I can’t remember the first time I played Cards Against Humanity but the game quickly became a staple at my family’s gatherings. If you’ve ever come to one of our parties you’ve played it. And if your kids grew up coming our parties they probably got their own copy to take with them to college when they graduated high school. Cards Against Humanity has given me some great memories with friends and family. We’ve recommended it here numerous times as part of our holiday gift guides.

But then I became a parent and I’m sad to say I didn’t get to play much.

Cards Against Humanity is in no way the kind of game I would want to play with my kids – until now! The second I saw Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition on the shelf in Walmart I bought it. I texted a photo of it to everyone in my family. Finally I could share the game with my kids (who are 14 and 7 at the time of writing). My oldest was probably the most excited since I’d been telling him for years that he couldn’t play the original game.

Since we got the base game, we have had the chance to play with a wide variety of groups. I have played with kids aged 7, 11, and 12. I’ve watched the same kids play by themselves. I’ve played with a mixed group of kids and adults. (Thanks to the publisher sending us a review copy, we’ve also gotten to play the expansion pack, too!)

And the game holds up!

Gameplay is the same as it is in the adult version. The judge plays a black card and then the other players choose and present their white cards. Being able to read is really a must so I agree with the 8+ age recommendation on the back of these games. My youngest tends to just play white cards randomly and while that lets her be a part of the game (and has led to some hilarious results!) she does get frustrated.

Another source of frustration came from not understanding who some of the people referenced in cards are or what some of the cards mean. This could be an issue for a lot of younger players even if they are older than eight because while they may have a vague idea of who Dua Lipa is they may not understand why Joe Biden’s teeth would be funny.

That’s probably why the game relies a fair bit on potty humor.

In the expansion pack (which we’ve only gotten to play with a couple of times so far) there are over 30 white cards that involve pooping, barfing, farting, or peeing. That’s at least ten percent of the cards. I want to say the base game has a comparable amount of cards about pooping or peeing on things. There are cards about peeing on your poop, pooping on people from a hot air balloon, etc. Kids seem to find it pretty funny so you won’t see me complaining (too much).

There are definitely cards that some parents may find questionable so I would definitely recommend that parents who don’t draw the line at poop but do at things like laser nipples read through the cards before playing with your kids. Most problematic cards from the adult version don’t make it into the game but some cards still won’t fly with some folks – even adults – just because of the subject matter. You can check out some examples at the Cards Against Humanity website!

All in all, though, Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition (with the expansion pack) was a hit with my family and the others we’ve played with. For parents and grandparents who have played Cards Against Humanity over the years it’s a great way to make memories with the next generation. For kids it’s a way to finally play that taboo game that Mom keeps up on the top shelf of the games closet.

I can tell you with total certainty that Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition is going to get a lot of play around the holidays in our household. It’s easy to teach and everyone recognizes the original. Besides, I’ve found that a lot of people don’t know that there’s a family edition yet so the holidays are a great time to break it out or set it suggestively on the top of the games pile to see if friends and family take the bait!

Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition is a great addition to the family games closet. Everyone can get excited; everyone can have fun. It’s a great, often rowdy time for the whole family!


Title: Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition
Publisher: Cards Against Humanity LLC
Release Date: August 1, 2021
Target Amazon | Walmart | BGG | CAH

Title: CAH: Family Edition Glow in the Dark Box
Publisher: Cards Against Humanity LLC
Release Date: August 10, 2021
Target Amazon | BGG | CAH

A review copy of the expansion pack was provided for the purpose of this review.

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