How to Play Taboo
Classic
Each turn, one Explainer sees a word and a list of taboo words. Everyone else guesses in chat. You also cannot use pieces of the answer or rhymes.
Example card
Describe this word
SUNFLOWER
⛔ Don't say these words
Describing SUNFLOWER
Not allowed: Saying “sun”—it’s part of the answer, even though “sun” isn’t printed on the taboo list.
Allowed: Tall crop grown for seeds; big yellow head, often in sunny fields.
Type guesses in the chat. A correct guess scores the word’s difficulty (1–6). The Explainer can skip a word for no points.
Timed turns with taboo words on each card. In 2 Teams, opponents can buzz.
Quick Six
Six words every turn. Each word shows its point value (1–6). There are no taboo words, and you can’t skip—you finish all six before the timer ends.
Describe each word without saying the actual word — 1–6 pts
Cat
Shoe
Apple
School
Elephant
Ice cream
Play format
- 1 Team (2+ players) — Great for smaller groups: one Explainer, everyone else guesses. There’s no buzzer—call out taboo slips on the honor system.
- 2 Teams (4+ players) — Red vs Blue with four or more players. The other team listens and can buzz when they hear a taboo word (−1).