How To Play: Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes is a wild co-op ride with crazy apes, bananas, and big threats. Nail your character picks, save your resources, and don't panic! Talk to your team, tackle crises fast, and remember: apes together strong. For more tips, search 'How To Play planet of the apes!'

Planet of the Apes - Planet of the Apes, IDW Games, 2017 — front cover (image provided by the publisher) - Credit: W Eric Martin

Welcome, ape fans and banana hoarders! If you’ve ever wondered how to play Planet of the Apes without flinging cards across the room in frustration, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll show you an outline of the game rules and serve up only the best strategies for winning. Get ready to save or doom humanity with some good friends!

Overview

What’s in the box

  • 1 Game Board
  • 5 Character Sheets
  • 48 Encounter Cards
  • 24 Discovery Cards
  • 8 Mission Cards
  • 4 Crisis Trackers
  • 1 Threat Tracker
  • 1 Custom Dice Set (6 dice)
  • 54 Tokens
  • 1 Rulebook

How To Play Planet of the Apes: Rules Summary

Setup
  1. Place the story board in the center of your table—it is the brain of the operation. Don’t spill your drink on it like I once did. Not great.
  2. Give each player a character sheet. Everyone picks their favorite ape or gets stuck with Doctor Zaius (he snores).
  3. Shuffle all decks: events, crisis, and character cards. Put them on the table. Try to keep them away from the cat.
  4. Hand out the starting resources: bananas, morale tokens, and fate dice. Yes, you share bananas—no eating them, Steve!
  5. Each player gets starting cards as shown on their sheet. Check your sleeves for missing cards!
Gameplay
  1. First, draw an event card. Read it out in your best dramatic movie voice. This sets the stage for the round.
  2. Players take turns performing actions: moving, solving crises, trading resources, or using special abilities. Argue over the best plan loudly enough for your neighbors to hear.
  3. When a crisis pops up, everyone can work together—or not, if someone wants the chaos.
  4. At the end of each round, check for new crises, lose morale if you fail, and collect your rewards if you succeed. Celebrate or groan accordingly.
Winning
  1. Work as a team to complete all story missions. Trust me, you need teamwork unless you want to see the humans win.
  2. Finish the final mission before morale hits zero or the crisis deck runs out. Both are equally embarassing.
  3. If you finish with bananas to spare, brag to your friends as long as possible.
Special Rules & Conditions
  1. If a player’s character is knocked out, they come back next round after singing the Planet of the Apes theme (optional, but it helps morale).
  2. Some event cards change the rules for a round—read carefully and adjust! No one likes surprises, unless it’s more bananas.
  3. Crisis effects can stack, so watch the board. The last thing you want is two fires and a food shortage in the same turn. That was a bad night at my place.

There you have it! This wraps up the basics on how to play Planet of the Apes. Now all you need is a brave troop, some snacks, and to remember: the real crisis is forgetting how to have fun!

Best Planet of the Apes Strategies

Pick Your Ape Wisely: Winning Starts with Roles!

I learned from way too many tragic banana shortages that picking the right character role in Planet of the Apes is the key to winning. Everyone wants to be Caesar, but trust me, Koba kept us alive more than once. Here’s how to choose your star primate:

Balance Your Team

  1. Mix combat, diplomacy, and intellect by picking different character strengths.
  2. Don’t stack the same roles or you’ll get outsmarted (or out-muscled) fast!

Play to Your Group’s Style

  1. Do you argue a lot? Put that chattermouth on negotiation duty.
  2. If someone hoards bananas, make them the resource manager. It works!

Adapt Roles to the Crisis

  1. Switch up roles if the current approach fails. Don’t get stubborn!
  2. If everyone’s panicking, choose the ape with cool crisis skills.

When you wonder How To Play planet of the apes, remember: picking the perfect ape is half the battle. (The other half is not yelling when the dice betray you!)

Mastering Your Cards and Bananas: Resource Management in Planet of the Apes

Plan Ahead with Every Card

  1. Keep an eye on upcoming crises and hold onto cards that help you solve them.
  2. Trade cards with your team when your ape is about to get stuck.

Bananas Are Gold

  1. Spend bananas only when the team really needs it—don’t go ape and splurge early!
  2. Save a few bananas for those endgame emergencies. You’ll thank me later.

Coordinate for Maximum Power

  1. Talk with your team. Don’t hoard the wild cards or you’ll end up like my friend Steve—bananaless and sad.
  2. Share info about what’s in your hand, but don’t reveal all! It keeps the tension high and fun.

After many games, I learned that solid card and banana management can mean the difference between victory or going extinct. Remember, if you want to know How To Play planet of the apes like a pro, keep your resources in check!

Stay Calm: Mastering Crisis & Threats in Planet of the Apes

Spot Trouble Fast

First, scan the board for new threats as soon as it’s your turn. I once ignored a crisis card and, well, let’s just say the apes were not pleased. Learn from my pain.

  1. Check fresh crisis cards at the start of every round.
  2. Ask teammates if they see hidden dangers you missed.

Evaluate Severity

Not every threat needs a hero leap. Sometimes, ignoring a low-impact crisis works out. Save your best cards for disasters. If the bananas are safe, relax.

  1. Prioritize high-damage threats to your resources or progress.
  2. Leave minor setbacks for last unless they pile up.

Divide and Conquer

I found that splitting tasks wins games. Don’t dogpile one problem. Instead, cover multiple crises by assigning roles.

  1. Share crisis tasks based on each player’s strengths.
  2. Keep an eye on the board so nothing slips through the cracks.

If you want to learn How To Play planet of the apes and survive, juggling crises and threats is key. Focus your teamwork, and you might make it out alive!

Go Ape, Win Big!

Alright, future ape overlords, that’s all I’ve got before I start quoting Shakespeare and walking on my knuckles. After playing Planet of the Apes with my crew (and after several banana-related arguments), I can promise you: mastering the game is all about smart teamwork, not just who makes the best gorilla impersonation. Remember the tips on how to play Planet of the Apes—be flexible, share the goodies, and stay cool when Cornelius has a meltdown over a threat card. If my group can manage to win (with less than three dramatic sighs), so can you. Now go show those apes who’s boss. Or at least, who can manage resources without throwing any actual bananas.

Want to know what we think of Planet of the Apes? Read our detailed review of Planet of the Apes here

Jamie in his proper element: With all of his board games
Jamie Hopkins

With years of dice-rolling, card-flipping, and strategic planning under my belt, I've transformed my passion into expertise. I thrive on dissecting the mechanics and social dynamics of board games, sharing insights from countless game nights with friends. I dive deep into gameplay mechanics, while emphasizing the social joys of gaming. While I appreciate themes and visuals, it's the strategy and camaraderie that truly capture my heart.