Taboo

1 Game Overview

Taboo is a clue-giving word game where you try to get your team to guess a word without saying 5 "taboo" words related to it. An opposing team member watches you, buzzer in hand, ready to buzz you for forbidden words. Fast, hilarious, and competitive.

2 What's in the Box

• Set of Taboo cards (each with a target word and 5 forbidden words)
• 1 squeaky buzzer
• 1 60-second timer
• Score pad

3 Setup

1. Divide into 2 teams of 2-5 players each.
2. Decide on the number of rounds (4-6 is typical).
3. Choose a starting team. One player from that team will be the Clue Giver for the first turn.

4 How to Play

1. One player from the active team is the Clue Giver. A player from the opposing team sits next to them as the Watcher, holding the buzzer.
2. Start the timer. The Clue Giver picks up the top card and tries to get their team to say the Target Word (top of card) without saying any of the 5 Taboo Words listed below it.
3. The Watcher listens for violations: saying a taboo word, using a form of the target word, passing illegally, or making sounds instead of words. Violations = BUZZ! Card is discarded, move to next card.
4. For each card correctly guessed: score 1 point. For each card buzzed or passed: opponent scores 1 point.
5. Keep going until 60 seconds run out. Teams alternate turns.

5 Winning

Play a set number of rounds with each player getting at least one turn as Clue Giver. The team with the most points wins.

6 Strategy Tips

• Go in synonym chains. If the word is "cold" and ice is taboo, try: "the opposite of warm, like a polar bear's habitat."
• Use context sentences. "You'd say this when you stub your toe" often works faster than definitions.
• Skip hard cards fast. You lose 1 point for a pass but save time. Don't waste 20 seconds on a card you can't crack.
• Use proper nouns freely. Proper nouns are almost never on the taboo list. "Like what the Arctic is" works when "cold" is taboo.