Teamwork · Words & quick thinking
Forbidden Five
Describe the word without saying it — or any of the five words underneath it.
- ~20 min
- 3–10 people
- One device, or phones
- Free
- Teens and up
Play Forbidden Five now — free
What it feels like
You know the word. You can see it right there. You just can't say it. Or any of the five words underneath it. Your team is waiting. The clock is ticking. Choose your words very carefully.
How to play
- Take turns describing. You see a word, and five words under it you're not allowed to say.
- Get the others to say the word: no rhymes, no “sounds like”, no spelling it out.
- Four or more of you play in two teams, and the other team watches for slips. Three of you play every one for themselves.
- Sixty seconds a turn — as many words as you can.
Scoring: 1 point for every word guessed: to the team, or to both the describer and the guesser. Say a forbidden word and the other team scores 1 — or, with three players, the describer loses 1.
Playing safely
Play safe: stay in your seat or spot and mime in place — no real climbing, lifting or wrestling. Keep voices at a comfortable volume. No props that are sharp, hot, heavy or breakable.
What you need
3 to 10 people and one phone, tablet or laptop to pass around — or everyone on their own phone in a room. Nothing to download, no accounts. The best lines can be sealed into your group's Almanac and come back in later games.
