Playing cards are a delightful way to spend time. Family get-togethers, friends’ reunions, and parties become a lot more fun with a solid card game, and drinking just doubles the fun.
The card game Apples to Apples is one of the best card games to play with your family and friends.
Read on more to learn about the drinking version of this game and discover tips and tricks to make it more exciting and keep players on the edge.
Brief Summary
As the name suggests, this card game is based on naming things belonging to a specific category. But, for the drinking version, all the players except for the winner take a shot in each round.
This game, like all card games, is better played in larger groups.
However, the minimum number of players is three. With 752 red cards and 252 green cards, each round is played with 7 cards per player and in each round, there is a new judge who gets to play the green card.
Except for the winner of the round, everyone else takes a shot and then the next player becomes the judge. You can play it for hours on end.
Basic Rules to the Apples to Apples Game:
Requirements:
- Players
You need a large group of participants because the more, the merrier. However, you can play apples to apples with a minimum of 3 players as well:
- 4 players will need 8 red cards per round.
- 5 players will need 7.
- 6 players will need 6.
- 7 players will need 5.
- 8-10 players will 4 per round.
- The board game, Apples to Apples.
- A set of small glasses, good enough for a shot.
- Choice of beverage or alcohol.
Set Up The Game
To begin the game, place all the cards, both red and green, on a tray. The players choose the first judge for the first round. Remember, everyone gets a turn to play the judge so no one is going to be left out.
Deal the cards according to the number allocated to the number of players (mentioned in the requirements section) and put a glass of shot in front of all the players.
Once the cards are all dealt and the judge selected, it is time to have some fun.
Playing the Game
When the setup is complete, the judge first takes a shot then flips the green card and says what is written on it.
As the name of the game is apples to apples, all the players then see if any of their red cards match with the thing mentioned on the green card chosen by the judge.
After a quick evaluation, all the players choose one card from their stack that matches the green card. Sometimes, the synonym might not be with the player, yet he can win it because of their persuasive power of convincing the judge.
Players place the red cards facedown so that the judge does not find out which card belongs to whom.
The judge mixes the red cards placed face down and gives another reminder of the green card.
He then reads all the red cards and chooses what is more close in meaning with the green card. When he chooses a card of the player, that person wins and then everyone else must take a shot including the judge.
Once the round is over, the person sitting on the left of the judge then becomes the next judge. The new judge takes a shot and then deals the next round of seven cards each around the circle and takes out a green card. The same will follow and except for the winner, everyone else will take a shot at the end of the round.
Make the game funnier by
Addition of Blank Cards
Often, the red cards are not synonymous with the green cards. Yet, some players can win by convincing the judge to pick their card; this is where a player can exercise their creativity.
Using blank cards is going to make the game more fun when the judge finds out that he/she has been tricked.
Players often come up with humorous and interesting statements to convince the judge, which is sure to entertain all the players.
Avoid repetition and use a fresh set of words in every round
The game is fun and keeps you going, but the slow pace of it and round taking can make it monotonous. To get rid of the monotony, put a time limit as well as a new set of words, maybe some naughty ones, to keep everyone on the edge of their seats while trying to hold their liquor.
The judge should be energetic and entertaining
The judge shouldn’t be a random choice and he/she shouldn’t randomly pick a card. Rather, pick a set category to make the game more fun, as the judge steers the game, should be a person with a good sense of humor as well as a vast choice so sometimes the word least mentioned can be picked by him/her.
Time for some competition
The game can get boring. Team up in groups based on gender, weight, age, etc. and amp up the fun. Teaming up and competing is an excellent booster.
Tips to choose the first leader – the judge
As mentioned above, the judge is the player that kicks it up a notch. So, in the set-up, the judge shouldn’t be selected randomly just on an arbitrary basis. As the judge is the one that takes a shot twice in one round, it is best if it’s someone who can hold their liquor.
On the contrary, if the game aims to get drunk and party hard, then the judge chosen can be someone who gets drunk after the first few drinks and that only adds more fun when the judge has to drunkenly decide which red card matches the green.
This could turn out funny when the judge makes choices.
Secondly, the judge shouldn’t be biased about one thing as that might lead to choices that don’t match the green card.
A fanatic who has an obsession with one thing like star wars or LEGO is also not an ideal first judge because the players can trick the judge by sending such red cards that he/she is bound to choose because of his/her fandom and make it funnier than a person expecting to win, might lose.
Tips for the game to last longer
Keep the alcohol to a minimum in the beginning
As the game proceeds, some might not be able to hold their liquor so for them to stay longer in the game, keep the drinks light in the beginning.
Judge takes longer to decide and makes humorous jokes
The judge is one of those who can keep up the hype in the game, and every player has their personality.
So, with the role change in every round the judge can act out the green card, show a confusion or dilemma between two cards, make the players convince him or her with arguments that their card matches with the green card.
This is fun because if a card does not match and still, he asks one of the players to convince him, it’s pretty darn hilarious how one goes on in a drunken state.
Add a bonus round of blank cards after every three rounds, where a random card has to be matched with what a few players have written and then the rest guess it.
The bonus round will have two extra shots so only the heavyweight drinkers can take part in it.
Punishment of the game
Most drinking games revolve around just one penalty – take a shot! Whether it is beer ping pong or strip Jenga or the drinking version of apples to apples, anyone who loses the round takes a shot.
This can be taken further by choosing the frequent loser to take a pint in one go instead of just a shot. Games and drinking is fun, but remember, if you are going to drive back home, better stay sober.
Variations
Modifications from the actual game to the drinking version as well as keeping it light if not everybody is a big drinker around the table.
Not every group of drinking friends is a shot-type group, so there are two levels of changes you can make to the gameplay to accommodate such individuals.
This is for the group that will do shots, but perhaps aren’t great at holding their liquor, or just want to slow the progression of drunkenness.
Conclusion
That is all about the exciting drinking version of the game apples to apples. We hope you enjoy reading about this game and try it out at your next party.
Try out the variations and tips to make it funnier, and also share your experience with us.
If you have any more ideas to make this game more enjoyable, let us know in the comments section. Have fun!
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