How to Play Taboo
Taboo Game Tutorial
Classic board games can sometimes be a bit on the boring side and people do tend to lose interest after a while. I mean, you can only play so many rounds of Snakes and Ladders, you know? There is one game that has always been so much fun to play, especially if you’re in a big group, and that’s called Taboo.
The origin of the Taboo game is unknown, but it has been published in 1989 by a company called Parker Brothers. Hasbro has purchased it since then and it has become one of the most popular party games ever. The goal is for partners to guess what the other is trying to describe to them, while the other teammate isn’t allowed to use certain words. It’s almost like charades with words!
If you haven’t played Taboo yet, then don’t worry! By following these simple Taboo rules, you’ll be able to show your friends exactly what you’re made of, with your made guessing and describing skills.
Taboo Setup
If you’re lucky enough to have the Taboo game at home, then you can use that. Otherwise you will need some cards with a word on the one side, and 5 taboo words on the other side. You will also need a timekeeper, like an hourglass, and a buzzer. A pen and paper for scorekeeping is also a good idea. This is a group game, so you’ll need an even number of players between 4 and 10.
How to Play Taboo
- Divide up into teams of two and sit in a circle around the board.
- The team who goes first decides on who the ‘giver’ will be in that team. The giver will then draw a card and attempt to describe the word to his teammate.
- On the back of the card he has drawn there will be 5 taboo words. The giver may not say any of these words when describing the object to his teammate. He may also not say any part of the taboo words. Wikipedia gives a great example: if you have to describe ‘baseball’, the taboo words might be ‘sport, game, pastime, hitter, pitcher, and baseball’. You may not say any of these words or parts thereof, like ‘base’ or ‘ball’ or ‘pitch’, etc.
- The giver may only describe this object by using his speech; no gestures, drawings, or sounds are allowed. The words may also not rhyme with any of the taboo words.
- If a giver says a taboo word, a player on the other team will hit a buzzer and the giver must move on to a new word.
- The teammate of the giver may guess as many times as he wants to, and as soon as he guesses correctly, the giver will then move on to the next word. When time runs out, it will be next team’s turn.
- The goal is to get as many words correct in the allotted amount of time. One point will be awarded for a correct word and one penalty point if a taboo word is said.
Taboo Video Tutorial
