How to Play Taboo (Taboo Rules and Cards)

Taboo is a board game made by Brian Hersch and released by Parker Brothers in 1989. Hasbro now owns it and there are various versions like Taboo Junior, Taboo for Kids, Taboo Buzz’d, and Taboo Disney. Taboo Game can be played by 4 to 10 players divided into two teams.

Taboo Rules and Cards

Taboo is a fun and exciting party game that involves cards that contain words that players must guess without using certain words listed on the card. The game is played in teams, with one team member acting as the giver and the rest of the team acting as guessers. The giver must give clues without using any of the taboo words, which can be quite challenging. 

The game can be played with kids as well as adults, but younger children may need help reading the cards and coming up with clues. An example of a taboo game might be one where the card contains the word “beach” and the taboo words might be “ocean,” “sand,” “sun,” “swim,” and “vacation.” The rules for Taboo are simple: the team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Each team has one player who takes turns being the clue giver. The clue giver holds a card with a word to guess and five bug words that they cannot say. The clue giver gives hints to their team to guess the word on the card. They can’t use certain words, or parts of the word, or make sounds or gestures.

The other team monitors the clue giver and buzzes them if they break any of the rules. The clue giver can pass on a card but at a penalty. The team that guesses the most words in the allotted time wins the game.

Taboo is a game that tests your vocabulary, creativity, and quick-thinking skills by using taboo game words written on the cards. You have to find ways to describe a word without using the most obvious or related words. You must not say things that could make the buzzer go off, like rhyming words, abbreviations, initials, or spelling. Be careful with how much information you give and adapt your clues to fit your teammates’ understanding.

Taboo Game Rules

Taboo is a fun word game where you have to make your team guess a word without saying some other words that are not allowed. Here are the things you need to play Taboo Rules and how to set them up:

• Taboo cards: These are cards that have a word on top and five words below that you cannot say. For example, if the word is “cat”, you cannot say “kitten”, “meow”, “fur”, “pet”, or “animal”. There are many cards in the game, and each one has a different word and different words that you cannot say.
• Buzzer: This is a device that makes a loud noise when you press it. You use it to buzz the other team when they say a word that they are not allowed to say, or when they break any other rule of the game.
• Timer: This is a device that counts down the time for each round of the game. You can set it to one, two, or three minutes, depending on how long you want to play. When the time is up, the timer will beep to let you know.
• Score pad: This is a piece of paper where you write down the score for each team. You can use any paper and pen, or you can use the score pad that comes with the game.
• Game board: This is a board that shows the progress of each team. You can use it to keep track of how many cards each team has guessed correctly. You can also use it to see how many spaces each team has to move before they reach the finish line.
• Movers: These are small pieces that represent each team. You use them to move along the game board. You can choose any color or shape you like, or you can use the movers that come with the game.

Setup

To set up the game, you need to do these taboo game instructions:

• Divide the players into two teams. Try to make the teams as equal as possible. Each team should have at least two players, one to be the clue giver and one to be the guesser. You can switch roles after each round.
• Shuffle the Taboo cards and place them in a pile face down. Make sure you cannot see the words on the cards.
• Place the buzzer and the timer near the pile of cards. Make sure both devices have working batteries and are turned on.
• Place the game board on a flat surface where everyone can see it. Put the movers on the start space of the game board. The team that goes first can choose their color or shape.
• Give the score pad and a pen to someone who is not playing the game. This person will be the scorekeeper. They will write down the score for each team and keep track of the time.

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Taboo Board Game Rules

• The goal of the game is to get your teammates to guess the word on the card without saying any of the forbidden words, or bug words, on the card.
• The game is played by two teams of at least two players each. One player from each team is the clue giver, and the rest are the guessers.
• The clue giver draws a card from the pile and tries to give verbal clues to their team, but they cannot say any of the bug words, any part of the word, or any sound effects or gestures. If they do, the other team can buzz them with the buzzer and take the card away.
• The clue giver can pass on a card if they are stuck, but they lose a point for their team. They can also skip a card if it is blank or damaged, without losing a point.
• The clue giver can only look at one card at a time, and they cannot show it to anyone else. They have to keep the card holder facing away from their team and the other team.
• The clue giver has a limited time to get their team to guess as many words as possible. The timer can be set to one, two, or three minutes, depending on the preference of the players. When the timer runs out, the turn is over and the card holder is passed to the next team.
• The game ends when all the cards in the pile are used, or when the players agree to stop. The team with the most points wins the game.

How to Play Taboo Board Game

• To start the game, divide the players into two teams and choose a color or shape for each team. Place the movers on the start space of the game board.
• Shuffle the cards and place them in the card holder. Make sure the words are not visible. Place the buzzer and the timer near the card holder. Give the score pad and a pen to someone who is not playing, or designate one player as the scorekeeper.
• Decide which team will go first and who will be the clue giver for that team. The clue giver takes the card holder and flips the timer. The round begins.
• The clue giver draws the top card from the card holder and looks at the word on the card. They try to get their team to say the word by giving verbal clues, but they cannot say any of the bug words, any part of the word, or any sound effects or gestures.
• The other team watches and listens carefully. If they hear the clue giver say a bug word, a part of the word, or make a sound effect or gesture, they buzz them with the buzzer and take the card away. They also buzz them if they say anything that is not a clue, such as “um”, “uh”, or “like”.
• If the clue giver’s team guesses the word correctly, the clue giver sets the card aside and draws another card. They continue to give clues until the timer runs out or they run out of cards.
• If the clue giver is stuck on a card, they can pass on it by saying “pass” and placing the card at the bottom of the card holder. However, they lose a point for their team for each card they pass on.

• If the clue giver sees a blank or damaged card, they can skip it by saying “skip” and placing the card out of play. They do not lose a point for skipping a card.
• When the timer runs out, the round is over and the clue giver passes the card holder to the next team. The scorekeeper counts the cards that each team has and writes down the score on the score pad. The team that guessed the most words gets one point for each card they have, and the team that buzzed the most words gets one point for each card they took away. The team that passed the most words loses one point for each card they passed on.
• The next team chooses their clue giver and starts a new round. The game continues until all the cards in the pile are used, or until the players agree to stop.
• To end the game, the scorekeeper adds up the scores for each team and announces the winner. The team with the most points wins the game. If there is a tie, the teams can play a tie-breaker round or share the victory.

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