Mad Libs: The Game

Mad Libs: The Game
Publisher: Looney Labs
Plays 3-8
Ages 10+ (realistically, 6+)
Playing Time: 20-40 minutes
Initial Release: 2016
Elevator Pitch: The Mad Libs you know and love crossed with Apples to Apples style gameplay.
Roar Score: 4/5

My kids recently discovered Mad Libs, and they instantly fell in love. I mean, can you blame them? The format is timeless and endlessly fun. Yes, they’re still making new Mad Libs (including some licensed ones, such as Star Wars), but we’ve found all of the original, classic ones from the 80s are still a lot of fun. Sure, some of the references are dated, but kids really just want an opportunity to make a story with poop and pee jokes. And Mad Libs always delivers on that front.

Mad Libs: The Game covers very similar ground. Each player is dealt a hand of 7 cards. Each card has a word at the top, which is your root word. Beneath that root word are various related words that have different parts of speech. For example:

A sentence card is then flipped over, which generally has 2-4 blanks – each with a specific part of speech. If you’re familiar with Mad Libs, you’re familiar with how this works.

Players then choose words from their hand to complete the sentence however they see fit. It can make sense, it can be silly, it can be a mix of both. Choose your cards and place them face down in front of you.

When everyone is ready, you read the sentence aloud with your chosen words. Then you vote for your favorite (you cannot vote for your own). Whoever gets the most votes wins a point. The first player to win 3 points wins the game.

Gameplay, as you can see, is very similar to Apples to Apples (and Cards Against Humanity), but the content as much more kid friendly. The cards in your hand don’t always lend themselves to sentences that make sense, but that’s half the fun.

Basically, if you’re a fan of Mad Libs, this game is a no brainer. It’s a lot of fun, incredibly simple to teach, and very easy (and quick!) to play. If kids can read, they can play. I’m not really sure why the game is recommended for 10+. That seems way off to me. Plus, it’s a fun way to practice parts of speech.

Just make sure you read the cards carefully. On our first game, we found this mistake, so there may be others.