You’re sitting around a coffee table. There’s a pile of red cards, a pile of green cards, and that one friend who takes everything way too seriously. We’ve all been there. If you’re wondering how do you play the game Apples to Apples, the answer is technically simple, but the execution? That’s where things get messy, hilarious, or occasionally heated. It’s the quintessential party game that paved the way for more "edgy" successors, yet it remains a staple because it relies on the specific, weird chemistry of the people in the room.
The game was designed by Matthew Kirby and Mark Alan Osterhaus and published by Out of the Box Publishing back in 1999. It’s basically a comparison game. You’ve got Red Apple cards, which are nouns (people, places, things, or even abstract feelings), and Green Apple cards, which are adjectives (descriptions like "Scary," "Delicious," or "Outrageous"). One person is the judge, everyone else tries to convince that judge that their noun is the best fit for the adjective.
Simple, right? On paper, yes. In practice, it’s a psychological battle.
The Basic Mechanics: Setting Up the Chaos
Before you dive in, you need to deal. Every player gets seven Red Apple cards. Don't show them to anyone. If you do, you lose the element of surprise, which is half the fun. Pick someone to be the first judge. There’s no official rule for this—usually, it’s the person whose birthday is closest or just the person who volunteered to host.
The judge grabs a Green Apple card from the top of the stack and flips it over. They read the word aloud. Let’s say the word is "Crunchy." Now, every other player looks at their hand of seven red cards. They have to pick the one that they think best fits "Crunchy." Maybe you have "Potato Chips." That’s an easy win. But maybe you only have "The IRS" and "My Grandmother."
This is where the game actually starts.
The Art of the Toss
You place your chosen card face down on the table. The judge shouldn't know who played what. Once everyone has submitted a card, the judge shuffles them—this is crucial for fairness—and reads them out one by one. The judge then decides which card is the "best."
What does "best" mean? It’s entirely subjective. Some judges play it straight. They want the most literal match. Others are looking for the funniest, most ironic, or most nonsensical pairing. If the word is "Graceful" and someone plays "A One-Legged Hippo," a funny judge picks that every time.
How Do You Play the Game Apples to Apples When Your Hand is Terrible?
We’ve all had those rounds. You’re holding a hand full of cards like "Dust," "Toaster Brushes," and "The Mid-Atlantic Ridge," and the Green Apple card is "Sexy." You aren't going to win.
In this scenario, you have two real options. First, you can play your "trash" card—the one you want to get rid of just so you can draw a new, hopefully better one. This is a strategic dump. Second, you can try to play the judge. If you know the judge has a weird sense of humor, you might play "The Mid-Atlantic Ridge" for "Sexy" just to see if they’ll laugh. Sometimes, the sheer absurdity wins the point.
Winning the Round
The person whose card is chosen wins the Green Apple card. That’s your point. You keep the green card in front of you so everyone can see you’re winning (and start targeting you). Everyone draws back up to seven Red Apple cards, and the role of judge passes to the left. The game continues until someone hits a predetermined number of green cards.
Most people play to five or seven, but if you’re at a long party, you might go until the snacks run out.
Variations That Actually Make it Better
The official rules are just a suggestion. Over the decades, players have invented "house rules" that keep the game from getting stale. One popular version is Apple Potluck. If you’re really struggling with your hand, some groups allow a one-time swap of all seven cards, but you have to skip a turn to do it.
Then there’s the Bottom of the Barrel rule.
In this version, after the judge reads the Green Apple card, everyone plays their card as usual, but the judge has to pick the card that fits the description the least. It flips the entire logic of the game on its head. Suddenly, "The Plague" is the winning card for "Refreshing."
The "Quick Draw" Rule
If you find the game moving too slowly, try this. The last person to put their Red Apple card into the pile doesn't get their card considered. It stays in their hand. This adds a physical rush to the game and prevents people from over-analyzing their hand for three minutes while everyone else waits in silence.
Why This Game is Different From Cards Against Humanity
It’s impossible to talk about Apples to Apples without mentioning its adult-oriented cousin. While they share the same DNA, the vibe is totally different. Apples to Apples is "clean," but that’s actually its strength. It forces you to be clever rather than just shocking.
When you play a "shock value" game, the card does the work for you. In Apples to Apples, you do the work. You have to convince the judge. You have to explain why "Baking Soda" is actually "Revolutionary." It turns into a debate.
A lot of people think the game is just for kids. That's a mistake. When played by adults who are willing to argue for their ridiculous choices, it becomes a high-stakes trial of wit. The nuances of the English language come out. You start arguing about the definition of "Spicy" or whether "Abraham Lincoln" can technically be described as "Lumpy."
Common Pitfalls and Etiquette
Don't be the person who tries to signal which card is yours. If you’re giggling and pointing at the pile while the judge is reading, you’re ruining the "blind" aspect of the judging.
Also, pay attention to the Green Apple cards that have synonyms on them. Often, a card will say "Refreshing" but have "Cool" or "Crisp" in smaller text. These are there to help you if you’re stuck. They give you a broader range of what the word could mean.
The Judge's Burden
If you're the judge, be quick. Nobody wants to sit through a five-minute monologue about why you're struggling to choose between "Fudgsicles" and "The Great Wall of China." Pick the one that hits your gut first.
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Strategic Insights for Modern Play
If you want to win consistently, stop playing the cards you like. Start playing the judge.
If the judge is your grandmother, she might not appreciate a card that's even slightly cynical. If the judge is your sarcastic roommate, play the darkest card you have. The game isn't about the cards; it's about the person sitting in the judge's chair at that exact moment.
Also, keep track of what cards have been played. If "The Moon" has already been used and won a round, it’s out of the deck. You need to know what high-value "catch-all" cards are still in play. Cards like "My Bedroom" or "The End of the World" tend to work for almost any adjective, so save them for a round where you really need the point.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Game Night
To get the most out of your next session, try these specific tweaks to the standard setup:
- Audit your deck: If you’ve had the game since 2005, some cards might be dated. Pull out any celebrities or pop culture references that nobody in the room recognizes anymore.
- Set a card limit: Instead of playing until someone gets 7 points, play for exactly 30 minutes. It keeps the energy high and prevents the "when will this end?" fatigue that hits some board games.
- The "Double Green" Round: For the final round of the night, flip over two Green Apple cards. Players must find a single Red Apple card that fits both adjectives. It’s incredibly difficult and usually results in the most creative arguments of the night.
Apples to Apples is a game of context. It’s about how we see the world and, more importantly, how we think our friends see the world. Whether you're playing the "Party Box" version or a specialized "Junior" set, the goal is less about the points and more about the collective realization that everyone in your friend group has a slightly broken internal compass.
Grab the box, shuffle the red cards thoroughly (they tend to stick together), and make sure someone has a clear surface to layout the cards. The best way to learn is to just start playing. You'll figure out the table's sense of humor within the first three rounds.