Here we go, folks! Grab your bananas and your best growl, because this is my review of Planet of the Apes. I’ve wrangled my group of slightly hairy friends (it helps with the theme) to test out every corner of this game, from nail-biting dice rolls to desperate teamwork. Whether you’re a fan of the classic movies or just like yelling “It’s a madhouse!” at the table, you’ll want to know if this adventure is more fun than a barrel of monkeys—or just monkey business. Let’s get into it!
How It Plays
Setting up
Lay out the main board, event decks, and all those cool character boards on your table. Each player picks a different aspect of Taylor’s personality—no, you can’t all be Angry Taylor. Deal out the starting resources, tokens, and those banana-scented dice. (Okay, fine, they’re normal dice.)
Gameplay
On your turn, roll dice to tackle current challenges. Work with your friends to decide who should tackle which problem—like escaping angry apes or finding pants. Play cards, use resources, and sometimes, pray to the dice gods for good luck. Watch out for those nasty event cards—they keep things tense and hairy (pun intended).
Winning the game
Keep the story moving forward by completing all the chapters. Survive till the bitter end and make sure at least one version of Taylor is left standing. If apes overrun you or too many chapters end in disaster, well, let’s just say the Statue of Liberty isn’t the only thing getting wrecked.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Planet of the Apes.
Go Bananas for Immersion: Living as an Ape in Planet of the Apes
The first time I set up Planet of the Apes on my coffee table, I felt like I’d opened a portal straight into the classic film. Now, I don’t mean an actual portal, sadly. But wow, the theme slaps you in the face like a gorilla guard who hates spoilers. The art, the story cards, and even the way the board looks—everything screams, “Hey, you are not a boring human anymore. You are an ape. Act like it!”
It’s clear the designers must have watched the movies a dozen times, because the game is dripping with references. One moment you’re making tough calls as Caesar, the next you’re nervously sweating because a bunch of angry chimps want your bananas (and possibly your life). My friend tried to do ape noises the whole night, which just made the immersion even better—or at least louder.
All this makes Planet of the Apes stand out from other licensed games that often toss out some pictures and call it a day. Instead, here you really live the struggle. Every challenge feels dire, every victory feels earned, and every traitor at the table is met with suspicious chimpanzee side-eye. The only thing missing was actual bananas, but that’s a note for my next game night snack shopping list.
Want to know if the mechanics are as good as the monkeying around? Hang tight—the next section peels into Game mechanics and player interaction!
Game Mechanics and Player Interaction in Planet of the Apes
Alright, let’s get to the chewy core: how does Planet of the Apes actually play? The main thing you’ll notice is that everyone works together. Yep, this game is fully co-op. I usually hate co-op games because my friend Jake turns into a bossy gorilla (fitting for this theme), but here teamwork actually feels fun. Each player controls a different aspect of Colonel Taylor’s personality. It’s a kooky idea, but it works. You’re not just a single character—you’re all fighting for survival and, honestly, for a bit of sanity.
The heart of Planet of the Apes is resolving scenarios by rolling dice, making choices, and managing resources. Sometimes, you’ll get punched in the nose by pure luck (dice can be brutal!), but smart use of items and team skills helps even things out. My group spent ages arguing about which crisis to fix first—should we stop apes from finding us, or tend to our own wounds? There’s plenty to ponder, and every decision actually matters.
One thing I loved was that there’s zero downtime. When it’s not your turn, you’re still invested—helping roll dice, giving advice, or howling when your buddy picks the obviously-wrong option. The theme doesn’t get lost among rules, either. Everything feels tied to the original movie, especially when you’re just one bad choice from disaster. If you want a game where everyone feels involved, Planet of the Apes delivers.
Ready to see if you’ll conquer this simian struggle more than once? Hold on to your bananas, because up next, I’m talking about Difficulty Level and Replayability!
How Challenging Is Planet of the Apes – And Will You Want To Replay?
If you like your games to make your brain sweat a bit, Planet of the Apes will hand you a tiny towel. The difficulty is no banana walk. My group of friends and I lost our first game, and it wasn’t even close. The game throws plenty of unexpected twists your way, usually right after you feel clever for a single moment. Every scenario card keeps the tension real, and we almost started muttering ape noises as the pressure built up.
The rules are clear enough, but the challenge comes from working together and juggling your resources. There’s a constant push-pull between using your skills now or saving them for that one crisis you just know is coming. If you’re one of those people who likes “easy win” games, Planet of the Apes might have you swinging from frustration to excitement and back again.
As for replayability, my group kept coming back. Each chapter uses a deck of story cards, and the order changes every time. Not knowing which crisis comes in what order adds fresh tension to each session. We joked that it’s like rewatching the movies but with a monkey wrench thrown in. Different roles and skill cards also help keep things fresh, though you’ll start to recognize some events after a few plays. But if you want a game where you can try, fail, and learn something new every time, this is a good pick.
Next up, I’ll go full silverback and tackle the ancient battle: luck vs. strategy—so get your bananas and calculators ready!
Luck Versus Strategy: Are You Smarter Than a Talking Ape?
Let’s get real: When it comes to board games, luck and strategy are like peanut butter and jelly. You want enough of both to make it tasty, but too much of one, and you’ll have a sticky mess. So, how does Planet of the Apes stack up? Grab your banana—this gets interesting.
First off, the game has a healthy dose of dice rolling. Every turn, you’re tossing dice like some sort of ape-casino high roller, hoping for the results you need. I’ve seen planets conquered or lost on a single bad roll. Last game, my friend Dave lost his cool (and a key challenge) after rolling nothing but ones. I told him the dice hate him specifically. No proof, just a hunch.
BUT—and it’s a big but—you don’t just cross your fingers and pray to the ape gods. There are team decisions, resource management, and the chance to play smart with your actions and cards. My group spent half the game arguing over the best way to use our skills. “Trust me, I’ve seen the movies six times!” didn’t make my idea better, but hey, we survived (barely).
Some scenarios feel like they really reward clever play, while others come down to whether the dice like you that day. If you hate luck, this might sting. If you like dramatic moments, you’ll cheer when the dice come through.
So do I recommend it? If you can laugh at bad luck and enjoy some tactical talk, Planet of the Apes will make your night. Just watch out for those dice—they’re as wild as the apes!
Conclusion
Alright, I’ll wrap this up before I start quoting Charlton Heston. Planet of the Apes has a cool theme and it’s clear someone at the publisher watched the movies way too many times while eating bananas. The art and story drag you right into the action—even if you’re not covered in fur. The rules can be a bit much at first, but once our crew got going, we felt the challenge and tension in every round.
If you like teamwork and don’t mind some unpredictable dice rolls, this game is a winner. Replay value is solid because of the story twists and player choices. But, if you want something with pure strategy and hate leaving your fate to dice, you might end up shaking your tiny human fist at the box.
My group laughed, schemed, and argued (in a friendly way, mostly) every time we played. So if you love co-op games and don’t take your board games—or your bananas—too seriously, give Planet of the Apes a go. That concludes my review! Now, off to practice my best ape grunt.
