Taboo — rules, forbidden words, and how to play
Taboo is a team word game for 4–20 players in which a clue-giver describes a target word to their teammates without using that word or any of five closely related forbidden words listed on the card.
- Players
- 4–20 players
- Length
- ~20 minutes
- Type
- High energy
- Type
- Team-based
Runs in your browser · no download · no account
Taboo is a vocabulary game that works by amputation. You get a word to describe and a list of the five words you would actually have reached for first. Describe "Hangover" without saying morning, headache, drinks, last night, or regret. Go.
The five forbidden words are the whole design. A lazy card lists obscure synonyms nobody would use; a good card lists exactly the route your brain wants to take, and then blocks it. All 2,500+ cards here were written that way, which is why the game gets harder rather than easier as your group warms up.
The opposing team polices you by looking over your shoulder, which means half the tension in the room is coming from the people who are not even playing. When a forbidden word slips out, they hit the buzzer, and it costs you.
Taboo is part of
What you need
- One phone for the clue-giver, watched by the other team
- 4 to 20 players in two teams
- A voice you are willing to raise
- About 20 minutes
How to play Taboo
Split into two teams. Each turn, one player is the clue-giver and holds the phone.
Describe the BIG word to your teammates — without saying the word itself or ANY of the five forbidden words. No rhymes, no spelling, no "sounds like".
House rule: the opposing team peeks over the clue-giver's shoulder. If a forbidden word (or the word) slips out, they yell BUZZ and hit 🚨 — that's −1 for the clue team.
Every correct guess is +1. Stuck? Skipping is free — but the clock keeps ticking.
When the buzzer sounds, check the recap — tap any card to fix a mis-call, including the one you were still on when time ran out — then pass the phone to the other team.
Highest score after all rounds wins. A tie goes to sudden death: one extra round each!
Scoring and winning
- Every word your team guesses correctly is +1.
- A buzz — you said the word, or one of the five forbidden words — is −1.
- Skipping is free, but the clock does not stop for it.
- After the buzzer, the recap lets you tap any card to correct a mis-call, including the card you were still mid-clue on when time ran out.
- Highest score after all rounds wins. A tie goes to sudden death: one extra round each.
Taboo strategy and tips
- Read all five forbidden words before you say anything. Starting a sentence you cannot finish is how most buzzes happen.
- Describe the situation rather than the thing. For a blocked noun, narrate the moment it appears in someone's life and let your team arrive at it.
- Use "opposite of" aggressively. It is almost never blocked and it is unusually efficient.
- Guessers should call out near-misses rather than staying quiet — the clue-giver needs to know how close you are.
- Skip fast on a card where three of the five forbidden words are the only handles you have. Ten seconds saved is worth more than one heroic point.
- As the watching team, buzz instantly and confidently. Hesitating gives the clue-giver time to finish the sentence and score.
Variants and house rules
Sudden death
Built in for ties — one extra round each until someone is ahead.
No-gesture rule
House rule: no hands at all. Voice only. Considerably harder and it stops the game drifting into Charades.
One-guesser mode
Only one teammate may guess per card, rotating each time. Removes the shotgun effect where four people brute-force the answer.
Spice levels
Cards follow the global spice setting. Family keeps it clean; Party unlocks the dating and nightlife deck; After Dark is bolder without ever being explicit.
Solo clock
Two players only? Alternate as clue-giver and guesser, count total words across five turns each, and race your own record.
Taboo FAQ
What are the rules of Taboo?
Describe the target word to your team without saying it or any of the five forbidden words on the card. No rhymes, no spelling, no "sounds like". Every correct guess is +1 and every slip is −1.
How many players do you need for Taboo?
Four minimum, so each team has a clue-giver and at least one guesser. It scales comfortably to twenty.
Can I use gestures in Taboo?
In the standard rules, yes — only the words are restricted. Many groups ban gestures as a house rule to keep it a talking game.
What counts as a buzz?
Saying the target word, any of the five forbidden words, a form of them, or spelling or rhyming your way to them. The opposing team makes the call and the app deducts a point.
What happens to the card you were on when time ran out?
It stays in the recap and remains scoreable. If your team actually got it as the buzzer sounded, tap it and take the point.
Is skipping penalised?
No points are lost for skipping. You only lose time, which in a timed round is usually the harsher cost anyway.