Will you be hosting a party in the near future? Are you looking for a game to take along to your next family reunion? Having the girls over for a movie and popcorn night but you’d like to also throw in a quick game? I’ve got the solution for you in this week’s game review.

Apples to Apples is, appropriately, labeled a “party game.” It works for 4-10 people and one game lasts about 30 minutes. Perfect for get-togethers, it’s quick and easy to play, and everyone can join in.

In a nutshell: Apples to Apples consists of two decks of cards: “Person, Place or Thing” cards (red) and “Adjective” cards (green). At the beginning of the game, each player is given seven cards from the red “Things” deck. Game play works like this: Each round, one player serves as the “judge.” The judge turns over the top card of the green Adjectives deck. Next, all players other than the judge choose one of their Things cards, that they think best fits the Adjective card, and submit it (face down) to the judge. Once the judge has received a card from each player, he mixes them up (so he doesn’t know which card is from which player), reads them all aloud, and then chooses one card as the “winner” - the Thing that he thinks best matches the Description that he flipped over at the beginning of the round. Whoever submitted that card wins the round, and gets to keep the Description card to symbolize a point. Used Things cards are discarded and everyone returns their hand to seven Things cards. The first person to accumulate a pre-set number of points wins the game!

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Here’s an example of how a typical round might go:

Joe is the judge. He turns over the top Adjective card. It is “Painful.”

Cassie looks over her cards. “Ragweed?” Well, it can cause painful allergy symptoms. “Board Games?” Can be painful when you’re losing badly. Ah-ha! “Trampolines!” Anyone who’s watched America’s Funniest Videos knows that Trampolines can most definitely be painful. She submits her card.

Jessica sorts through her own cards and decides there’s only one that works: “Hand Grenades.” Some of her other cards were “Castles” and “Black Velvet” - she didn’t even consider them.

Brad has narrowed his cards down to two that he’s trying to choose from: “Girlfriends” and “A School Cafeteria.” He went to high school with Joe and remembers Joe getting dumped by his girlfriend, and watching him get beat up by her new boyfriend in the school cafeteria. So he’s pretty sure that Joe would go for either one of those. He decides on “Girlfriends.”

Abby’s having a hard time on this round. She has cards like “Waterfalls,” “Large Mountain Bass,” and “Coconuts.” Since players are allowed to discuss the cards and attempt to influence the judge when he’s trying to pick the winner, she goes with Coconuts and plans to point out during the judging time that a coconut that falls out of a tree onto someone’s head can indeed be painful.

Joe mixes up the submissions, then lays them all out in front of him: Hand Grenades, Girlfriends, Trampolines, and Coconuts. After agonizing over the decision, he eventually goes with Hand Grenades. Because he decides that while the rest have the potential to be painful, a hand grenade that’s been detonated pretty much is always painful. Jessica takes the Painful card, and now has one point. Everyone but Joe draws a new red card and play continues. The person sitting to the left of Joe will be judge next.

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The secret to winning a round is to try to read the judge. Is the judge someone practical, who will pick the Thing that accurately represents the Adjective? Or is he a bit silly, and will appreciate a Thing that puts a funny twist on the Adjective? The judge has to be reasonable, but has a lot of freedom in picking the winning card.

Apples to Apples is a big hit with families and groups of friends. You’ll find yourself trying to guess who submitted the goofy card (”Oh, that had to be Mom! Who else would put that Rock and Roll is Risky? “) and laughing over the selections. It’s addictive and inviting - any person who decides to sit out the first game will likely be eager to sit in on the second one.

Versions of Apples to Apples: There’s also Apples to Apples Jr. for ages 7 & up. And there are several editions of Apples to Apples. If you love to play games and you think you might play this more than a time or two, I recommend the crate edition - it has the most cards.

In summary:

Apples to Apples

Number of Players: 4-10
Time required: 30
Ages: 12 & up (but the Junior version’s perfect for younger players)
Where to buy: Time Well Spent or Amazon.com. But if you need it tonight, drop by your local Barnes & Noble - I’ve seen it for sale there, too.

Callapidder recommends it for: Any get-together with family or friends.