Updated June 2026 · data via IGDB
Apples to Apples works because of one brilliant loop: a rotating judge, a table full of people arguing why their absurd card is the best match, and the collective eruption of laughter when a ridiculous combination wins. The comedy is social — it comes from knowing your audience and playing to the judge's personality.
When someone asks for "games like Apples to Apples," they want that same group-first, laughter-guaranteed experience: low barrier to entry, no expertise required, and moments that get quoted for the rest of the night. They want a party game, not just a game you play at a party.
Some store buttons are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
92%Jackbox Party Pack is the closest digital successor to Apples to Apples on consoles — phones serve as controllers and games like Quiplash directly replicate the 'judge the funniest answer' format.
82%💎 GemWhat Do You Meme? is a direct spiritual successor — players match caption cards to meme images and a rotating judge picks the funniest combo, identical to Apples to Apples' core loop.
70%Drawful 2 replaces cards with terrible drawings — players draw a prompt and others guess, then vote on the funniest fake answer. The comedy and group voting feel very familiar.
62%Among Us is a social party game built around group deduction, bluffing, and shared laughs — the same living-room energy that makes Apples to Apples tick. Players argue, accuse, and react to each other in real time.
60%The digital version of Exploding Kittens captures the absurdist card-game comedy of Apples to Apples in a fast, casual multiplayer format.
55%Fall Guys is a chaotic multiplayer party game where the comedy comes from watching friends fail together — the same 'everyone is laughing at once' feeling as Apples to Apples.
52%Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the definitive console party game — loud, funny, and built for groups arguing over who won. The social spectacle mirrors the Apples to Apples atmosphere.
50%Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the gold standard for party gaming on consoles — easy to pick up, funny in outcome, and generates the same shared-reaction moments Apples to Apples does.
44%Mario Kart 64 defined console party gaming for a generation — four players, lots of laughter, and the kind of spontaneous moments that make everyone talk afterward.
43%Mario Kart Wii's motion controls and huge character roster made it one of the most-played party games of its era, generating the same group-laughter dynamic as Apples to Apples.
38%Rayman Legends supports four-player local co-op with a playful, comedic tone — a genuinely fun group experience even if the mechanics are pure platformer.
30%The Stanley Parable is built entirely around comedic subversion and self-aware humor — if the comedy of Apples to Apples is what you love most, this scratches that itch solo.
28%Portal 2's co-op mode pairs two players in comedic puzzle-solving, with writing that generates genuine laugh-out-loud moments — the closest single-title to collaborative fun.
25%South Park: The Stick of Truth leans hard into absurdist comedy and irreverent humor — if the appeal of Apples to Apples is laughing at outrageous combinations, the tone here matches.
22%Undertale's comedy is built on subverting expectations and making players react with surprise — a tonal cousin to the unexpected pairings that make Apples to Apples funny.
| Game | Match | Shared DNA | Biggest difference | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Jackbox Party Pack | 92% | Comedy, Party | Multiple mini-games per pack instead of one consistent card game. | PlayStation, PC, Mobile, Xbox, Nintendo |
| Doki Doki Meme Club 2: Rise of The Dark Memes | 82% | Comedy | Internet meme-focused content skews younger and edgier. | PC |
| Drawful 2 | 70% | Comedy, Party | Drawing-based rather than word/card matching. | PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Nintendo |
| Among Us | 62% | Party | Deduction/deception focus instead of word-matching cards. | Xbox, PlayStation, Mobile, PC, Nintendo |
| Exploding Kittens | 60% | Party | Strategic card game with elimination, not comparison judging. | Mobile, Nintendo |
| Fall Guys | 55% | Comedy, Party | Physical platformer mini-games replace card/word play entirely. | Xbox, PlayStation, Mobile, PC, Nintendo |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | 52% | Party | Fighting game mechanics replace all card/language elements. | Nintendo |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 50% | Party | Racing replaces any language or card-matching mechanic. | Nintendo |
| Mario Kart 64 | 44% | Party | Older racing game; no modern features or word play. | Nintendo |
| Mario Kart Wii | 43% | Comedy, Party | Wii motion racing; no judgment or wordplay mechanics. | Nintendo |
| Rayman Legends | 38% | Comedy | Cooperative platformer; no competitive judging or cards. | PlayStation, PC, Xbox |
| The Stanley Parable | 30% | Comedy | Single-player walking simulator; no multiplayer at all. | PC |
| Portal 2 | 28% | Comedy | Two-player puzzle game, not a group party format. | PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Nintendo |
| South Park: The Stick of Truth | 25% | Comedy | Single-player RPG; no social multiplayer or judging mechanic. | PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Nintendo |
| Undertale | 22% | Comedy | Single-player RPG with story focus; no party mechanics. | PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Nintendo |
The core of Apples to Apples isn't cards — it's the social performance of convincing one person that your answer is funniest. The best alternatives preserve three things: a rotating judge, a group audience reacting together, and comedy that comes from unexpected combinations rather than skill. Quiplash 3 nails all three digitally, while Among Us captures the social pressure and collective laughter even though the mechanic is completely different.
Games that only share the "party" tag — like Mario Kart — deliver group fun but miss the language-and-judgment loop that Apples to Apples fans actually crave. They're great warm-ups, not replacements.
On consoles specifically, Jackbox Party Pack (any volume) is the go-to — one person owns it and streams it to a TV while everyone else uses their phone as a controller, which mirrors the original game's accessibility perfectly. Fall Guys and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are the next best options for pure group energy when you want something more active between rounds of word games.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate earns a spot for groups with more gaming experience — it generates the same debate and trash-talk energy, just through fighting instead of cards.
If you loved Apples to Apples for its comedy above all else, The Stanley Parable delivers the sharpest written humor of any game on this list — absurdist, self-aware, and constantly subverting expectations in ways that feel like the best Apples to Apples combinations. Portal 2 achieves something similar in two-player co-op, where Valve's writing generates genuine laugh-out-loud moments between partners.
For something raunchier and more narrative, South Park: The Stick of Truth commits fully to irreverent, outrageous comedy — the same spirit that makes a winning Apples to Apples round so satisfying.
Games like LOLGames like Exploding KittensGames like Fall Guys
Games like Gartic Phone
Games like The Jackbox Party Pack 3
Games like Pokemon Flux
Games like Brave Frontier
Games like Gang Beasts