Apples to Apples
| "The Game of Hilarious Comparisons!" | |
|---|---|
 The cover of the Apples to Apples Party Box | |
| Publisher(s) | Pegasus Spiele, Out of the Box, Mattel |
| Players | 4–10 |
| Age range | 12 and up |
| Setup time | 1 minute |
| Playing time | 30–75 minutes |
| Random chance | Medium |
| Skill(s) required | Social skills |
Apples to Apples is a party game originally published by Out of the Box Publishing, and now published by Mattel. The object of the game is to win the most rounds by playing a "red apple" card (which generally features a noun) from one's hand to best "match" that round's communal "green apple" card (which contains an adjective) as chosen by that round's judging player. The game is designed for four to ten players and played for 30–75 minutes.
Apples to Apples was chosen by Mensa International in 1999 as a "Mensa Select" prizewinner, an award given to five games each year.[1] It was also named "Party Game of the Year" in the December 1999 issue of Games magazine[2] and received the National Parenting Center's seal of approval in May 1999.[3] The popularity of the game led to an increased interest in similar card-matching/answer-judging party games.
Game versions
The original boxed set contained:
- 108 green cards (green apples) each of which has an adjective printed on one side.
- 324 red cards (red apples) each of which has a noun printed on one side.
- A tray for holding the cards.
Four expansion sets were available adding 72 extra green apple cards and 216 extra red apple cards each. In 2002, Expansion Set 3 won the Origins Award for Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2002.
As of 2005, the original set and its expansions have been retired and replaced by a Party Box with the combined contents of the basic set and its first two expansions, and Party Box Expansion 1 set with the combined contents of the third and fourth expansions, and a Party Box Expansion 2, which contains new cards.
On September 8, 2007, Out of the Box Publishing sold the rights for Apples to Apples to Mattel.[4]
Official distributions
Below is a list of currently available distributions of Apples to Apples:
- Party Box - a combination of the original game and the first two "Expansion Sets"
- Party Crate - a premium version of the Party Box in a wooden box packaging.
- Party Box Expansion One - a combination of the original "Expansion Sets" 3 and 4
- Party Box Expansion Two
- Junior
- Kids
- Bible Edition
- Jewish Edition
- Junior Jewish Edition
- German Edition
- Yiddish Edition
- Disney Edition
- British Isles Edition
- Spanish edition: Manzanas con manzanas
- To Go - a portable version that includes all new cards.
- Family Edition
- Sour Apples to Apples - a variant in which the judge also chooses a "worst" answer. That player is given a punishment for the next round as determined by an included "spinner". All of the cards in this version are dual-purpose and contain a red half (noun) and green half (adjective) to be used depending on which role the card is used in.
- Big Picture Apples to Apples- a variant in which the red cards are pictures
See also
- Cards Against Humanity – a similar game, but oriented for the adult audience
References
- ↑ "Mind Games (select year in menu)". American Mensa Ltd. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
- ↑ "Industry News: Apples to Apples Named Party Game of the Year". Pyramid (online). Steve Jackson Games. 1999-10-07.
- ↑ "1999 Seal of Approval: Spring 1999 Seal of Approval Product Testing Report". The National Parenting Center. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
- ↑ Out Of The Box Publishing Archived October 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.