Fun Twists to Try When Playing Apples to Apples

Add Some Spice to Your Game Night with These Creative Apples to Apples Variations

Apples to Apples is a popular card game that guarantees a good time with family and friends. If you’re searching for ways to make your next game night even more exciting, look no further! I’ve got some unique twists that will take your Apples to Apples experience to a whole new level.

1. Time Crunch

Feeling adventurous? Add a time limit to each round! Set a timer for a fixed amount of time, like 30 seconds, and challenge players to pick their best card within that time frame. This will inject an extra dose of adrenaline into the game, as players scramble to make quick decisions. Can you think on your feet?

2. The Wild Card

Take things up a notch by introducing a wild card into the mix. This card can be anything you want it to be, from a completely random word to an inside joke only your group understands. The player who plays the wild card gets to decide which red card best matches it. Get ready for some hilarious and unexpected combinations!

3. Silent Showcase

Non-verbal communication can be just as fun as using words. In this variation, players must select their red cards, but instead of explaining their choice, they show it through charades or gestures. The other players then guess which green card the red card matches. Prepare for laughs and some impressively creative acting skills!

4. Vote for Victory

Let democracy reign supreme in this democratic variation. After each round, instead of a single judge deciding the winner, all players vote for their favorite red card without revealing their choice. Players can’t vote for their own card, adding an extra layer of strategy. The democracy of the majority decides who takes home the green card!

5. Themed Extravaganza

Take Apples to Apples to a whole new theme park! Designate a specific theme for each round. It could be anything from movies to superheroes to different professions. Players must select a red card that fits the theme, making the game even more challenging and engaging. Get ready to discover unexpected connections!

Conclusion

So there you have it – some exciting variations to spice up your Apples to Apples game nights. Whether you’re racing against the clock, adding wild cards, acting out your choices, voting for winners, or playing with themed rounds, these twists will surely inject new life into this classic game. Now go gather your friends, grab those cards, and get ready for a night of laughter and unforgettable moments!

When the green apple card doesn’t match any of the red apple cards, the judge has the power to swap it out for a new card from the deck.

With the fresh green apple card, the judge gets to choose from the available red apple cards. Only one green apple card can be awarded, and each judge can use this option once in a game.

Shuffled Apples

To add even more fun, you can combine the cards from your TO GO box with the cards from the APPLES TO APPLES PARTY BOX and PARTY BOX EXPANSION ONE.

By mixing these sets, you won’t have any repeated cards, giving you the opportunity to create thousands of hilarious new combinations!

1000 Blank White Apples

Let’s have some fun with a game called A2A. Before we start playing, each of you can create your own green or red cards. We’ll shuffle those cards in with the rest. The twist is that the judge won’t know who played which card!

Quick Pick Apples

Now, if you want to speed things up, try the Quick Pick version. In this version, you have to choose your red apple cards as fast as you can. But here’s the catch – the last player to place a red apple card on the table gets it back, and it won’t be judged for that round. So, the quickest thinkers have the advantage!

Apple Turnovers

Let’s switch things up a bit and try a new game called “Apples to Apples.” Here’s how it works:

First, deal five green apple cards to each player.

Then, the judge flips over a red apple card from the top of the stack.

Now it’s time to get creative! Look at the word on the red apple card and choose the green apple card from your hand that you think best describes it.

Once everyone has made their selection, the judge will review all the green apple cards and pick the one they think is the best match. The person who played that green apple card wins the round and gets to keep the red apple card.

But wait, there’s more!

If you want to get rid of a red apple card from your hand, you can do so by discarding it when it’s your turn to be the judge. Don’t worry, though – you can replace the card by drawing a new red apple card from the stack.

And there’s even a twist!

If you really want to shake things up, you can try playing with the “Bad Apples” variant. In this version, players can not only discard a red apple card, but they can also draw a new one to replace it. It adds an extra layer of strategy to the game!

When it’s my turn to be the judge, I have the option to discard my entire hand and draw a new one from the stack. It’s a risky move, but it can lead to some exciting and unexpected plays.

Baked Apples

If we want to take things a bit slower and have more time to think, we can allow everyone, except the judge, to play a red apple card in each round. To keep things moving, we can set a time limit for each round so that no one takes too long to make their play.

Big Apples

If we’re feeling confident and want to make things interesting, we can make a bet! Two or more players can agree that the judge will pick their card, and they can each wager one of their green apple cards. It’s a way to show off and have some fun with the game.

If the judge chooses one of my red apple cards, then I win the green apple card and all the green apple cards that were bet. But if the judge doesn’t pick any of my red apple cards, then all the bet cards go back to the bottom of the card pile.

Seeing Through Apple’s Eyes

For a different perspective, the judge has to choose a red apple card based on the point of view of someone or something else, like a house cat, Rush Limbaugh, Bill Clinton, a speck of dust, or anything else. The player to the left of the judge decides which point of view the judge has to use for that round.

Apples For Three

If there are three players, we each play two red apple cards after the judge reveals the green apple card.

Apples To Oranges

The goal is to play something that has nothing to do with the green card. If the green card is “Cold,” you could play something like “Assembly lines!” If it’s “Sexy,” you might play “Telemarketers!”

Crab Apples

Want to add a tart twist to the game? Choose and judge red apple cards that are the complete opposite of the word on the green apple card. For example, if the green card says “Classy,” you might choose “Gas Station Restrooms.”

Bottom of the Barrel

Looking for a clever way to end the game? Each player must play out the seven cards in their hands without drawing any new ones. As the game progresses, and players use up their red apple cards, the choices become more and more challenging.

Apple Potpourri

Looking for an unpredictable mix? Each player selects a red apple card from their hand before the judge reveals the green apple card. After the red apple cards are played, the judge turns over the green card, and then selects the winning red apple card.

Double Down

If you play a Red card and you’re absolutely sure your card will be chosen, you can “double down”. If your card does get picked, you have the chance to steal a Green card from any other player who has one.

However, if your card isn’t chosen, the player who did win the Green card gets to take one of your Green cards. Keep in mind, you can only double down if you already have a Green card and at least one other player does too.

In the game Fluxx, you can create cards with different variations or special rules on them. Mix these cards in with the green cards. When drawn, these special cards can affect the game for one turn, one round, or until another one is drawn to replace it. You can find examples of these special cards, like Yellow Apples, in the BGG file section.

Another game called 2 For 1 Apples also introduces a unique twist.

So, here’s the deal – when we’re playing a real game, the judge flips over two green apple cards to get things going. Each of us picks a red apple card from our hand that best matches both green cards. Then the judge chooses the winning red card, and the player who played it gets both of the green cards as a prize.

*Quick Pick for Four

If there are four of us, we can play one or two red apple cards. But if we play two, we have to put them down on the table one at a time. The first four cards placed on the table are the ones the judge will judge.

Pears To Apples

In this variation, we play pairs of red cards. Of course, this means we can’t really shuffle them up as well. Each player puts two cards on top of each other, and we end up with a bunch of pairs on the table.

Picture this: you’re playing a card game called “Apples to Pears,” but you want to mix things up a bit. The cards themselves are connected, so let’s get creative! For example, instead of using just one card to make a play, combine two cards that seem unrelated at first. The possibilities are endless!

Let’s say you have cards with words like “dangerous,” “AIDS,” and “My Love Life.” And another set includes “Britney Spears” and “Assembly Line.” Feeling testy? Combine “Albert Einstein” and “Barbed Wire.” Suddenly, you have 21 possible plays instead of just 7.

Now, you might be thinking, “That sounds a little strange. Do I really have to use my imagination?” Well, yes! But the beauty of it is that you have the same AND, OR, XOR, and other options as in standard Apples to Pears.

Quick Pick for Four

If you’re playing with a group of four, you have the option to play one or two red apple cards from your hand. If you choose to play two cards, you must place them on the table one at a time. The judge will only consider the first four cards placed on the table.

Wormy Apples

Here’s an interesting twist: the judge has the power to punish a player who they believe played an object card that has no relation to the topic card. So, make sure your plays are on-point!

I have to say, there’s this rule that you might find a little perplexing. It’s called “the penalty,” and it’s a pretty interesting twist to the game. Here’s the deal: if you happen to choose a card and it turns out to be a no-go, well, tough luck. You’re not allowed to draw a replacement for that card for a whole round.

Now, let me tell you, this rule really put the brakes on fast gameplay. It made things slower, but it added a fantastic element of humor. Referees suddenly had this newfound power to penalize players for their card choices, and let me tell you, the players sure had a lot to say about it! It was like a comedy show, with players pleading their cases and referees having the final say.