If you told me last year I’d be fending off gorillas and debating monkey politics with my mates, I’d have said you were bananas. But here I am, ready to review Planet of the Apes, a game that made me grunt, cheer, and even question my loyalty to human civilization. Grab your dice and fruit snacks—we’re about to see if this board game is worth going ape over or if it just slips on its own banana peels.
How It Plays
Setting Up
First, lay out the main board. Give each player a character board—yes, you really control different parts of Taylor’s mind! Separate the cards by type (Events, Encounters, and so on) and place the dice and tokens nearby. Don’t forget to set up the story deck, which drives the action and makes you feel like you’re back in the classic movie.
Gameplay
On your turn, work with the group to handle the current event. Roll dice, worry about which dice to risk, and argue about the best plan (this is key!). Spend resources to solve problems like wild apes, brainwashing, and finding bananas (okay, not really bananas). Each decision shapes how the story unfolds. If you mess up, bad stuff happens. If you do well? The story moves in your favor.
Winning the Game
You all win together if you survive the final chapter and complete your mission. If Taylor has a full-on mental breakdown or the group fails too many tough scenes, it’s game over, man. Stay sharp, argue a little, and you might just outsmart those apes!
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Planet of the Apes.
Are The Rules of Planet of the Apes as Clear as Caesar’s Grunts?
When I cracked open Planet of the Apes, I braced myself. I’ve seen rulebooks put my friends to sleep faster than my stories about stamp collecting. Good news! The rules in this game are not only readable, but almost as clear as the apes’ dislike for humans. The game takes players on a co-op journey through the events of the classic film. But don’t worry, you won’t need to memorize the whole movie or risk Charlton Heston jumping out with a spoiler.
Each round, you manage your character’s stats – Strength, Instinct, and so on. You use these to face crises, solve problems, and, of course, throw the odd banana at fate (not literally, but you get my point). The mechanics make every decision important, especially the way you choose when to spend resources or risk precious character health. The skill checks use dice rolls for the main tasks. I’ll be honest, there are moments when that luck swings harder than a gorilla in a cage, which knocked my enthusiasm down a peg or two. If you hate dice deciding your fate, prepare for some groans. But the game softens it by allowing teamwork cards and planning.
The rulebook itself avoids most of the usual jargon soup. There are good examples, and we didn’t have to check BoardGameGeek more than twice (which is a record on my table). That being said, the iconography takes a round or two to learn, and one section about card effects could use a rewrite for clarity.
Next up, I’ll tell you if working together felt like a family of apes, or just a bunch of chimps flinging cards at the wall.
How Does Teamwork and Player Interaction Shape Planet of the Apes?
Alright, let me set the scene. There I am, sitting at the table with my ragtag group of friends, pretending to be a bunch of angry or confused apes in “Planet of the Apes.” And I’m not talking about just sitting around, passing bananas. This game pushes you right into the heart of team play. You have to talk—unless you’re hoping for your group to go full monkey business and lose to a pack of cardboard humans.
So here’s the thing: In “Planet of the Apes” you don’t play as just one ape. You and your mates all share control over the main character, Taylor, and his aspects—like Rage, Instinct, or Compassion. It’s like group therapy but with more shouting and questionable advice. Every decision is a group decision, even if your cousin Jerry thinks he’s the only one who knows how to survive a gorilla ambush. Spoiler: He doesn’t.
Throughout the game, you have to decide together which skills to use, who should risk their precious tokens, and—my favorite—when to blame someone else for making the worst choice in the history of ape-kind. Teamwork is not just encouraged; it’s forced down your throat like a banana smoothie. If you try to play solo, the game eats you alive (not literally, don’t worry, but your score will be so low you’ll wish you’d let the others talk more).
Interaction here isn’t just some tacked-on feature: it’s the main show. If you love arguing, laughing, and seeing your friends try (and fail) to save humanity, this is your jam. Next, I’ll pull back the cardboard jungle leaves and see if the theme really matches the movies or if it’s just all fur and no fury!
How Planet of the Apes Nails the Movie Theme
Let me tell you, some board games just slap a sticker from a movie on the box and call it a day. Not Planet of the Apes. This game pulls you right into the chaos and bananas (pun intended) drama of the classic films. I felt like I was sneaking around a post-apocalyptic landscape, dodging talking chimps and trying not to get caught doing something dumb, like talking in front of the gorillas.
One thing that made me grin was how each phase of the game lines up with parts of the movies. You’re not just running around; you’re reenacting the whole story arc. You start off confused and desperate, just like poor Charlton Heston. Then, as the game goes on, you deal with new ape threats, weird human allies, and the slow horror of realizing you’re not in Kansas anymore. If you watched the movies (and who hasn’t at some point?), the game’s art and choices will bring those scenes flooding back. I found myself quoting lines mid-game, probably annoying my friends, but hey, it’s all about the vibe.
The best part? The tension. At times, we argued about whether we should save humanity or give up and toss the Statue of Liberty into the river. In short: the theme isn’t just tacked on; Planet of the Apes is stuffed with movie moments, plot twists, and clever callbacks all the way through.
Next, let’s see if this wild world is worth a rerun, or if the apes just take over every single session…
Replay Value and Session Variety: Will Planet of the Apes Keep You Swinging from Game Night to Game Night?
Let me just say this: Planet of the Apes is not a one-banana wonder. My group squeezed a lot out of this game over several weekends, and much to my surprise, it stayed fresh. Sure, the general structure follows the wild ride of the classic film, but the session-to-session variety actually left us flinging our chips (not the edible kind) in suspense. Each playthrough throws random events and challenges your way, and those can really turn things upside down. One game, we coasted through because someone (not me, for once) rolled a string of lucky results. Another time, we got crushed by a run of bad events and bickered over whether to save Taylor or let him fend for himself. Sorry, Taylor.
The game uses decks of cards with different outcomes, so you never really know what’s coming. This means you can try new strategies or fail spectacularly in creative ways. The cooperative angle also opens up space for arguing—err, I mean, discussing—what to do next. Each player takes on a different aspect of Taylor’s personality, and depending on who’s got the wildest plan, you’ll end up with some crazy stories by the end.
Now, I won’t say Planet of the Apes is endlessly replayable (how many times can you watch Dr. Zaius scowl?), but it’s got meat on its bones for plenty of sessions. If you enjoy coming together, scheming, and laughing about dreadful monkey-brained dice rolls, you’ll find replay here. If you want a fresh story and challenge every time, Planet of the Apes does a mighty fine job. I recommend it—just don’t blame me if your friends start quoting the movie non-stop.
Conclusion
If you want a board game that throws you into monkey business, Planet of the Apes hits the spot. The team play keeps everyone chatting, and the theme feels straight from the movies—bananas and all. Sure, I tripped up on a few rules at first and the dice can mess with your plans, but the fun stories and group chaos make up for it. The replay value is high, unless you get stuck on the same scenario (don’t blame me if Cornelius betrays you again). If you enjoy teamwork, movie moments, and some good ol’ fashioned table yelling, give it a try. That’s it for this review—grab your friends and go ape!
