March 2009 - Apples to Apples

Turns out, for three years, Santa looked for it, but it was often sold out. This year though, one of the last presents opened was that "toy" I had been waiting for -- Apples to Apples.

The game was chosen by Mensa International in 1999 as a "Mensa Select" prizewinner, an award given to five games each year. It was named "Party Game of the Year" in the December 1999 issue of Games magazine and received the National Parenting Center's seal of approval in May 1999.

As for the Christmas holiday gathering, it was the most fun we had around the table all week. The problem was, when our company left Frank and I alone again, we couldn’t play any more. The game requires four players.

The best part though, is that any idiot can play. In fact, the only skills required, as listed on wikipedia.com, are "social skills." I think though, even those skills are needed on only a minimal level.

The rules are basically thus:

Each player is dealt seven "red apple" cards; on each is printed a noun or noun phrase (such as "Madonna," "Canada," "The Spanish Inquisition," "Michael Jackson," etc.).

The judge (a chosen player) draws a "green apple" card on which is printed an adjective ("scary," "frightening," "patriotic," etc.), and places it face-up on the table for everybody to see.

Then each player (except the judge) chooses a card that they think is the best match for the green apple card, and places it face-down. The judge shuffles the red apple cards, reads them (often aloud), and decides which noun is the best match for the adjective. The player who submitted that red apple card wins the round, and takes the green apple card to signify the win. All players then draw red cards until they have seven again, and the role of "judge" may passes to the next player.

Now, I know this sounds somewhat like an English lesson than a game. What makes it fun is that there are no right or wrong answers. The decision of the judge is subjective. The official rules encourage the judge to pick the match that is "most creative, humorous or interesting."

Some might think it humorous if Adolf Hitler is played for kind-hearted or sexy, and might give that player the point. However, what is funny and what is not is a subjective matter, and judges therefore might not give a player a point for a card that is, for them, not amusing, but simply untrue.

When our family played, for example, what my young niece thought was funny about Republicans did not humor my mother. True or not, Mother did not choose Christin’s card in that instance. That alone brought about some laughter on my part.

It was a fun game for the family. Wholesome, clean, entertaining.

But, I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks later when Apples to Apples appeared at a dinner party. This was no family of four. This was twelve adults, well fed and from various backgrounds, a group who cared not who dealt, who peeked, who won.

Perhaps it was the wine we had with the meal, the company, or the fact that the owner of that game had taken advantage of the included "make your own" cards, adding the names of friends, local politicians, the state of West Virginia, to his game. What had first seemed almost like a children’s game produced roars of laughter from the sarcastic, strange, silly and unique.

Even so, Apples to Apples is also educational. Following the dinner party, an Adult Basic Education teacher purchased the game for her classroom. Apples to Apples truly, is a game for everyone, in almost any setting. As long as you have four people to play.

However, if the basic edition doesn’t catch your fancy, you may want to check some of the specialized editions which include: Apples to Apples Junior, Apples to Apples Kids, Apples to Apples: Jewish Version, and Apples to Apples: Bible Edition.