Be silly. Be literal. Be creative. Whatever you are, be better than your opponents. Apples to Apples is a party game full of hilarious comparisons where you’ll need to think like the judge if you want to win the round.
The game is very simple— it’s all about finding the best word combinations and racking up the points. Once a green adjective card is chosen by the active player, it’s up to the others to scan their red cards to create a match they think the judge is most likely to choose. Sometimes the best fit snags the win and sometimes the most outlandish answer gets the point. It’s all up to the judge.
Read our guide to 5 Games Like Apples to Apples below.
Apples to Apples is a wholesome, family-friendly game that’s loved by many. But if you’re looking for a new game that doesn’t fall far from the tree, check out these 5 games like Apples to Apples.
Games Like Apples to Apples
- ARTBOX
- Bears vs. Babies
- Snake Oil
- Dixit
- Cards Against Humanity
Table of Contents
Artbox
Players: 3-8
Playing time: 30-40mins
You don’t need to be Picasso to participate in this geometric abstract art game. In fact, your art skills will only get you so far.
In this simple draw-and-guess game, players draft two-word cards and choose which of the two they’d like to draw. But the roll of the dice will dictate your approach to your soon-to-be-revealed masterpiece. Using simple shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and lines, players will do their best to accurately sketch the object on their card using only the shapes shown on the four dice.
Will your work of art speak to the other players, or will all your hard work go right over their heads? With an easy-to-grasp concept and no complicated rules, Artbox is another perfect game for parties and is simple enough for even the most novice gamers.
Bears vs. Babies
Players: 2-5
Playing time: 20mins
In the match of a lifetime, players won’t be creating an absolutely epic word combination that gets a resounding giggle but instead will unsystematically stitch together an army full of Frankenstein-like baby-eating monsters using all kinds of unexpected body parts. With every extremity you add, your monster becomes stronger and you can devour more babies.
We’re not talking about Gerber babies that will be taken down easily. In this game, you’ll face hairy babies, fighter jet babies, and dinosaur babies. Build up your monsters quickly because provoking a baby who’s stronger than you will get you chewed up like a carrot stick at snack time. The player who eats the most babies wins. Bet you never thought you’d read that.
Bears vs. Babies is a competitive, yet easy and humorous card game that will have everyone laughing as they create wildly hilarious and destructive monsters.
Snake Oil
Players: 3-10
Playing time: 20-30mins
Test out your salesperson skills in Snake Oil — a game all about reading your target audience, rocking your sales pitch, and closing the deal for ridiculous products.
To begin, deal each player six-word cards that will be used to create wacky products and choose a player to be the first customer. This could be a witch, a pregnant woman, or a gangster so think about who you’re selling to.
other players then choose two cards from their hands to make a product. You’ll have just a matter of seconds to convince the customer that your product is better than everyone else’s. Whoever wins the pitch gets the card, and whoever has the most cards at the end of the round is the winner.
The two games are played in a very similar manner and they’re both centered around reading your opponents to create the best combination for the round. May the best salesperson win!
Dixit
Players: 3-8
Playing time: 30mins
Your imagination is free to run wild in Dixit as you let the whimsically illustrated cards speak for themselves. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Every round will tell a story as players take turns as the storyteller, choosing one card from their hand and thoughtfully crafting a clue to set the scene. This could be a single word, a sentence, or a song. All other players will choose a picture from their own hand that they feel best matches the clue. Once everyone has submitted their card, shuffle them up and lay the cards out to be voted on.
Dixit is a game of stories, not phrases, but the games are played very similarly. It’s a great, lighthearted option for families that requires a little bit more strategy than Apples to Apples.
Cards Against Humanity
Players: 4-30
Playing time: 30mins
Save this one for the adults. Essentially an R-rated version of Apples to Apples, these two games are almost exactly the same. Is that even legal?
The biggest difference in Cards Against Humanity is that you’ll be answering questions and completing sentences instead of matching words. Players choose any card from their hand to come up with the most ludicrous answers possible to whatever card is played by the judge.
Just like in Apples to Apples, it’s best if you can read your fellow judges and pay attention to their sense of humor so you can score all the points and be deemed the comedian of the party.
Be prepared to poke fun at taboo topics and leave your prudish friends at home for this one. In this game, the raunchier the better.
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best games like Apples to Apples! Are you a fan of this style of party game? Have you tried any of the games on the list? Drop a comment below and let us know if we missed any of your favorites! We’d love to hear from you.
Liz has no objections to being referred to as “nerdy.” Maybe it’s the educator in her — or her maturity level— but when it comes to board games, those best suited for children are the ones that spark her interest. When she’s not looking for the next game to incorporate into the classroom or play with her niece and nephew, you can find her trying out nature-themed games like Wildcraft or Trekking the National Parks.