Courtesy: Almost a Game
There was a ton of really great games showcased at this year’s Boston Festival of Indie Gaming. One of those games, and the winner of the 2016 Audience Choice Award, was Wicked Apples. Developed by Almost a Game, Wicked Apples is a fun fast-paced card game played with 2-5 people and is perfect for at home or even on the go.
The concept of the game is actually quite simple; you and your buddies each pick a Bucket, which remains in front of you for the duration of the game and receives a corresponding Wicked Apple card. DO NOT EAT THE WICKED APPLE! Each player is then dealt 4 apple cards from the deck, creating their hand of 5 cards. Each of the players has a few moments to look over their cards and place them in a line face down in front of themselves. Once the cards have been placed down, they cannot be lifted up again to be reviewed, so it is important to remember where you placed your Wicked Apple card, for this can backfire on you at any point in the game.
Once the game begins, the player that has the lowest number on their Bucket makes a decision to either peek at an opponent’s card or pass one card to another player. Any apple that is faced down is considered “Uneaten.” After each player has a chance to either peek or pass, it is time to choose an apple to “Eat,” which means every player will flip over one of their cards.
Courtesy: Almost a Game
Each card has an action. Some require you to choose a different apple, some may have you eat another player’s apple, and some may even let you peek at your opponent’s cards and choose to swap them or not. But whatever card you pick, you better pray it isn’t the Wicked Apple card, which will knock you out of the game.
This game can actually get really competitive. I have found that it can last anywhere between 10–30 minutes, although the game says 15-20. During that time period the excitement builds rather quickly. This is a game where you are constantly thinking and strategizing. Even when it is not your turn, paying close attention to your opponent’s cards and even their facial expressions can give you the upper hand.
The first night that I invited friends over to try out Wicked Apples, we started the first game at about 9 pm and decided sometime around 1 am that we should probably stop playing just so we could grab some sleep. I can honestly say it had nothing to do with us getting bored of this game.
Courtesy: Almost a Game
Wicked Apples is FUN. This is a game that I would recommend to anyone. It is fast paced, competitive, and unpredictable, which are all great qualities in my book. Even the artwork on each card is top notch. The only thing I might improve on with this game is a better explanation for the “Sharing” apple card, and even that isn’t too bad.
To learn more about Wicked Apples, check out the Almost a Game site or purchase Wicked Apples yourself from the Almost a Game online store.
UPDATE: Wicked Apples is now listed on BoardGameGeek, where you can add your own review of the game and learn more about its development.
from Nerd Reactor
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