🚫 Taboom

How to play Taboom

Split everyone into two teams. When it is your turn, keep the card to yourself and describe the top word to your teammates. One rule: you cannot say any of the five banned words below it, and you cannot use the word itself or any form of it. No gestures, no sound effects, and no spelling it out. The team that gets the most words before the timer runs out wins the round.

The three difficulty decks

The easy deck is full of concrete, everyday words, so it works with kids or a big family table. The medium deck mixes objects with slightly more abstract ideas, and that is where the real competition starts. The hard deck is built from abstract concepts, and describing those usually means telling a short story or giving an example instead of a definition.

How the game on this page works

Set up 2 to 4 teams, rename them, then pick a round length (30, 60, or 90 seconds) and how many rounds you want. Tap Got it for a correct word (+1 point), Pass when you are stuck, and Taboom if a banned word slips out (-1 point). After the last round, the scoreboard names the winning team. One phone in the middle of the table is the only equipment.

An example round

Say the easy deck deals you Coffee, with drink, morning, bean, cup, and caffeine all off limits. A clean clue might be: "Brown thing a barista makes, people line up for it at Starbucks before work." Your teammate shouts the answer, you tap Got it, and Airport appears. Now plane, fly, travel, terminal, and luggage are gone, so you try: "Where you take your shoes off for security and wait at a gate." Two points in fifteen seconds.

The medium deck is sneakier. Jealousy bans envy, partner, feeling, possessive, and green, which removes nearly every obvious route. Try "Othello's big problem" or "what you get when your ex posts a vacation photo with someone new." On the hard deck, Nostalgia bans past, miss, memory, old, and longing, so a story works best: "Hearing a song from high school and suddenly wanting to be seventeen again."

Variations worth trying

• Couples Taboom: play two against two, with partners on the same team. You will be amazed how often inside jokes carry a card.
• One-word clues: the describer may only say single words, one at a time, with a pause between each.
• Silent buzzer: the other team holds the phone and taps Taboom, so the describing team cannot police itself.
• Lightning round: set the timer to 30 seconds and play the hard deck only. Chaos, guaranteed.
• Kids' table: easy deck, 90 seconds, and allow gestures for players under ten.

Tips and mistakes to avoid

• Read all five banned words before you open your mouth. Most penalties happen in the first two seconds.
• Use "sounds like" and "rhymes with" freely; they are legal unless your group says otherwise.
• Pass early. Burning twenty seconds on one card loses more than the one point it is worth.
• Do not say "the opposite of" followed by a banned word. That still counts as saying it.
• Pick a describer order before the game starts so nobody hogs every turn.

Scoring and house rules

Decide before the first card whether the opposing team can challenge a clue. A good rule: if two players on the other team agree a banned word was said, the describer loses the point, no replay. Some tables also ban the phrase "it starts with," since spelling hints are off limits anyway. For a close finish, play one sudden-death card per team and let the fastest correct guess decide the winner.

Keep a running tally on paper if you play several games in one night, and let the losing team choose the deck for the rematch. That small perk keeps everyone invested even after a rough round.

When to play

Taboom shines at a holiday gathering with mixed ages, a double date where both couples are competitive, or a birthday party that needs something to do after cake. It also travels well: a cabin weekend or a long layover works fine with one charged phone.

FAQ

How do you play Taboom with just two people?

With two players, drop the teams and play cooperatively. One person describes while the other guesses, and you try to beat your own score from the previous round. Swap roles every round, keep the 60-second timer, and track your best total. It turns into a surprisingly good date night challenge.

What words are you not allowed to say in Taboom?

Each card lists five banned words under the main word, plus the main word itself and any part of it. On the Coffee card, for example, you cannot say drink, morning, bean, cup, or caffeine. Gestures, sound effects, and spelling the word are also off limits in standard rules.

How many points do you lose for saying a taboo word?

On this page a slip costs one point, while each correct guess earns one. Passing costs nothing, so skipping a hard card is usually smarter than risking a penalty. Some house rules make a slip cost two points, which pushes describers to slow down and think.

Can you use rhymes or sounds like clues in Taboom?

Most groups allow them, since the classic rules only ban the listed words and the answer itself. Saying 'rhymes with bee-lach' for Beach is fine. Agree on this before the first round so nobody argues over a lost point halfway through the game.

What are good Taboom words for adults?

The medium and hard decks are built for grown-ups. Cards like Jealousy, Deadline, Ethics, Utopia, and Nostalgia force you to explain ideas instead of objects, which is much harder. Mix them with a few easy cards so the round keeps some momentum.

How long should a Taboom round be?

Sixty seconds is the standard and fits most groups. Choose 30 seconds for a fast, frantic game with experienced players, or 90 seconds for kids and first-timers. Three rounds per team usually fills about twenty minutes, which is a good length before switching games.