A deluxe “Party” version of Apples To Apples can be played by 12 or more people. [2] X Research source

Always make sure to shuffle after the conclusion of a game so that the same cards aren’t dealt and played in the next game.

Judges may pick the winning red card for any reason. One judge might choose the strongest direct match, such as a red card reading “Scissors” for a green card reading “Sharp,” while another will favor ironic or humorous associations. These types of differences are what makes the game exciting! Everyone will take multiple turns as the judge, so it doesn’t much matter who starts the game off.

Keep an eye on your red cards to make sure you have seven at at all times. Otherwise, you may be limiting your playable options.

There are over 749 red cards and nearly 249 green cards in the basic version of the game. That’s enough different matches for hours and hours of fun.

Each player should choose a red card to play quickly to keep the game moving at a brisk pace. Cards should be played face down beside the green card. The judge is the only player who will not lay down a red card. The judge changes every round, giving everyone an equal chance to play.

There’s no need to shuffle extensively. Just reorganize the red cards until they’re out of the order in which they were laid down.

The number of green cards accumulated by the end of the game determines the winner. The official Apples To Apples rule guide suggests 8, 7, 6, 5 and 4 green cards be the winning number for games with 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 players, respectively. [8] X Research source After the round-winning card is chosen, all red cards that have been played should be returned to the bottom of the red deck.

You might also elect for players to replace their red cards with green cards for a winning outcome. For this to work, a player will add the green cards they’ve won to their deck after each round, meaning they’ll have fewer red cards to choose from. Once a player reaches seven green cards in their deck, they are declared the winner.

Playing Crab Apple effectively doubles the number of possible card associations. Variant versions of Apples To Apples force you to think more carefully about your card choices, breaking up the monotony of the standard games.

Apple Potpourri is a perfect alternative for groups where the judges tend to choose the most entertaining card combinations.

For the 2-For-1 Apples version of the game, you can decide whether the same number of cards is necessary to win, resulting in a quicker paced game, or whether to also double the number of green cards needed and only increase the difficulty of each round.