Apples to Apples

About this board game

Apples to Apples is a party card game for 4-10 players that takes about 30 minutes to play. First released in 1999, it challenges players to match cards in hand with changing descriptions, while one player decides which match works best.

The game uses two decks: Things and Descriptions. Description cards feature adjectives such as “Hairy” or “Smarmy,” while Thing cards provide the answers players will compare. Each round, one player becomes the active player and draws a Description card.

• The other players secretly choose a Thing card from their hands.
• Each chosen card is played face-down on the table.
• The active player reveals the cards and selects the Thing that, in their opinion, best matches the Description.
• The player who submitted the selected Thing card receives the Description card and becomes the active player for the next round.

Because the active player makes the final decision, the best match can depend on that player’s opinion. Players continue taking turns and collecting Description cards until someone reaches a predetermined number.

The winner is the player who collects that required number of Description cards first. This straightforward structure makes each round easy to follow while leaving the choice of winning match in the hands of the current judge.

For players looking for a larger card collection, the Party Box editions include all cards from Apples to Apples: Expansion Set #1 and Apples to Apples: Expansion Set #2.