Look For Apples To Apples

Every once and awhile a game comes a long that takes up an important position in people's homes.  You'd be hard pressed to find many homes that don’t own a game of Monopoly in some form, for example.  Certain games become staples at parties and on family game night.  Apples to Apples is just such a game.  It was introduced by Mattel and was celebrated as the Party Game of the Year by Games Magazine in 1999.  The same year Mensa International selected the game as one of the "Mensa Select" prizewinners which is an honor that is given to five games on a annual basis.

The object behind Apples to Apples is the idea of playing with language.  There is room for between four and ten players in any game.  Each player is dealt a hand of seven red cards.  The Judge turns over a green card on the table, and each player must select one of his or her red cards that is the best match for the green card.  All players hand their cards to the judge and a subjective decision is made by this player as to which of the submitted cards is actually the best fit.  The player that submitted the winning card wins the round and gets to keep the green card as a prize.  The red cards are all a noun or noun phrase, while the green cards are all adjectives.

You can be as creative as you want with this game.  The idea is to think about words in a new way and make combinations that are truly clever.  Humorous submissions are always appreciated.  Apples to Apples has become so popular because it is a fast paced game, with plenty of opportunity to laugh, as well as a chance to stretch your brain a little. It will keep your evenings TV free and highly enjoyable.