Taboo
Short Description: Taboo is a fun and challenging word guessing game where you try to get your teammates to guess a secret word, but you can’t use certain forbidden words listed on the card.
Description: Taboo is a classic party game that tests your vocabulary and creative thinking skills. Players take turns giving clues to help their teammates guess a secret word, but the catch is they can’t use certain “taboo” words listed on the card alongside the secret word. This forces players to think outside the box and come up with creative descriptions to get their point across. Taboo is a great game for family gatherings, game nights with friends, or even team-building exercises, as it encourages communication and collaboration.
Categories: Party Game, Word Guessing, Family-friendly
How to Play:
- Number of Players: 4+ (Works best in teams of 2 or more)
- What You’ll Need:
- A copy of Taboo (includes a game board, deck of cards with words and taboo words, and a timer)
- Paper and pen (optional, for keeping score)
- Gameplay:
- Divide into teams: Taboo is typically played with teams of 2 or more competing against each other.
- Set the timer: Each round has a time limit, typically around one minute.
- One player from the guessing team draws a card: The card will have a word on it, along with a list of four or five “taboo” words or phrases that cannot be used while giving clues.
- Giving Clues: The player giving clues has to describe the word on the card to their teammates without using any of the taboo words listed. They can use synonyms, antonyms, or even provide related concepts to help their team guess.
- Guessing and Switching Turns: Their teammates can shout out guesses, and the clue-giver can respond with “yes” or “no” but cannot directly confirm the answer. If the team guesses the word correctly within the time limit, they get a point. If they use a taboo word or the time runs out, the turn passes to the other team.
- Winning: The team with the most points at the end of a predetermined number of rounds wins the game.
Winning Criteria: The team with the most points after all rounds have been played wins the game.
Estimated Playtime: 30-60 minutes (depending on the number of rounds and players)
Make it Your Own: Minor Changes for a Different Experience
- House Rules: You can adjust the time limit based on the difficulty of the words and the number of players.
- Advanced Play: For a challenge, try playing with a rule where the clue-giver can’t use any rhymes or sounds that appear in the secret word.
- Thematic Decks: If you have multiple Taboo decks, choose one with a specific theme like movies, music, or history for a more focused game.
- Act it Out: If you don’t have a Taboo set, you can play a similar game using a dictionary and coming up with your own taboo words for each secret word.
Ready to Play? You can find Taboo at most major toy and game stores.
Tags: Party Game, Word Guessing, Family-friendly, Vocabulary
Similar Games:
- Pictionary: A drawing game where players take turns drawing clues for their teammates to guess. If you prefer a more active game that relies on visual thinking, Pictionary might be a better choice.
- Charades: An acting game where players act out words or phrases for their teammates to guess without speaking. Charades is a good alternative if you want a more physical game that doesn’t require any specific vocabulary skills.
- Telestrations: A telephone game combined with Pictionary where players draw what they see based on a clue word, then pass it on. Telestrations offers a unique blend of drawing and guessing with hilarious results, and requires less vocabulary focus than Taboo.