5 Fun Games Like Taboo for Your Next Game Night

You know the scene: everyone’s gathered, snacks are out, and it’s time for a game. Taboo is a classic for a reason. Getting your teammates to guess a word while avoiding a list of "forbidden" words is a simple recipe for a good time. It’s a fast-paced party game that gets everyone talking (and sometimes shouting).

But maybe you’ve played it a million times, or maybe you’re just looking to shake things up. If you're searching for games like Taboo, we've got you covered. From clever board games to a go-to app, here are a few options that bring that same word-clue energy with a fun twist.

The Go-To App for Word-Guessing Fun

If you want the speed of Taboo right on your phone, you don't have to look far. An app is a great choice when you don't want to haul a box around or deal with setup.

Explosive Seconds

This free, ad-free charades-style app is a perfect fit for a modern game night. Explosive Seconds handles all the words, the timer, and the scorekeeping, so you can just focus on the fun. The real game-changer is its two unique modes.

• Team Mode: This isn’t your typical turn-based game. It's more like a hot potato with timers! Each team gets its own clock. When your team guesses a word correctly, your timer stops, and the next team's clock immediately starts ticking. If your timer runs out, you lose a life. The last team with lives remaining wins!
• Free-For-All: In this mode, everyone plays for themselves in a race to 50 stars. Each round, you’re paired with a random guesser. You earn points for how quickly you can describe words and guess them, making every second count.

Board Games That Twist the Rules

If you love gathering around a table for a physical board game, these options take the core idea of Taboo and turn it on its head.

Trapwords

Imagine playing Taboo, but you have no idea what the forbidden words are. That’s Trapwords, and it’s as chaotic as it sounds.

• How it Works: Instead of a pre-set list of no-no words, the opposing team gets to secretly write down "trap" words they think your clue-giver might use. As the clue-giver, you have to describe your word to your teammates while trying to avoid the traps you can't see. Step on a trap, and your turn is over. It adds a whole new layer of psychology as you try to outsmart your friends.

Just One

Looking for something cooperative instead of competitive? Just One is a fantastic choice that keeps the word-guessing fun without the team-versus-team pressure.

• How it Works: It's a simple party game where everyone works together to help one person, the guesser, figure out a secret word. Here's the catch:
  
  • Everyone else secretly writes down a one-word clue.
  • Before the guesser sees them, all the clues are compared.
  • Any duplicate clues are eliminated!
  • The guesser only gets to see the unique clues that are left. This makes for some hilarious moments as you try to think of a clue that is helpful but not too obvious.

Codenames

Codenames is another team-based word association game that has become a modern classic. It’s less about describing one word and more about connecting several.

• How it Works: Two teams face a grid of 25 word cards. One person on each team is the "spymaster" and knows which words belong to their team. The spymaster gives a one-word clue and a number to get their teammates to guess multiple words on the board. For example, if "Loch Ness" and "Tale" are your team's words, you might say "Monster, 2." It’s a great brain-burner that still generates tons of conversation.