Bananarchy Card Game Preview

This is a free preview copy of the game. See our review policy here. Some components and art may change in the final version of the game. You can find out more here.

OK, this is an interesting one. This is not the sort of game we usually cover here on WBG. But the designer of the game, Nathan, sent me a personalized video message, asking for help with the game, where he seemed genuinely excited about the game and how it may land with us. I am a sucker for that kind of thing! Nathan pitched it to me as Exploding Kittens meets UNO but with monkeys. Which does not really get me going, other than the monkeys bit, but he went on to say that you never really wait for your turn to play, due to some always-play cards, and told me that the art was hand-drawn by a former Disney artist. OK, fine. You got me, Nathan, I'm in. But is it any good? Let's get it to the table and find out.

How To Set Up Bananarchy Card Game

Separate the different decks, and then give each player a single point Banana card. Then shuffle the rest of the Banana cards, and place them face down in a stack showing the rotten side. Then, shuffle the Monkey cards and deal each player five face-down cards to form their starting hand. Place the remaining Monkey cards into a separate face-down deck. Give the Active player card to the player who last ate a banana. You are now ready to play. So far, so simple!

How To Play Bananarchy Card Game

Play now moves around, starting with the active player. They will draw one Monkey card into their hand, and then play one Action card. They can play as many ANYTIME cards as they wish, so long as they read it out loud so everyone knows its effect and how it is being played too. Other players can play ANYTIME cards whenever they wish too, and also, they can play REACTION cards to counter the effects of cards being played onto them. It is quite frantic! Hence, you must read out the powers of the cards you are playing.

The active player will then end their turn by declaring this out loud, so everyone knows the play has moved on. They will re-draw their hand back up to five cards and pass the active player card on one turn.

Before you draw on your turn, instead of playing cards, you can choose to discard all your cards and refill your hand. Or, stash a previously gained Banana card by turning it horizontal, but when you do this, you must discard and refill your entire hand as well, and you can only stash one card at a time. It's important, though, as there are a lot of ways to steal other players' un-stashed banana cards. And bananas in this game are points!

How Do You Win Bananarchy?

The game continues until the final Banana card is drawn. At that point, all players will score the Banana cards they managed to keep to the end of the game. There are a few scoring cards in the game that you may draw from the Monkey card pile; these can act as multipliers to gain extra points. Any banana cards you have had flipped over will score you negative one. The player with the most points wins!

Is It Fun? Bananarchy Card Game Review

Now, if you like Take That in games, and enjoyed card games like UNO and Exploding Kittens, as this game was pitched to me, then I think you will love this! And this could well become a huge family favourite for you. It has that same type of chaos, random exchange, and constant state of fluctuation in who is winning. It is hard to run away with this, and older players won't necessarily be able to use strategy to outwit other players. Meaning families of all ages can enjoy the chaotic nature of this game on an equal playing ground.

That said, if you don't enjoy this sort of chaos, random play and take that, then this won't be for you. Hence my score. For a Take That card game, this is great. A wonderful game. If you don't like Take That, then this will be terrible for you. So, it's hard to score. As one mechanic leans so heavily into your potential enjoyment.

Why it’s fun

Bananarchy leans hard into fast, chaotic, always-on card play, and that’s exactly where its appeal lies. The ANYTIME and REACTION cards mean you are rarely sitting back waiting for your turn, with the table constantly shifting as players interrupt, counter, steal, and sabotage in real time. Add in the scramble to protect and stash your bananas, plus the ever-present threat of them being flipped or stolen, and you get a game that stays loud, lively, and unpredictable right through to the final draw.

Why it’s not

That same chaos will be a deal-breaker for some. Strategy takes a back seat to timing, luck, and opportunism, and players who like to build careful plans or feel in control of their fate may find it frustrating. The game is deliberately swingy, and just when you think you’re safe, someone can pull the rug out from under you, which is fun for the right group but exhausting for the wrong one.

Pros

• Constant interaction with very little downtime

• Easy to learn and quick to get going

• Works well for families and mixed-age groups

• Strong “take that” energy and dramatic moments

• Thematic, playful presentation

  
  

Cons

• Very random and swingy

• Little room for long-term strategy

• Can feel overwhelming for quieter players

• Not suited to those who dislike direct player conflict

Bananarchy knows exactly what it is: a loud, chaotic, take-that card game that thrives on unpredictability and shared table moments. If you enjoy the energy of games like UNO or Exploding Kittens, this will feel right at home and could easily become a family favourite. If you don’t, it will bounce right off you. It is a niche, but within that niche, it delivers exactly what it promises. You can check it out for yourself here.