If you ever dreamed of yelling “It’s a madhouse!” at your friends without getting funny looks, you’re in the right place. Welcome to my review of Planet of the Apes. Grab your loincloth and banana (props optional), because my own game group has gone bananas putting this one through the wringer. Was this a thrilling trip to ape city or did we get stuck in a monkey mess? Keep reading and I’ll spill the beans—no monkeying around.
How It Plays
Setting up
First, grab your copy of Planet of the Apes and lay out the main board—don’t drop any bananas! Give each player a human aspect board (like Leadership or Compassion) and matching tokens. Set up the threat cards, story decks, and place your monkey figurines in their proper cages. You’ll also need those dice—lots of dice.
Gameplay
Each turn, players roll dice and use them to tackle different challenges from the famous films. Problems pop up on the board—sometimes it’s angry apes, other times it’s a collapsing society. You work together, spend dice to knock out threats, and use special powers based on your aspect. My buddy Dave always chooses Empathy, which makes sense as he cries at car commercials.
Winning the game
If you get through all the story decks before the board is overrun, you win and save humanity (or what’s left of it). If the threat level gets too wild or time runs out, well, you’ll probably need to shout, “It’s a madhouse!” like Charlton Heston and try again next time.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Planet of the Apes.
Theme and Atmosphere: Monkeying Around On The Planet of the Apes
Let me tell you, few games pull you into a movie like Planet of the Apes. You don’t need to be a die-hard fan of the films to feel the tension and weirdness. My group didn’t even like apes that much—one friend is actually scared of monkeys—but we all ended up sucked straight in. The board is a bleak jungle mixed with broken-down cities, and there are so many little details from the movies that fans will spot right away.
Each character feels unique and troubled, just like in the films. The art on the cards—wow. One of my friends kept stopping to admire the angry orangutans. And I admit, I did my best “Get your stinking paws off me” at least four times (my wife was not impressed). The game is always reminding you that you’re not in Kansas anymore. You’re stuck, trying to survive in a world where apes are the ones with the guns. You’re always a bit on edge, expecting something to go wrong.
Even the resource tokens look battered and dirty. Every card you flip, every threat you face, helps keep that feeling of being hunted and desperate. This is not just a quick paint job—it’s clear the designers love the source material.
So, if you want a game with an atmosphere thick as a banana smoothie, Planet of the Apes does not disappoint. Next, I’ll peel back the layers (like a distracted chimp) and tell you all about whether the gameplay is actually fair or just bananas.
Planet of the Apes: Is the Gameplay Fair, or Is It Just Monkey Business?
I went into Planet of the Apes with my usual group of game night misfits, all of us ready to see if this board game follows the laws of the jungle or just flings cards around at random. Let’s get right to it: balance and fairness. You know those board games where you can do everything right, but then one unlucky roll wipes out your whole plan? Planet of the Apes doesn’t entirely escape that jungle trap, but it swings closer to fair than many I’ve played.
The game tries hard to balance player actions with challenge. You’ll spend resources, make tough choices, and sometimes sweat over which character to send into the next nightmare. There’s always a sense that you can win — if you work together and don’t get cocky (I learned that the hard way when Cornelius tripped over a banana peel of fate). The luck factor does sneak in, especially with dice rolls and random events popping up. If you’re allergic to randomness, you might find yourself grumbling as much as Dr. Zaius in a rainstorm. But, mostly, strategy wins out.
I noticed the game never felt mean or stacked against any one player. No king-making, no one stuck in the background making snacks out of frustration – everyone’s always involved. Yes, luck can get wild, but it never completely overpowers the teamwork or strategic choices.
If you want to know whether your squad will turn into a bunch of lone chimps or a true surviving tribe, wait until you read about the game’s cooperative mechanics and teamwork – that’s where things get really bananas!
Cooperative Mechanics and Teamwork in Planet of the Apes
I’ll just say it: if you bring a table full of lone wolves to Planet of the Apes, you’re gonna crash and burn harder than Charlton Heston’s spaceship. This is a proper team game. Each player controls one aspect of Taylor’s psyche. Yes, you get to argue with your friends while technically being the same person. The game forces you to talk, plan, and sometimes sigh in exasperation when your buddy wants to risk everything for a banana (okay, not literally, but it feels like it).
I played with my usual crew, and it was a riot. One of us wanted to rush through every challenge, while others (me included) thought maybe, just maybe, we should actually read the cards before leaping. The game doesn’t just suggest collaboration—it demands it. If you try to hero things on your own, you’ll watch those apes overwhelm you faster than you can say, “Get your stinking paws off me!” The voting system is neat, and we had a few heated debates—these were more fun than most of the actual turns in some games I’ve played.
There’s give and take here. Sometimes, the player with the loudest voice leads, and sometimes the shyest among us steps up because their part of Taylor’s mind is crucial. I loved how this made every player feel important, even when their dice betrayed them. It kept everyone involved, and we ended up remembering the wild teamwork moments long after the game was packed away.
So, does Planet of the Apes look as good as your team feels after surviving? Let’s go bananas and check out the component quality and artwork next!
Planet of the Apes Board Game Components and Artwork Review
First impressions count in board games, and Planet of the Apes does not monkey around. When I opened the box, I felt like Dr. Zaius discovering a banana hoard—there’s a lot in there! The cards are glossy and feel strong enough to deal with my friend Steve’s greasy snack fingers. Minis? Oh yes. The ape and human tokens look like they could start a revolution right on your table. They aren’t hand-painted masterpieces, but they have just enough charm to set the scene without distracting you.
The board itself is solid. You won’t get that sad bendy feeling some games have after a few plays. The artwork splashes movie scenes all over—fans will spot hidden nods to the films (I shouted “IT’S A MADHOUSE!” at least three times). The colors are sharp, and the art team was clearly on a mission to make you feel the drama of ape vs. man. Yes, it’s mostly brown, green, and grey, but it fits the post-apocalyptic style, so no complaints here.
But there’s a downside: the cards can be a tad slippery, and I had a mini landslide when someone bumped the table. And while I love a chunky die, the one in the box feels a bit lightweight. Not a deal-breaker, but worth a banana peel warning.
Do I recommend Planet of the Apes based on looks and build? Absolutely! Unless you have a banana allergy—then, maybe just sniff the box from afar.
Conclusion
Well, that wraps up my wild ride with Planet of the Apes! This game nails the movie feel with artwork that pops and smart use of the theme. If you like working as a team and hashing out the best moves over a cardboard table, you’ll have a blast here. There’s some luck involved, but it’s not a total banana peel—most turns still reward smart play. A couple of the plastic pieces did try to escape the box, but nothing game-breaking. In short: if you want a solid co-op that looks good and gets everyone talking (and maybe grunting), go bananas and grab this one. End of review—now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some apes to outsmart!
