You should definitely play to the judge! If I know the judge has a favorite actor, I may play that particular card knowing the judge will pick it no matter what!
• When playing with younger kids, you may want to discard celebrities or other cards they aren't aware of. We always discard certain celebrities like "Jack Nicholson" and cards like "Communism" or "Wall Street" because they aren't old enough to really understand how those specific things fit with a card, or know the actor.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! This is one of our favorite games, and because there are hundreds of cards there are so many combinations. You can play all the time and constantly come up with new combinations of cards!

Great for Learning:

Vocabulary words, synonyms, debate (if you play with the "lobbying" rules!), creative logic, reasoning

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This is another version of Apples to Apples, called Sour Apples to Apples. It is played almost exactly like the original version except there are consequences!

The cards look a little different but the gameplay is the same. Instead of stacks of red and green cards, they are combined! The green side is the "category" and the red side are the answers that can go with the category.

The Twist:
The player whose Red Apple card is selected as being LEAST like the word on the Green Apple card must spin the Sour Apple to see their fate! (The winner is selected first, and then this card is selected next).

Push down on the Sour Apple spinner to spin it. Whatever symbol stops in the window determines your fate:

Can't Talk Next Turn

This is self-explanatory. It's especially difficult if everyone is allowed to "lobby" for the judge to pick their card!

 Play Red Before Green:

The next time BEFORE the judge plays the Green Apple card you need to go ahead and lay down your Red Apple card! This is a really funny one!

 Pass the Sour Apple:

Lucky you! You get to pass the Sour Apple spinner to any other player EXCEPT the person who just won that round, and they have to spin it!

Double Play:

The next time you play a Red Apple card, you get to play two Red Apple cards instead of one, doubling your chances of winning that round!

Lose a Card:

You must immediately discard one card from your hand and for the rest of the game, play with only four cards. If you spin this symbol multiple times in the game, it has no effect after the first time.

Enjoy!