Looking for a game that’s quick to pick up, endlessly entertaining, and suitable for all ages in your family? In the world of Family Meme games, finding the right fit can transform your game nights. That’s where games like What Do You Meme? Family Edition step in, offering a hilarious and age-appropriate twist on the popular meme culture. Having enjoyed the original What Do You Meme?, I was eager to explore this family-friendly version and see if it lived up to the hype for a family with kids. We got our hands on a copy for review to put it to the test with our own family dynamics.
What is What Do You Meme? Family Edition?
What Do You Meme? Family Edition takes the core concept of matching captions to images, similar to Apples to Apples or a family-friendly Cards Against Humanity, and infuses it with the internet’s favorite language: memes. This card game is designed for 3 to 20+ players, aged 8 and up, with playtime ranging from 30 to 90 minutes. It comes with a reasonable MSRP of $19.99, positioning it as an accessible option for family game night entertainment.
Unboxing What Do You Meme? Family Edition Components
Image alt text: What Do You Meme Family Edition game components laid out including caption cards, photo cards, instruction booklet and easel, showcasing a fun family meme card game.
Inside the What Do You Meme? Family Edition box, you’ll find:
- 1 Instruction Booklet: Clear and concise rules to get you started quickly.
- 300 Caption Cards: Filled with family-friendly, funny phrases and sayings perfect for creating hilarious meme combinations.
- 65 Photo Cards: Featuring a selection of meme-worthy images that are recognizable and relatable for a broad audience.
- 1 Easel: A simple cardboard stand to display the Photo Card for everyone to see.
The components are what you’d expect for a card-based game in this category. The Caption Cards are standard playing card size and thickness, featuring jokes and phrases suitable for family humor, leaning into lighthearted topics like silly sounds and kid-friendly scenarios. The Photo Cards are larger and of the same card stock, showcasing familiar meme templates and situations that tap into popular internet culture, but curated for younger players. The included Easel is functional for displaying the meme images, though not essential, it’s a nice touch for a more immersive family meme experience.
Considering the quantity and quality of components, the game’s price point is fair and reflects the value offered for family entertainment.
Getting Started: Playing What Do You Meme? Family Edition
One of the biggest draws of What Do You Meme? Family Edition is its incredibly easy setup and straightforward gameplay, making it a perfect choice for spontaneous family fun.
Game Objective
The aim of What Do You Meme? Family Edition is to collect the most Photo Cards. You earn these by creating the funniest meme combinations – pairing a Caption Card with a Photo Card that the Judge deems the best. The number of Photo Cards needed to win varies depending on the player count: 7 cards for 3 players, 5 cards for 4-5 players, and 4 cards for 6 or more players.
Setting Up Your Family Meme Game
Image alt text: Game setup of What Do You Meme Family Edition showing photo card deck, caption card decks and a player’s hand, ready for a family meme game night.
Setting up What Do You Meme? Family Edition is a breeze, which is a huge plus for busy families. Beyond unwrapping the cards initially, the setup is practically instant.
Here’s how to get the game ready to play:
- Place the Photo Cards and Caption Cards in separate, reachable piles for all players. It’s helpful to have multiple piles of Caption Cards for easier access. Designate a space for a Discard Pile.
- Set up the Easel in a central location.
- Each player draws 7 Caption Cards to form their starting hand.
And just like that, you’re ready to dive into the world of family meme creation! Shuffling the Caption Cards at the start is optional, highlighting the game’s casual and easy-going nature.
Gameplay: Creating Hilarious Family Memes
Playing a Round
Image alt text: Three caption cards presented to the judge in What Do You Meme Family Edition for selection of the funniest family meme combination during gameplay.
Gameplay in What Do You Meme? Family Edition is quick, engaging, and full of laughs. Each round proceeds with players taking turns as the Judge, starting with the youngest player. Here’s how a round unfolds:
- The Judge selects a Photo Card and places it on the Easel, making it visible to all players. This image is the meme template for the round.
- Players then look at their hand of Caption Cards and choose the one they think best (and funniest) pairs with the Photo Card to create a meme. They submit their chosen Caption Card face-down to the Judge and draw a new Caption Card from the deck to replenish their hand.
- The Judge reads each submitted Caption Card aloud, often leading to laughter and funny reactions as the meme combinations are revealed. The Judge then selects their favorite Caption Card-Photo Card pairing.
- The player who submitted the winning Caption Card receives the Photo Card as a point. The used Caption Cards are discarded.
- The role of Judge passes to the player to the left for the next round, and a new Photo Card is presented.
Ending the Meme Game
Image alt text: A winning pile of photo cards in What Do You Meme Family Edition, representing victory in this family meme card game.
The game concludes when a player successfully collects the target number of Photo Cards, declaring them the ultimate meme master of the family! The target card counts are:
- 3 Player Game: 7 Photo Cards
- 4-5 Player Game: 5 Photo Cards
- 6+ Player Game: 4 Photo Cards
Why What Do You Meme? Family Edition is Great for Family Fun
What Do You Meme? Family Edition stands out as an excellent game for families and larger groups, offering easy-to-learn rules and a guaranteed source of laughter.
The quality of components is well-matched to its affordable price, and the diverse range of Photo and Caption Cards ensures high replayability, keeping the humor fresh and the combinations surprising. The simple setup and quick cleanup are significant advantages, especially for families looking for hassle-free entertainment.
The gameplay is intuitive for both casual players and children. For kids, the game provides a fun exercise in emotional recognition and understanding context, as they try to match captions to the emotions and situations depicted in the Photo Cards. A key element of the game is understanding humor preferences – what one player finds funny might not be another’s favorite. This aspect can be a learning curve for younger players, but even younger children can start to grasp the nuances of humor and what resonates with different people.
While the target number of Photo Cards offers a structure for shorter games, in larger groups, the focus often shifts to the shared laughter and funny moments, making winning almost secondary. What Do You Meme? Family Edition excels as a game that prioritizes fun and interaction over strict competition. Its flexibility also makes it easy to include more players as needed, perfect for casual gatherings.
With an MSRP of $19.99, What Do You Meme? Family Edition is a worthwhile purchase for your own family or as a gift. You can find it at the official site, Target, and Amazon.
