Taboo (game)
Encyclopedia
Taboo is a word
guessing
party game
published by Hasbro
in 1989. The object of the game is for a player to have his/her partner(s) guess the word on his/her card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card.
The game is similar to Catch Phrase
, also from Hasbro, in which a player tries to get his or her teammates to guess words using gestures and verbal cues.
Taboo was later the basis for a 2002 game show
of the same name on TNN (now Spike), hosted by comedian Chris Wylde
.
Some early editions include a board to track progress (as shown in the photo on this page), but current editions do not.
The second edition of the game, produced in 1994, has a round, pink squeaker, or hooter instead of a buzzer, as do the 1993 and 1990 editions.
Taboo Junior, the game for younger players, includes a purple squeaker, as do a few of the other editions from 1996 and 2002.
In 1990, Hasbro sold packs of additional words, but they are no longer in production.
While the giver is prompting the teammates they may make as many guesses as they want with no penalties for wrong guesses. Once the team correctly guesses the word exactly as written on the card, the giver moves on to the next word, trying to get as many words as possible in the allotted time. When time runs out, play passes to the next adjacent player of the other team. The playing team receives one point for correct guesses and one penalty point if "taboo" words are spoken.
Word game
Word games and puzzles are spoken or board games often designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties.Word games are generally engaged as a source of entertainment, but have been found to serve an educational purpose as well...
guessing
Guessing game
A guessing game is a game in which the object is to guess some kind of information, such as a word, a phrase, a title, or the location of an object.Many of the games are played co-operatively...
party game
Party game
Party games are games that some people play as forms of entertainment at social gatherings. Party games usually involve more than one player. There are a large number and styles of party games available and the one selected will depend on the atmosphere that is sought to be generated...
published by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
in 1989. The object of the game is for a player to have his/her partner(s) guess the word on his/her card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card.
The game is similar to Catch Phrase
Catch Phrase (game)
Catch Phrase is a word guessing party game commercially available from Hasbro.-Game components:Initially, the game consisted of a timer and a plastic disc that displayed one word at a time. Later, stand-alone electronic devices with built-in random lists of word phrases were made available.-Game...
, also from Hasbro, in which a player tries to get his or her teammates to guess words using gestures and verbal cues.
Taboo was later the basis for a 2002 game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
of the same name on TNN (now Spike), hosted by comedian Chris Wylde
Chris Wylde
Chris Wylde is the stage name of an American actor and comedian who was born on August 22, 1976 in Hackettstown, New Jersey as Christopher Scott Noll.-Early life:...
.
Equipment
- A few hundred cards with words on both sides (the exact number of cards depends on the game version)
- Tray for holding cards
- Timer (in the form of a one-minute hourglassHourglassAn hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
) - Buzzer
- Pencil and paper for score
Some early editions include a board to track progress (as shown in the photo on this page), but current editions do not.
The second edition of the game, produced in 1994, has a round, pink squeaker, or hooter instead of a buzzer, as do the 1993 and 1990 editions.
Taboo Junior, the game for younger players, includes a purple squeaker, as do a few of the other editions from 1996 and 2002.
In 1990, Hasbro sold packs of additional words, but they are no longer in production.
Rules
An even number of players from four to ten sit alternating around in a circle. Players take turns as the "giver," who attempts to prompt his or her teammates to guess as many keywords as possible in the allotted time. However, each card also has "taboo" (forbidden) words listed which may not be spoken. Should the giver say one, a "censor" on the opposing team hits the buzzer and the giver must move on to the next word. For example, the giver might have to get his or her team to say "baseball" without saying "sport," "game," "pastime," "hitter," "pitcher," or "baseball" itself. The giver may not say a part of a "taboo" word; for example, using "base" in "baseball" is taboo. The giver may only use speech to prompt his or her teammates; gestures, sounds (e.g. barking), or drawings are not allowed. Singing is permitted, provided the singer is singing words rather than humming or whistling a tune. The giver's hints may not rhyme with a taboo word, or be an abbreviation of a taboo word.While the giver is prompting the teammates they may make as many guesses as they want with no penalties for wrong guesses. Once the team correctly guesses the word exactly as written on the card, the giver moves on to the next word, trying to get as many words as possible in the allotted time. When time runs out, play passes to the next adjacent player of the other team. The playing team receives one point for correct guesses and one penalty point if "taboo" words are spoken.
In popular culture
- There was a game show based on TABOO in 2002, hosted by Chris Wylde.
- In the 2008 film Four ChristmasesFour ChristmasesFour Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...
, Kate (Reese WitherspoonReese WitherspoonLaura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
) and Brad (Vince VaughnVince VaughnVincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
) played Taboo with Brad's mother(Sissy SpacekSissy SpacekSissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...
) and her boyfriend. - On January 29, 2010, Cassandra Dominguez of Madrid, Spain scored what is believed to be a record 38 in a 4-round game of Taboo at the 2010 World Board Gamers Convention.
- The game was also played in the show Will & Grace, in season 3's episode called : Cheaters
Variations
- 1989 edition
- 1990 edition with pink hooter
- 1993 edition with pink hooter
- 1994 edition with pink hooter
- 1996 edition with pink hooter
- 1999 10th anniversary edition
- Celebrity Taboo
- Platinum edition electronic Taboo
- Taboo Jewish Edition
- Taboo Junior
- Taboo for Kids
- The Big Taboo
- Taboo Body Language
- Taboo Quick Draw
- 2002 edition with purple squeaker
- 2003 edition with red squeaker
- 2009 20th anniversary edition
- 2011 All New version with new clues and a "game changing" die
Non-Hasbro Variations
- Buzzwords (Android platform)
- Tabuu 4U (Android platform)
- Ta-BooYa (Android platform)
- Tabu (iOS platform)
- Online Taboo Game (OnlineTaboo.net)
- Downloadable Taboo cards for sale (WordBan.com)
External links
- Taboo at Hasbro
- Online Taboo at OnlineTaboo.net
- New cards on Russian