The folks behind Cards Against Humanity have changed the world of card games. By allowing some of its rights to be given to the public, it has grown its audience quickly. Their players are loyal. Let’s examine what they did.
Steps
1. Game.
The game started on Kickstarter where it was just shy of 400% of its goal. With the extra money, they added cards to the original number intended. This game pairs questions and phrases with fill-in-the-blank answers. Most of the pairs are inappropriate, politically incorrect or downright offensive. This is why it’s marketed for adults. Check out its current listing on Amazon for a base set of the cards.
NOTE: It is an adult version of “Apples to Apples.”
2. CC-BY-NC-SA.
The base set of the cards are licensed under a Creative Commons license. The attributes must stay on the card, claiming who owns the game. You can make your own cards, but you cannot sell them . . . you can only share them. To learn more about Creative Commons, see the Enrichment Project badge program of the same name.
3. Review.
Two supplements are provided with this badge program. They are the actual sayings on the basic card set. Look through the phrases. You’ll see they cover many items that you may find offensive. This is why it is recommended for adults.
4. Download.
Since they started counting the number of downloads of the base set of cards, they’ve reached over 1.5 million. You’d think that would mean no one would buy them, but quite the opposite happened. To use the cards, be sure to print them on card stock so they don’t wear out quickly. Check out the downloadable version on their site.
5. Younger.
It is possible to play this game with younger players. You will want to pull out the cards you find make you uncomfortable. If you can’t explain it to kids, don’t include it. Here are some general items to look for within the cards to help you identify the ones you want to pull.
- Death
- Drugs
- Politics
- Racism
- Religion
- Sex acts
- Sexism
6. Trading.
I don’t really like the size of the cards. I took the cards themselves and relaid them out to a standard trading card size. This allowed me to purchase large cardboard boxes to house my immense collection of cards. Would this be more viable for you or do you prefer the official size?
7. Expansion.
There are many more sets that you can find or purchase beyond the standard set. They are called expansions. You can find both official and non-official versions. Some are designed for specific events, themes and more. Do a search online to find more cards you might add to your collection.
8. Play.
You can play with a group of people or you can play online. Try playing both ways. Do you like one over the other? What would you recommend?
9. Reddit.
You can find Reddit groups that focus on Cards Against Humanity. Some just show the choices of cards played. Some create themed sets of sayings to make your own cards. Check out Reddit’s offerings.
10. Make.
You can also make your own cards. Like the additional releases of cards, they can be focused on themes, events or the media. Here are some ideas to get you started brainstorming:
- Books or titles of books
- Commercial jingles
- Fairy tales
- Gravestones
- Groups / organizations
- Misunderstood lyrics
- Myths and legends
- Newspaper headlines
- People — famous / historical / family
- Phobias
- Pop culture
- Public domain works
- Puns and jokes
- Quotes
- Specific themes
- Television shows / movies
- What your kids / family say
You can use the templates they provide or make your own.
NOTE: The most time you spend making your own cards will be cutting the cards apart. Ask how I know . . .
11. Templates.
You can find templates and generators online. Be sure to check out the final card size before choosing one. For example, the templates I provide with this badge program are the ones I use . . . which are trading card size. They are designed for Adobe InDesign. I also adjusted the design so I don’t have to print black card with white type because of the amount of ink / toner needed. Don’t like this size? Find one online that you like.
12. Contribute.
www.cardsagainsthumanity.com/lab
Want to have some say in official cards? Check out the lab and play a few rounds.
13. Public.
The creators of the card game see the world differently. To see their unique brand of humor and how they affect the world, check out one of the following:
- Black Friday sales
- Pilanthropic efforts
- Purchased land to stop Trump’s wall
Don’t stop here, though. Continue looking at what they’ve done to change the world.
Badge and Supplement Files
Member Level
- 0EP_B_BPG_CAH_2in_12up_MS1_larajla — generic badge printable
- 0EP_BLIST_CAH_MS1_larajla — badge items per membership level
- 0EP_BSET0_CAH_MS1_larajla —badge set and related badges
- 0EP_SUPP0_CAH_Journal_MS1_larajla — badge journal
- 0EP_SUPP0_CAH_Planner_MS1_larajla — badge planner
- 0EP_SUPPL_CAH_MS1_larajla — supplements currently available per membership level
Supplement Fun
- SUPP_Found_CAH_MainGame_MS2_larajla — cards and information for the main game
- SUPP_Found_CAH_Rules_MS2_larajla — just the rules for the game
- SUPP_List Fun_CAH Main_Black_MS2_larajla — black / statement card information
- SUPP_List Fun_CAH Main_White_MS2_larajla — white / answer card information
- SUPP_Temp Fun_BlackStatement_MS2_larajla — Blank template of black statement cards at ATC size
- SUPP_Temp Fun_WhiteAnswer_MS2_larajla — blank template of white statement cards at ATC size
Sites to Explore
- cardsagainsthumanity.com
- www.cardsagainsthumanity.com/lab
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cards_Against_Humanity
- www.senseornosense.com/play-cards-against-humanity-online-free
- mdsc.info/dropbox/cah
- biggerblackercards.com
- mywastedlife.com/CAH
- www.reddit.com/r/cardsagainsthumanity
- www.reddit.com/r/cahideas
- hellogiggles.com/news/cards-against-humanity-philanthropy
- www.ranker.com/list/best-cards-against-humanity-stunts/donn-saylor
- www.backyard.games/board-and-card-games/cards-against-humanity-expansion-packs
Get the infographic here > larajla blog post
Get the PDFs of the badge program / supplements here