The Classic Taboo box (Hasbro India)Photo: Hamleys
What's in the boxPhoto: Hamleys
The cardsPhoto: Hamleys
Playing Taboo (older edition shown)Photo: Toycra
Box backPhoto: Hamleys
Video

Party word game · Indian edition available

Taboo

Get your team to guess the word without saying the obvious ones

Clues and guessingWord gamesTeam gamesSpeed and reflexes

  • 4–10best with 6-8
  • 20–60 minper game
  • About 2 minto set up
  • 13+years
  • Very easy
  • Somereading

The official listing, on Amazon.in

Made in India
Buy on Amazon.in

We couldn't confirm whether this listing sends the Indian or the imported box. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.

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The game in a nutshell

Taboo is Hasbro's team word-guessing party game: you describe the word on your card so your team can guess it, without saying any of the five 'taboo' words printed below it, before the sand timer runs out. It suits teenagers and adults who are comfortable in English, in groups of four or more. Hasbro India's Classic Taboo is made in India, so there is no need for an imported copy.

Is Taboo right for you?

Great if

  • Big groups of teenagers and adults who enjoy talking, interrupting and laughing
  • Festival nights and family get-togethers where people split easily into teams, such as cousins against cousins
  • Teenagers who read English well and like word play
  • Taking along to a friend's place: Hasbro offers a free online buzzer, timer and scoreboard, so the card box alone is enough

Skip it if

  • Some of your group are not comfortable in English, since every card and clue is in English
  • You usually play with only two or three people; you need at least four for two teams
  • Most of your players are under 13, the age Hasbro recommends

A place on the honours list

Good company to be in.

Recognition from beyond our table.

Mensa Select, 1990 (Winner)

Spiel des Jahres recommendation list (German edition, Tabu), 1992 (Recommended)

How Taboo plays

Split into two even teams and sit so the two teams alternate around the table, which makes it easy to keep an eye on each other. The cards are colour-coded: pick one colour for the whole game and stack the cards so that colour is face down.

  • Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
  • Reading and language: Every card is in English, and the describer has to find other English words on the spot under time pressure. Guessers need a good vocabulary too. We found no Hindi or other Indian-language edition.
Playing Taboo (older edition shown) · Photo: Toycra

How to Play Taboo · Triple S Games

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

Your turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Describe

    One player on your team flips a card and describes the Guess word so the team can say it, without using that word or any of the five Taboo words listed under it.

  2. 2
    Squeak

    A player from the other team watches the card over your shoulder and squeaks if you slip, gesture or give a 'sounds like' hint. Squeaked or skipped cards score for them.

  3. 3
    Score

    When the sand runs out, your team scores 1 point for every card it guessed. Then the other team takes its turn with a new describer.

  4. 4
    Win

    Once everyone has described the same number of times, the team with more points wins. If it's a tie, each team plays one more turn.

Read the official rules (PDF)Classic Taboo instructions (Hasbro item F5254) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Taboo goes

On your team's turn, one player describes and the rest of the team guesses. A player from the other team holds the squeaker and reads the card over the describer's shoulder. Start the sand timer, flip a card and describe the Guess word at the top without saying it or any of the five Taboo words listed under it. Imagine a card asking for 'biryani' with rice, spicy, chicken, Hyderabad and dum all barred, and you will see why it gets funny.

The other team squeaks you if you say any part of a word on the card, use a plural or a short form such as 'TV' for television, make gestures or sound effects, or give 'sounds like', 'rhymes with' or 'starts with' hints. Singing is allowed. You may skip a card whenever you like, but it costs you.

When the timer runs out, your team scores 1 point for each card it guessed, and the other team scores 1 point for each card you skipped or were squeaked on. Then the other team plays, with a new describer every round. Once everyone has described the same number of times, the team with more points wins; if it is a tie, each team takes one more turn.

What's in the box

What's in the box · Photo: Hamleys
  • 212Cards
    848 Guess words in all, four per card, each with five Taboo words; you choose one card colour per game
  • 1Squeaker
    the other team squeaks you with it when you break a rule
  • 1Sand timer
  • 1Notepad
    for keeping score
  • 1Rules sheet
    English; links to Hasbro's free online buzzer, timer and scoreboard at go.hasbro.com/taboo

Box: 20 × 20 × 7 cm, 0.61 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

Contents from Hasbro's F5254 rules sheet and the back of the Indian box: 212 cards (848 Guess words), squeaker, notepad, sand timer and instructions. The four-words-per-card figure is simply 848 divided by 212. The older box still listed in India (E2616, the 2013 version) has 162 cards (over 640 Guess words), a squeaker, sand timer, score pad and a 'game-changer' die that adds rule twists. Editions from around 2000 came with 504 cards, a card holder and a buzzer instead of the squeaker. One Indian listing's contents field says '12 cards', which is a typo for 212.

Where to buy

Amazon.inEdition not confirmed

The official listing, on Amazon.in

We couldn't confirm whether this listing sends the Indian or the imported box. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.

Buy on Amazon.in

Opens Amazon.in in a new tab.

Genuine Taboo is made and sold in India. The Classic Taboo box (item F5254) is made in Bengaluru for Hasbro India, and Hasbro's rules sheet for it says 'Made in India'. Imported copies are genuine but unnecessary.

How to make sure you get a genuine copyA little care before you click.
  • Look for Hasbro or Hasbro Gaming on the box and in the listing's brand field. The current Indian box is black with a colourful pattern and the Taboo logo.
  • Check the contents. The current genuine box has 212 cards (848 Guess words), a squeaker, a notepad and a sand timer. The older genuine box had 162 cards and a die. A listing that does not match either is a warning sign.
  • Be wary of an unbranded 'Taboo' box that costs a fraction of the usual price, or a 'Hasbro Taboo' listing that claims an unusually large discount. Both deserve suspicion.
  • Check the box back: the Indian box names Hasbro India Toys Pvt. Ltd. as marketer and a Bengaluru maker, shows item code F5254 and states that Taboo is a trademark of Hersch and Company.
  • Avoid listings where the brand is an unknown name or the title has spelling slips.

We link to one Amazon.in listing that we've checked against the maker's own information. We don't show prices: Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery. Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

What reviewers and players say

Taboo has stayed popular since 1989 because the idea is so simple: get your team to say a word without using the obvious clues, and watch the describer squirm. Reviewers enjoy how fast and noisy it gets, how quickly new players pick it up, and how well it works with a big group. The grumbles are mostly about the extras: the squeaker and the seating plan can feel fussy, the sand timer is easy to ignore, and the team that isn't guessing mostly watches. For Indian groups the real test is English, because the current cards include Western pop culture: one card in the product photos bars 'Degrassi', 'Canadian' and 'Hotline Bling'.

What people love

  • Fast and loud: the timer keeps the pressure on, and a tongue-tied describer is funny for everyone watching
  • Easy to learn, so newcomers can join in after watching one round
  • Works best with a crowd, where more players means more wild guesses
  • A fun way for teenagers to stretch their vocabulary without it feeling like homework

Common complaints

  • The squeaker and the strict alternate seating can feel fussy, and some groups drop them
  • The sand timer makes no sound, so someone has to keep an eye on it; Hasbro's free online timer solves this
  • The team that isn't guessing has little to do apart from watching for slips
Based on 8 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

More like Taboo

Our picks if Taboo isn't quite right

Feature
Taboo box Taboo
 Codenames box Codenames Guess in 10 box Guess in 10 Dixit box Dixit
Players4–102–82–63–8
Best with6-86-84-6, in two teams5-6
Play time20–60 min15 min20 min30 min
Age13+14+6+8+
RulesEasyEasyEasyEasy
Indian editionYesImportYesImport
Why look at itThis pageAnother team word game, with one-word clues and a grid of 25 words instead of a timerSkillmatics' made-in-India question-and-clue game that younger children can also playClue-giving with dreamlike pictures instead of words, so it works across ages and languages

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Questions people ask about Taboo

Is genuine Taboo sold in India?

Yes. Hasbro India sells Classic Taboo, and Hasbro's own rules sheet for this box says it is made in India. You don't need an imported copy. Our Buy on Amazon.in button goes to the listing we've checked; make sure the brand is Hasbro.

What age is Taboo suitable for?

Hasbro rates it for ages 13 and up and for 4 or more players. The cards assume a good English vocabulary, so younger children may struggle. Hasbro has made a Taboo Junior for younger players, but we did not find it on sale in India.

Is there a Hindi version of Taboo?

We did not find one. Hasbro India's Classic Taboo has English cards only. If your group prefers Hindi or another language, a picture-based game such as Dixit may suit you better.

What is the difference between the old and new Taboo boxes?

The current Classic Taboo has 212 cards with 848 Guess words, a squeaker, a notepad and a sand timer, and it is made in India. The older box had 162 cards and a 'game-changer' die that adds rule twists. Both are genuine Hasbro games, but Indian stores now mostly stock the newer one.

Game facts

Designed by
Brian Hersch
Publisher
Hasbro (Taboo is a trademark of Hersch and Company)
In India
Hasbro India Toys Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (marketer); made for it by Yuno Packaging Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru
First published
1989
Players
4–10
Barcode
195166210711
Language
Needs English – Every card is in English, and the describer has to find other English words on the spot under time pressure. Guessers need a good vocabulary too. We found no Hindi or other Indian-language edition.
Box size and weight
20 × 20 × 7 cm, 0.61 kg
Awards
Mensa Select, 1990 (Winner); Spiel des Jahres recommendation list (German edition, Tabu), 1992 (Recommended)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.