What exactly is Cards Against Humanity, and why is it so popular?

Cards Against Humanity was originated from Kickstart in 2011. The game is often times compared to an older game called Apples To Apples. If you’ve played Apples To Apples think of Cards Against Humanity to be the older offensive and edgy brother. It’s full of offensive, political, and edgy humor. If you are planning on playing with someone who gets easily offended I would think again. As long as you don’t mind being flexible you can still figure out a way to play with anyone. When I tried playing this game with my mom, she did have an issue with a few cards but she just avoided them and we kept playing like normal.

I think most of the popularity of this game comes from the unrated and open offensiveness of the game. Playing a game where everyone is trying to think of the most taboo and unconventional responses is the appeal of the game. Once everyone has gotten comfortable they won’t have backlash for saying something offensive. It takes all the pressure of being “politically correct” and flips it on its head. Everyone can enjoy trying to come up with things that will get the most shock value. For most people, it’s all just trying to make a joke out of something that is not usually talked about. Usually in my experience, it’s all in good fun, and oftentimes even poking fun at our own individual stereotypes.

How do you play the game, and what are the basic rules?

Playing the game is pretty simple. You will each take a turn reading the top black sentence card in the deck to the group. The remaining players have a hand size of ten white cards with different words or phrases. Each player will lay down a white card that they believe best fits the sentence of the black card. The person who reads the black card then blindly picks up all the white cards that were laid down, reads them aloud, and picks one they find to be the “best” or “funniest.” Whosever crowned the “Card Czar” gets an “Awesome Point”. When I play we usually just keep the black card as a reminder that we won an Awesome Point. Then the next clockwise player reads the next black card and so on. The player that collects the most black cards by the end wins. You may also set a limit of black cards to collect if you so choose. (My family and I usually do.)

Some of the basic rules of Cards Against Humanity are the person who recently pooped starts the game as “Card Czar” (the person who reads the black card first.) After each round, everyone draws back up to ten white cards. When you get black cards that have two blanks you’ll need two white cards to fill the blanks. Place whichever card you want read first on the bottom so it will be read in order.

Special Rule That Most People Don’t Use

Gambling – There is a rule on gambling your “Awesome Points.” When another Card Czar reads a black card that you feel you have two good answers for you may wager one of your Awesome Points to lay both cards down. Doing so will increase your chances of winning, but will also risk losing you a point and also giving away a point to another player. If you win, you keep your point and earn a new point. If you lose, you must give the Awesome Point you gambled to the player who won the round. Personally, I’ve never done this before but I see that it increases your chances of getting picked, so I see the value in it.

These were the most common basic rules of Cards Against Humanity. There are a lot of different “House Rules” that they also list in the rules. I will make a list of the different House Rules they recommend below.

House Rules
Cards Against Humanity is meant to be remixed. Here are some of our favorite ways to pimp out the rules:

General Information
Play Time: 30-90 Mins
Publisher: Cards Against Humanity LLC
My Recommended Age Group: 18+
Player Count: 2 to 20+
Difficulty 1-10: 2

Is Cards Against Humanity suitable for all ages, or is it only for adults?

So this is a very personal question. In my opinion, I would not let my kids play this game with me till they are out of the house. I’m sure there are parents okay with letting their kids play Cards Against Humanity. It really just comes down to your family, you, and your family’s beliefs. Many of the cards have very graphic and usually inappropriate topics on them.

My personal opinion is that it’s meant for people who are above the age of 18. I used to find more enjoyment out of this game when I was younger. In my early 20s, it was fun to be a little offensive inside the aspect of trying to be funny in a game. As I’ve gotten older it just feels like I could be playing better games with more fun emphasized. It was fun for the first let’s say 5 times I played, but the game lost its fun shortly after that for me.

What makes Cards Against Humanity different from other card games?

I touched on this earlier a bit but it’s the sheer permission to be offensive. Trying to pair your white cards with the perfect response for the Card Czar. Trying to cater to the Card Czar themselves and curate your pick to their humor, is part of the fun. It’s the ultimate adult game. Talking about all the forbidden topics that we all speak about privately; brought to you in a simple party-accessible game. As a young adult or older teenage kid, it’s the best little box full of hilarious cards that all your friends will also love. It’s like when you were a kid and knew something that you shouldn’t, or when you are around your friends and say cuss words just cause it’s cool to say things you know you shouldn’t.

Are there different editions or expansions of the game, and if so, how do they differ?

Yes, there are many different expansions of Card Against Humanity. Some expansions have to do with different political themes and or absurd random topics made by the creators.

Here is a list of expansions I found on Amazon (Links will be inserted in case you are interested): These are the 5 Main expansions that I would recommend for people who really enjoy the game and want to expand their collection.

Recommended Expansion Packs/Bundles	Amazon Links
Red Box	LINK
Green Box	LINK
Blue Box	LINK
Ultimate Expansion	LINK
Family Edition	LINK
Nasty Bundle	LINK

Can you play Cards Against Humanity with just two people, or is it better with a group?

So when I looked up different methods on how to play with only two players I only found one that seemed to work best. It’s pretty simple, you’ll be adding two other players without having to add them. Let me explain, you have someone draw a black card as normal. Then the person lays down their answer. You then draw two random white cards from the deck and scramble them in with the rest. The Card Czar won’t know who’s card is what so it’ll be fair and random. If one of the random cards gets picked I would just say that no one gets points. If your card gets picked then I would reward you with an Awesome Point. Then I would set a limit of let’s say 5 points till the game is over.

For anyone who’s tried to play a 3 player game with 2 people, you know that sometimes you gotta come up with your own rules.

Are there any specific themes or topics that Cards Against Humanity covers?

In the original Cards Against Humanity, touches on all the big “off limits” and shock value topics. Religion, Politics, sexuality, popular fears, and many other obscure topics.

As time has gone on they’ve come out with more modernized and updated card packs. Seeming to seek a new more mature type of humor for their cards. They have many smaller packs that have been slowly released over time. Touching on topics like school, nerds, and menstrual cycles.

How long does a typical game of Cards Against Humanity last?

Cards Against Humanity games last typically around 30-90 minutes. The more people you play with, the longer the game will be. Then how much of the deck you want to play through will also increase game time. I suggest setting a win condition on how many Awesome Points you need to win. It will help you to shorten and also measure game time for yourself. For a group of 4 players, I will set the win condition to be 5 Awesome Points to win the game.

Can you customize or create your own cards for the game?

Yes, they came out with a small pack of cards called “Your Dumb Jokes.” There’s a total of 50 blank cards, 40 white cards, and 10 black ones. Great for any kind of group inside jokes that you want to bring to the game. Here is a link to the pack on Amazon if you are interested: “Your Dumb Jokes”

Is Cards Against Humanity only about being offensive, or is there more to it?

I believe that there’s much more to the game than just being offensive. Yes, for someone like Grandma Ginger who’s going to take the game at face value and probably a little too seriously. Cards Against Humanity will come off as just a mean-spirited game, that is wrong in every way.

For other players, it’s a way to try and connect with the currency Card Czar. Knowing them personally or even learning their humor to try and get them to pick your answer. It a way it could help you break the ice with new acquaintances and connect with them in a playful but mischievous way.

With all that being said, some younger kids will get ahold of this game and just wanna say all the offensive stuff and will have a good laugh while showing off how shocking they can be. 

Are there any strategies or tips for playing Cards Against Humanity effectively?

I really only have two tips for you when it comes to gameplay. The first is to always play to your Card Czar. If you know them personally then this will come easier to you. Just try and cater to their humor. If they are a random silly person, sometimes playing a card that makes no sense for the blank will get them to laugh and get you an awesome point. It has worked for me on many occasions.

The second tip is to try and get rid of some of the duds in your hand. I’ve found myself feeling like I have no good cards, so I will just lay down a dud, in hopes of getting something good for the next round. Sometimes you just don’t have a good answer for the round. Get rid of older and less known or used cards to hopefully get something hilarious. 

What kind of sense of humor do you need to enjoy Cards Against Humanity?

You’ll need a sense of humor that’s slightly on the edgier side. As long as you can remember this is just a game designed to shock you and no one is trying to poke fun or make jabs at you. It’s also not a statement or someone calling you out. This game is designed to just have fun and to make dark humor jokes with your buddies. Again, Grandma Ginger probably wouldn’t approve. (Play Apples To Apples with her, she’ll love it!)

Can you play Cards Against Humanity online, or is it strictly a physical card game?

Yes, I looked online for the best Cards Against Humanity website I could find. It’s got different lobbies that you can join. Many of them are locked for private groups, but there are quite a few unlocked with plenty of people playing on them. Here is the website if you looking for a free website to play Cards Against Humanity.

https://www.cardsagainstformality.io/

Are there any alternatives or similar games that you’d recommend?

For kids, Grandma Ginger, or anyone who does not want to get too edgy. Many people compare Cards Against Humanity to “Apples To Apples.”

Here’s a link to the latest price on Amazon if you’re interested. 
APPLES TO APPLES LINK

How do people usually react to playing Cards Against Humanity for the first time?

For many first-timers, it takes them a short time to get warmed up to the game. Once everyone sees some of the shocking answers and responses that people play and pick, it can break anyone out of their shell quickly. It’s one of the better things about Cards Against Humanity, it brings people out of their shells quickly and does it in a mutually safe way. Which most people will really appreciate if they’re on the shier side.

My Wife’s 2 Cents

Honestly, I love this game and wish I had more of the packs that you can get, but I would also need a better group to play this game with. As my husband stated in this post, some people are just not too keen on this game, which is totally understandable. My family is not a huge fan of this game and either is my husbands. So it’s not as fun to play with them because you have to watch what cards you put down for them to read because sometimes they won’t even read or acknowledge the card you put down. Which again is totally understandable, but a total bummer when you think you have used a really good card. So to me, this game is all about finding the right group to play with so you can get the full enjoyment out of the game.

Game	Price	My Review	Why It Made My Current Top 3 (Changes Regularly)
CATAN	Check On Amazon	Here	Great game for brainstorming and fun. I have literally passed out laughing from this game. I even wrote about it in my review of the game. Go check it out!
FIRE TOWER	Check On Amazon	Here	Clean, simple, and fun. I love the way the game was designed around such an obscure topic. Such a unique game that will make you want to have everyone play with you.
KA-BLAB	Check On Amazon	Here	Great game for brain storming and fun. I have literally passed out laughing from this game. I even wrote about it in my review of the game. Go check it out!

Thanks for taking the time to look over my review. I hope that it brought you some kind of value. God Bless.