What Are the Rules of the Taboo Board Game?

What Is Taboo?

Taboo is a classic word-guessing party game. One player gives clues and their team tries to guess a secret word. The catch is that there are five forbidden words you cannot say. That is what makes it so fun and so challenging at the same time.

At The Taboo Shop, we believe Taboo is one of the best party games ever made. It is simple to learn, works for all ages, and guarantees a great time every single round.

What Is the Goal of the Game?

The goal is simple. Get your team to guess as many words as possible before the timer runs out. The team with the most points at the end wins.

What Is in the Box?

When you buy Taboo from The Taboo Shop, you get everything you need to start playing right away.

• A deck of Taboo cards
• A sand timer
• A squeaky buzzer
• A score pad

How Do You Set Up the Game?

Setting up Taboo takes less than two minutes.

• Split everyone into two teams
• Choose which team goes first
• Pick one player to be the Clue Giver
• One player from the other team sits beside the Clue Giver to watch the card
• Shuffle the cards, flip the timer, and start playing

How Do You Play?

The Clue Giver picks up a card and keeps it hidden from their own team. They read the target word and the five taboo words. Then they start giving verbal clues to help their team guess the word.

The team shouts out guesses. When they guess correctly, the Clue Giver moves to the next card. The round ends when the timer runs out. Then the other team takes their turn.

What Are the Rules?

These are the rules every player must follow.

• You cannot say any of the five taboo words on the card
• You cannot use any part of the target word
• You cannot give rhyming hints
• You cannot spell the word out loud
• You cannot use gestures, acting, or miming
• You cannot mouth the word silently
• You can skip a card but you will lose a point
• If the Clue Giver accidentally says the target word, the card is skipped

How Does Scoring Work?

Scoring in Taboo is very straightforward.

• Every correct guess earns your team one point
• Every skipped or buzzed card costs your team one point
• Most groups play until one team reaches 30 points
• The team with the highest score wins

Any Tips for Playing Better?

For the Clue Giver — Think of a category or situation that relates to the word. Use fill-in-the-blank sentences. Skip hard cards quickly and do not waste time.

For the Guessing Team — Shout out as many guesses as you can. Do not overthink it. One minute goes by very fast.

For the Opposing Team — Keep your eyes on the card at all times. Buzz the moment a taboo word is said. Stay fair and only buzz for real violations.

Why You Will Love Taboo

Taboo never gets old. Every round is different, every group brings something new to the table, and the laughs are always guaranteed. It is the kind of game that brings people together whether it is a family dinner, a birthday party, or a casual night in with friends.

No screens. No batteries. No complicated setup. Just pure fun.

Get Your Copy from The Taboo Shop

We stock the classic Taboo game along with special edition card packs and themed versions for every kind of group. Whether you are buying for yourself or as a gift, Taboo is always the right choice.

Visit The Taboo Shop today and get the game that everyone is talking about. Fast delivery, great prices, and a game night you will never forget.