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Taboo. without saying the obvious.

Describe the word without using the five words you would actually use. Everyone thinks they will be good at this. Almost nobody is.

The card game your family owns, minus the cards and the arguing about whose turn it is to keep score. Play it around a table or across a video call, from one phone.

4 to 50 players·Free for up to 10 players·In the room or over a call
Round 2 of 60:23

Describe this

ELECTRICITY

  • power
  • lightning
  • current
  • shock
  • volt

Say any of the five and your team loses the word.

Someone else is watching for slip-ups

What actually happens

The funniest game about being articulate.

Your colleague has to describe "electricity" without saying power, lightning, current, shock, or volt. They open with "the thing that makes the kettle boil" and immediately know they are in trouble.

Their team is shouting at them. Someone yells "plug socket" and they have ten seconds to react. They pivot to "what is inside the wire" and the room laughs at them. They skip and the next word appears.

By the end of the round you have learned more about how your colleagues think than any workshop was ever going to tell you.

The rules

How Taboo actually plays.

How to play

  1. 1

    The describer sees a word and five forbidden clues on their phone.

  2. 2

    Describe the word without saying it or any forbidden clue. Your teammates, or the group in individual mode, guess aloud.

  3. 3

    Tap Correct for a successful guess or Skip to move on. Listen for any forbidden-word violations as you play.

  4. 4

    Keep going until the timer ends. The host reviews the words and marks any Taboo violations, then the next describer takes a turn.

How to win

Correct words add to your turn's word count, and Taboo violations subtract from it. Neegma converts the result to points based on the turn length. Highest total wins.

What makes it work

  • Tests vocabulary, quick thinking, and lateral creativity

  • Hilariously awkward when someone accidentally says a taboo word

  • Fast-paced rounds keep everyone on the edge of their seats

  • Perfect for teams

    Cooperation is the key to victory

  • Choose 30-, 60- or 90-second turns

  • Difficulty levels for all skill levels

While you host

Give every disputed word a clear decision.

Let the describer finish the turn, then settle the word results before moving on.

Leaderboard

After round 3

  • 1MAMarketing1st place1,729
  • 2ENEngineering2nd place1,463
  • 3FIFinance3rd place1,064
Example team totals after three rounds with 60-second turns

Example final podium

Marketing wins

Engineering

3,724

2

Marketing

4,256

1

Finance

2,926

3

Example team totals with 60-second turns

Review the whole turn

Tap a word in the review to mark it Correct, Skipped or Taboo. The final statuses determine the result that carries into the next turn.

Keep the card off the projector

Only the describer's player view displays the current word and forbidden list. The shared host view shows the turn score and words already seen.

Set the challenge before starting

Choose 30, 60 or 90 seconds per turn. Paid plans also offer difficulty and Family Friendly content filters for the word library through Advanced settings.

Make every clue easy to hear.

Around a table

Seat the describer where their team can hear them without seeing their phone. Use the shared screen for the score and completed words.

Over video

Share the host view and have guessers speak one at a time. Keep the describer's phone screen out of their camera view.

Across room and call

Use one room microphone and lower background music. Ask remote guessers to repeat an answer if several people speak together.

Use cases

Give your group something to talk around.

Use the forbidden words to shape a speaking exercise, a table contest or a party about familiar interests.

  • Communication workshops

    Explain it without the usual words.

    Open a workshop or language lesson with a few turns in teams. The five forbidden words make the describer reach for an example, a comparison or another definition. Use the word review to discuss which clues helped the guessers and which caused confusion.

    Explore facilitated sessions

  • Pub and restaurant teams

    Make each table a clue team.

    Give each table a turn between quiz rounds or courses. A 30-second timer keeps the describing burst short, while the review gives the host a moment to settle disputed words. Show the round standings before the next table sends someone up.

    Explore pub game nights

  • Birthdays with friends

    Make familiar interests harder to describe.

    Create a custom set about the guest of honour's interests, complete with five forbidden clues for each word. Friends may know the answers already, but still need a fresh way to explain them. Rotate the describing role so the same person is not always speaking.

    Explore birthday games

Build a set around your subject, guests or occasion in the Playground.

Customise Taboo

Play format

Describe for your team or the group.

One person gives clues while the host checks the forbidden words.

Teams

Build a shared score.

One teammate describes while the others guess. The role rotates between rounds, and each turn contributes to the team's score.

Best for

groups who want to solve clues together.

Individuals

Compare your describing skills.

Players take turns describing to the group. Each describer keeps a score based on correctly guessed words and forbidden-word penalties.

Best for

smaller groups where everyone takes a turn.

Before you start

Taboo questions

Is skipping a word the same as a Taboo penalty?
No. Skip moves to a new word without a penalty and the timer keeps running. A word marked Taboo in the host's review deducts one from the turn's correct-word count.
Can a Taboo turn finish with a negative score?
Yes. The turn total is correct words minus Taboo violations. If the host records more violations than correct words, that turn subtracts points from your running total.
Can a teammate volunteer to describe?
Yes. A member of the team whose turn it is can use Play this round to take over. The rotation then carries on with the rest of the team.
How do players join?
Start a session and share its link or QR code. Players open it in their browser, enter a name and join you in the lobby. They don't need an account or an app. The joining guide covers team selection and what guests see next.
Can I use my own words?
Yes. Use Neegma's ready-made content or create a reusable set of words in the Playground. Type your own or import a spreadsheet, then shape the set around your subject, guests or occasion. You can edit and reuse your set whenever you host.
Can AI help me create a Taboo set?
Yes. AI generation is available to every signed-in host, including the Free plan. Describe the topic and audience, review the preview, add the batch, then edit the questions before hosting. Each successful batch uses one credit. The AI guide explains credits and how to write a useful brief.
Can I include Taboo in a ready-made event?
Yes. Browse free and paid session templates for prepared game lineups, or build your own template with Taboo included. A template saves your game selection, order and available settings so you can run it again with another group. The template guide explains playlists and other session flows.
What can we play alongside Taboo?
Neegma has 15 games in its library. Try Word Art for a fast spoken-word challenge, or browse all games to build a varied lineup. In a template session, the included games and session flow determine which game you can choose next.
Can we play in person, remotely or as a hybrid group?
Yes. Share the host screen on a TV, projector or video call, and have players join on their own devices. Neegma runs the game; your room or call carries the conversation. The screen-sharing guide covers the setup, and the large-event guide helps you plan for venue Wi-Fi and bigger audiences.
What happens if someone loses connection?
Return to the same browser tab on the same device and use Rejoin when it is offered. A new browser or device may be treated as a new player, and when someone can resume depends on the game. The reconnecting guide explains how to recover a place without resetting the whole group.
Can players share their results and keep their achievements?
Yes. After an online game finishes, players can use Share result to share or download their card. Save My Results emails the result and records an achievement, even before a player has an account. Signing up with the same email connects those saved results. Leave time to save before starting the next game.
How many people can play, and is it free?
The suggested group size is 4 to 50 players. The Free plan includes up to 10 players and 5 sessions a month, with no card required. For larger groups, compare a one-off Party Plan with a Pro subscription on pricing and choose the allowance that fits your event.

More about hosting? Visit the help center.

How would you describe it?

Start a session and put your first describer on the clock.