It’s a specific kind of silence. You know the one. Someone just played a card so offensive, so deeply wrong, that the entire room holds its breath for a split second before erupting into the kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt. This is the world of the Crimes of Humanity game—or, as most people actually know it, Cards Against Humanity.
People call it a lot of things. A "party game for horrible people" is the official tagline, but it’s basically a social experiment in how far you can push your friends' boundaries before things get genuinely awkward.
Let's be real. It isn't just a game. It’s a cultural phenomenon that changed how we hang out. Before this, "adult" board games were mostly just Trivial Pursuit or maybe a spicy version of Truth or Dare if things were getting weird. Then, eight guys from Highland Park, Illinois, decided to release a set of cards that prioritized shock value and dark humor over actually being "good" at anything. The result? A billion-dollar empire built on the back of poop jokes and political satire.
The Identity Crisis: Is it Crimes of Humanity or Cards Against Humanity?
If you're searching for "Crimes of Humanity game," you’re likely hitting on one of two things. First, there’s the obvious confusion with the actual title, Cards Against Humanity. It’s an easy slip of the tongue because the game is literally about "crimes" against social decorum. Secondly, there are dozens of "clones" and "expansion packs" that popped up on Amazon and Kickstarter trying to ride the coattails of the original's success.
Some are actually decent. Others? They’re just cheap knockoffs that forget the golden rule of dark humor: it has to be clever, not just gross.
The original creators, led by Max Temkin and Ben Hantoot, actually released the game under a Creative Commons license. That was a ballsy move. It meant you could literally download the PDF, print it at home for free, and play it without giving them a dime. Most companies would call that suicide. For them, it was the ultimate marketing hack. It turned a simple card game into a viral sensation because the barrier to entry was zero.
Why the "Horrible People" Hook Actually Works
Why do we like being "horrible" for an hour? Psychologically, it’s a release valve. We spend all day being professional, polite, and politically correct. Then you sit down, grab a drink, and suddenly you’re allowed to pair "The Trail of Tears" with "White people like ____."
It’s transgressive.
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But there’s a nuance here that people miss. The game doesn't work if everyone playing is actually a jerk. It works best among friends who know each other's boundaries. It’s about the juxtaposition. You aren't laughing at the tragedy; you're laughing at the absurdity of the combination. The "crime" isn't the card itself—it's the person who chose to play it.
The Evolution of the Party Game Landscape
Remember when everyone was obsessed with Apples to Apples? That was the PG-rated ancestor. It used the same "judge and player" mechanic, but it was safe for Sunday school.
The Crimes of Humanity game style took that engine and stripped the mufflers off. Since its 2011 launch, we’ve seen an explosion of similar titles. What Do You Meme? moved the format to internet culture. Joking Hazard by the Cyanide & Happiness crew brought in a visual, comic-strip element. Even Exploding Kittens owes some of its DNA to the "edgy" branding that CAH perfected.
But CAH stayed relevant because they leaned into the "anti-corporate" vibe. They didn't just sell cards. They sold "nothing" for $5 on Black Friday. They dug a giant hole in the ground for no reason. They bought a plot of land on the US-Mexico border to make it harder for the government to build a wall. This isn't just a game company; it’s a performance art troupe that happens to sell cardboard.
The Problem with Replayability
Honestly, the game has a shelf life. You can only see the "Mecha-Hitler" card so many times before it loses its punch. This is the biggest criticism of the genre. Once the shock wears off, you're left with a mechanical process that can feel a bit repetitive.
This is why the expansion packs are so vital. They keep the "crimes" fresh. Whether it’s the 90s Nostalgia Pack, the Science Pack, or the various "hidden" packs, they’re trying to catch the lightning in a bottle again.
But let’s be honest: after about 45 minutes, someone usually says, "Okay, I'm kind of carded out," and you switch to something else. And that’s fine. It’s designed for the peak of the party, not the whole night.
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Controversies and the "Cancel Culture" Era
You can't talk about a game centered on being offensive without talking about the times it actually offended people. Over the years, the creators have had to pull several cards. Cards referencing trans people or specific historical atrocities that felt "too punch-down" were removed in later printings.
It’s a delicate balance.
The creators have admitted that some of their early humor was just "edgy for the sake of being edgy" without being smart. They've shifted toward punching up—targeting CEOs, politicians, and social structures rather than marginalized groups. Some fans hated this, calling it "going soft." Others saw it as the game maturing.
In 2020, the company faced its own internal "crimes of humanity" moment. Allegations of a toxic work culture and racism within the office surfaced. It was a wake-up call. The very people making a game about social awareness (in a twisted way) had failed to maintain it in their own backyard. They’ve since made public commitments to diversity and restructuring, but it left a mark on the brand’s "cool" factor.
How to Play Without Being a Total Jerk
If you’re hosting, there are actual strategies to make the Crimes of Humanity game experience better. Seriously.
- The Rando Rule: Always add one card from the deck to the pile of submissions. If "Rando Cardrissian" wins the round, everyone feels a little bit of shame. It also keeps the game moving when you only have three players.
- The Trash Rule: Let people trade in cards they don't get or find genuinely unfunny. There's nothing worse than holding a hand of "inside jokes" from 2012 that nobody understands anymore.
- Know Your Audience: Don't play this with your very conservative grandmother unless she’s secretly a riot. It’s not about "triggering" people; it’s about having a good time. If someone is visibly uncomfortable, the game isn't working.
Technical Specs: What You're Actually Buying
For those who care about the "gaming" aspect of this gaming category:
The standard set usually comes with 600 cards. You’ve got the white cards (the answers) and the black cards (the questions). The math is simple: $25 for the base set.
But the real cost is the expansions. There are dozens. If you’re a completionist, you’re looking at spending hundreds of dollars.
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Is it worth it?
If you have a rotating group of friends, yes. If you play with the same four people every Friday, you’re going to burn through the deck in a month. In that case, look into "Print on Demand" services or even the online clones like pretendyoure.xyz (though those get shut down or moved frequently due to copyright issues).
The Future of the Genre
Where does the "crimes against humanity" style go from here? We're seeing a shift toward more interactive, phone-integrated games. Jackbox Games (specifically Quiplash) is basically the digital evolution of this. It allows players to write their own jokes, which solves the "I've seen this card before" problem.
Still, there’s something tactile about holding the cards. Something about the physical evidence of your terrible sense of humor sitting on the coffee table.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Game Night
If you're looking to dive back into this world or try it for the first time, don't just buy the box and hope for the best.
- Curate the deck. If you’ve bought expansions, mix them in, but remove the "duds." Any card that requires a Wikipedia search to understand should be tossed.
- Set a time limit. The biggest mistake people make is playing until the deck is gone. Stop while people are still laughing.
- House Rules are king. The official rules are barely a page long for a reason. Make it yours. Award extra points for "combos" that make the judge cry.
- Check for "Version 2.0" or later. If you’re buying used, check the version number on the back. The newer versions have replaced the outdated, less-funny cards with much sharper writing.
The Crimes of Humanity game phenomenon isn't going anywhere. It might change names, it might get digital, and it might get "re-canceled" every few years, but the human urge to laugh at things we shouldn't is hardwired. As long as there are people who want to be a little bit "horrible" in the safety of their living rooms, these cards will keep hitting the table.
Check your local hobby shop or even big-box retailers; they almost all carry the updated base sets now. Just remember to read the room before you drop that "clusterfuck" card on your boss.