Forbidden Words
1990s-present · global
Also known as Taboo Scene, Banned Words
Two players run a scene; certain words (audience-supplied or scene-obvious) are forbidden — using one triggers a buzzer and reset.
Known for
- Classroom and ESL staple — scene constraint doubles as vocabulary exercise.
- Standard forbidden sets: 'yes/no/I,' scene-obvious nouns, or a single word the audience picks.
- Related Buyer/Seller variant forbids 'yes,' 'no,' and the product name.
- Trains circumlocution — how to carry meaning around the word you can't say.