Welcome to my review of Planet of the Apes! I rounded up my usual gang of board game weirdos, some snacks, and we set off on a wild, banana-flinging night of teamwork and chaos. We all went in ready for some epic ape action and, let me tell you, this game brought plenty of surprises along the way—mostly involving arguments and dice rolling disasters. If you want to know if it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys or just monkey business, keep reading!
How It Plays
Setting up
First, put the big, and honestly pretty cool, board in the middle. Each player picks a character—yes, you all get to be different parts of Taylor’s brain. (I always choose the sneaky one, because why not?) Grab your matching cards and tokens. Deal out story cards and challenges as the rules say. Line up the dice and other bits within arm’s reach. Everyone gets some starting resources. Now stare at your friends and pretend you’re astronauts, not just hungry for snacks.
Gameplay
The game rolls out in chapters, each based on scenes from the classic movie. On your turn, you use your brain cards, roll dice, and fight past nasty obstacles. Like, talking gorillas. Or sand. Or both. People play cards, and you ALL have to argue, er, decide which brain card to use as a team, since everyone’s stuck in Taylor’s noggin. Teamwork. Or not. Lucky dice rolls can save the day, but a bad roll might mean your whole team gets bananas thrown at you—figuratively. You go through challenges, trying not to lose hope, morale, or your minds.
Winning the Game
Survive all chapters with at least one of your stats (hope, morale, etc.) above zero, and you win together. Lose all your hope or totally mess up a chapter, and it’s game over. It’s like the movie: you scream at the sky and blame your friends. But really, it’s a team win or a team fail. No lone heroes here!
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Planet of the Apes.
Cooperative Chaos: Teamwork in Planet of the Apes
When you throw a group of friends into Planet of the Apes, you don’t just play a game—you build a little ape-society that either rises or falls together. The game is pure co-op, meaning you’re all on the same side, struggling to survive and outsmart the world (and maybe each other’s questionable decisions). You each play a different aspect of the main character’s personality, which sounds a bit like therapy. My group couldn’t stop joking about whose inner rage was running the show each round. Sorry, Dave, but your ‘Instinct’ always voted for the wildest plan.
The co-op mechanics shine here because you must listen to each other and plan moves as a unit. If one player goes rogue—or worse, if you all argue for ten minutes and then still do the wrong thing—the apes win, and you all lose. There’s no hero moment where one person saves the day; your fate is shared, and the game pulls no punches about that. Sometimes, this led to heated debates, which I love in co-op games. But I did notice the player who kept drawing bad event cards (me, sadly) sometimes felt like the universe was laughing at them in particular. The group can’t really save a bad streak, so luck does poke its ugly head in a bit too much. Teamwork is key—if your group likes to argue, expect chaos and laughter in equal parts.
Grab your bananas, because next I’ll peel back the layers on how Planet of the Apes nails its story and theme!
The Story Wakes Up: Thematic Integration in Planet of the Apes
I am a big fan of games where the theme slaps you in the face. Planet of the Apes does not let you forget what you’re playing. If you know the movies, you’ll spot all the big scenes and characters. One moment I was shouting, “It’s a madhouse!” and the next I was riding a horse and running from gorilla soldiers. Every card, every event drips with that old-school, dystopian ape vibe.
The game follows the actual story from the classic film, but with enough twists that you won’t feel like you’re just watching reruns. The narrative moves through different movie chapters, so it feels like you’re walking in Charlton Heston’s muddy, boot-shaped footsteps. Even the banana jokes at the table fit in. There’s a real sense of urgency—mess up too many times and you’ll change the fate of the human survivors. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. There are moments where you feel clever, or the table bursts into laughter because someone failed an obvious test. Yes, our group all dramatically recited the final scene. No, we do not regret it.
But it’s not just for people who know the film. My friend Jenny hasn’t seen Planet of the Apes. She still got sucked in and is now obsessed with quoting “Take your stinking paws off me!” even at the supermarket. The story is accessible and fun, dragging everyone along for the wild ride.
Next, grab your monocle and measuring tape—we’re about to inspect the components and visual flair of Planet of the Apes!
Component Quality and Visual Design in Planet of the Apes
If you love games that look good on the table, Planet of the Apes will not make you fling your pieces across the room in rage. The board itself is a feast of retro movie charm—think pulpy sci-fi posters, but without the sticky popcorn. I caught my friend Steve sniffing the box, convinced it smelled like 1970s vinyl. (It didn’t, but I let him have his moment.)
The cards are thick enough to keep their corners, even after a few heated “ape vs. human” debates. The artwork on them feels straight out of the original film. There’s Cornelius looking wise, Zira looking slightly skeptical, and Dr. Zaius like he’s judging your shuffling skills. All the characters are easy to tell apart, and the iconography makes sense—so even my buddy Jess, who usually needs a legend for every symbol, managed just fine.
Tokens and markers are sturdy, not the cheap, bendy kind you dread touching. We had a minor incident with the action marker—my cat batted it off the table and it survived with only a scratch. If that’s not a stress test, I don’t know what is! The rulebook is clear, has decent pictures, and survived a greasy pizza night. I’ve seen games fall apart from a single spilled soda, but Planet of the Apes held up, and the box insert actually fits everything back in (what a concept!).
All in all, it’s a solid package that screams “display me” to anyone walking past. Up next: does monkey business rely more on luck or brains? Let’s crack those strategy nuts!
Luck vs. Strategy in Planet of the Apes – Can You Outsmart the Dice?
Let me tell you, Planet of the Apes is one of those games where I sometimes talk to the dice like they’re a friend who keeps letting me down. There’s a good dose of randomness baked into the gameplay thanks to all the dice rolling for your character’s actions. Sometimes, you plan a daring escape and instead, you trip over your own feet and get captured by gorillas. Blame bad luck or my clumsy rolling. My friends found this hilarious. I cried inside.
The strategy here lies in how you work as a team. You can discuss who attempts which mission, who needs extra help, and whether to use precious resources. We once had a solid plan ready, but the dice laughed in our faces. Everyone gets a say, so you’ll argue (in a friendly way) over decisions and end up plotting like a room of tiny tacticians. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes you curse those cubes.
But—and it’s a big but—if you hate randomness, beware. The game will break your heart if you prefer pure skill. You can make clever choices, but luck still rules the jungle. There were rounds where I felt smart, made good calls, and still watched us lose because the dice decided “not today, human.” My friend Sandy almost flipped the table, but thankfully the apes talked her down.
If you want a game with both laughs and strategy, and you’re ok with a little chaos, I say give Planet of the Apes a shot. If you want total control, maybe hide from the monkeys.
Conclusion
So, that wraps up my wild ride with Planet of the Apes. If you like yelling at your friends while working together and you love the movie, this game will fit you like an old astronaut suit. The art pops, the story pulls you in, and you’ll laugh plenty. But, if too much dice-rolling gets you grumpy, steer clear—the luck can ruin even the best monkey plans. Still, for fans and groups that don’t mind a bit of chaos, it’s a fun time. That’s the end of this review, folks! See you at the next game night—hopefully not stuck in a cage!
