What Do You Meme? is an adult party game geared toward social media enthusiasts. We gathered up a group of friends and put this card game to the test to see how long it would keep us laughing. Below, we assess elements like design, age range, and overall entertainment value. We also provide a brief rundown of how this game compares to its competition. Read on to see if What Do You Meme? proved to be a crowd-pleaser.
Design: Fast to learn and fun to play
What Do You Meme? is intended for three to 20 players. The rules are easy and the game is a fast learn. Players compete to create the funniest meme by matching a caption card with the photo card displayed on the easel. Each round, one player assumes the role of judge, selecting the photo card that will be played in that round. The person with the most Instagram followers is typically the first judge. Each player draws seven caption cards. The players decide which of their caption cards pairs best with the photo card to create the most hilarious meme, but it’s up to the judge to decide which caption card is the funniest. The person who played it is the winner of that round and claims the photo card as a trophy. One photo card is equivalent to one point, so whoever has the most cards wins the game. There is no limit on the number of points scored, so you can play for as long or as little as you wish. I played What Do You Meme? with a group of six friends, almost all of whom I’ve known since childhood. Since I had played the game before, I knew it was best to play with people you’re comfortable with. With risqué caption cards that contain a whole lot of profanity and lewd references, this certainly wouldn’t be appropriate for a family game night. If you’re not sure whether you should break out What Do You Meme? at your next gathering, consider your guests. If you’re not comfortable sharing an extremely dirty, insensitive joke with any of those people, you should refrain from playing. A key component of the game is also the players’ familiarity with one another. In order to strategize and guess correctly, you have to be acquainted with everyone’s personality and sense of humor. Otherwise, you’re just guessing at random.
Entertainment Value:
For the first hour or so, we thought most of the memes were hilarious and the crazy combinations had us laughing hysterically. After about four or five games, however, we’d already played most of the caption cards and the novelty of the memes began to wear off. If you’re able to play this game with different groups of people, it would probably remain more exciting. After an hour of playing with the same people, though, the laughter died down pretty quickly. To solve the problem of replayability, expansion packs—including themed Game of Thrones, Mean Girls, and Real House Wives ones—are available.
Age Range: 17 and up
What Do You Meme? is recommended for ages 17 and up. Chock-full of profanity and raunchy jokes, there’s no question that this game is intended for adults-only. However, it does cater to younger adults (aka millennials and Gen Zers). Caption cards are peppered with slang, including references to Snapchat, Mario Kart, 420, and Four Loko, which may have older people feeling out of the loop.
Price: Fairly priced amongst the competition
Retailing around $30, What Do You Meme? is similar in price to other card games on the market. It’s about $5 more than its equally raunchy counterpart, Cards Against Humanity, but the minimal difference shouldn’t make a huge impact on your buying decision.
Competition: Holds its own against other favorites
Cards Against Humanity: Retailing around $25 and slightly cheaper than What Do You Meme?, Cards Against Humanity is equally inappropriate in terms of content. The concept is very similar—one player reads a question from one of the black cards, and each player must respond with the funniest white card in their hand. We wouldn’t recommend buying one game over the other. It would actually be great to have both on hand so you can switch them out and keep the party lively. When you’re playing with a big group, the cards eventually get repeated, and games like these lose their freshness pretty quickly. Apples to Apples: If you’re looking for a card game that’s more kid-friendly, Apples to Apples is recommended for ages 12 and up. It also retails for about $25. This card game provides instant—but much cleaner—fun. Again, the concept is very similar. Players select a card from their hand that best describes a card played by the judge. Comparisons are made between people, places, things and more. What Do You Meme? is a great party game for social media enthusiasts. Although the novelty wore off quicker than we expected, it’s still worth buying for the initial hilarity.
