Party games
Taboo
HasbroBrian Hersch1989
- players
- 4–12
- minutes
- 40
- years
- 12+
In the box
Taboo game + sand timer
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designer
- Brian Hersch
- Artwork
- René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo
- Publisher
- Hasbro
- Mechanics
- Communication LimitsTeam-Based
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Get your team to guess a word without using the five forbidden words written under it. While the timer runs, the active player describes the cards one by one, with no forbidden word, no word from the same family and no miming, watched by an opponent. Each word guessed scores 1 point, each forbidden word said costs 1, and the game is played to 30 points or over an agreed number of turns.
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 teams, Sand timer and buzzer, 1 opponent watches
- Two teams, a sand timer, a buzzer.
- A player from the opposing team watches the card and checks the forbidden words.
How to play
5 forbidden words, No word family, no mime
- The active player describes the word at the top of the card, without ever saying the five words listed below it.
- They may not use a word from the same family either, nor mime it.
- Cards follow one after another while the timer runs.
Scoring
Word guessed +1, Forbidden word −1, Card passed 0
- Word guessed: +1 point.
- Forbidden word said: -1 point, and the card is lost.
- Card passed: 0, and it is set aside without being played again.
End of the game
30 points, Or agreed turns
- The game is played to 30 points, or over an agreed number of turns.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
What is the goal?
Get your team to guess a word without saying the word itself or the five "taboo" words listed under it — often the most useful ones.
What happens if you say a forbidden word?
A player from the opposing team watches with a buzzer: at the slightest taboo word (or the word itself), they buzz and the card is lost.
Can you use gestures?
No: no mime, no sound effects, no "it rhymes with". Only speech, working around the forbidden words. That is the whole difficulty.
How long is a turn?
A sand timer: get through as many cards as possible before it runs out. Passing a card that is too hard is allowed, sometimes with a small penalty.
How do you win?
Each card guessed earns a point, each taboo word loses one. Play to an agreed score, with the teams taking turns on the buzzer.