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There's no doubt about the dorm-appeal of board games such as "Apples to Apples," but if you're looking for an edgier version for a college kid or 20something - or a last-minute DIY gift, then "Cards Against Humanity" is just the ticket.
Cards Against Humanity
Billed as a "free party game for horrible people," this Creative Commons game is really a rollicking, edgy and hilarious card game for college kids and 20somethings of all types.
It's clearly inspired by the ever-popular "Apples to Apples" at least in terms of game play: You match cards for comic effect and the most hilarious combination wins. It's their freewheeling nature - and the opportunity for creativity on the parts of the players - that make games like these such crowd-pleasers for dorm game nights.
Cards Against Humanity is considerably edgier than its inspiration, though. Where Apples to Apples has you pair nouns and adjectives - "charging rhinos" with "awkward," perhaps, or "George Washington" with "scintillating" - Humanity's cards offer questions and answers.
The game is utterly straightforward. In each round, one player pulls a question from the black cards, and everyone answers it with a white card. The funniest combination wins. That's it. The black cards include such questions as "Instead of coal, Santa now gives (blank)," "But before I kill you, Mr. Bond, I must show you (blank)" and "In a world ravaged by (blank) the only solace is (blank)." The white cards run the full gamut from "oversized lollipops" and "an asymmetric boob job" to the truly offensive, hilarious and/or demented.
Windmill full of corpses, anyone?
It's a game that will keep any college or 20something crowd entertained for hours. It's probably not a good one for intergenerational play, though. Hip parents? Maybe. Grandparents or little sibs? No.
The best part about this game? You can make the game cards yourself from the Cards Against Humanity website, thanks to a Creative Commons license that lets you download a PDF of the game cards. Print them out on heavy card stock, grab a paper cutter or scissors, and in less than an hour, you'll have the whole game. The site also sells the game ready-made for $25, with 100-card expansion packs for $10 each. You'll find the game from third-party sellers on sites such as Amazon too, but at a premium.
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