How to play

Split into two to four teams. On a team’s turn, one player is the describer and holds the phone so only they can see the card. The card shows a word and five forbidden words under it. The describer has a short time (30, 60 or 90 seconds) to get their teammates to say the main word, without saying that word, any of the five forbidden words, or part of them (“sun” is part of “sunflower”).

• Got it: the team guessed the word. +1 point and a new card.
• Buzz: a forbidden word slipped out. A player from another team presses it. −1 point and a new card.
• Skip: a stuck card can be skipped, twice per turn, with no penalty.

No gestures, no rhymes, no spelling, no initials and no “sounds like”. When the time is up the phone moves to the next team. Everyone has the same number of turns, and the highest score wins.

Questions

How many cards are there? More than fifty, all written for this game, and none repeat until the whole deck has been used. Does it need the internet? Only to load the page. Can the describer cheat by scrolling? The cards only move forward, so honest play is the point; rivals watching the screen keep it fair.

Can we play on a video call? Yes: pick Play online and everyone joins the same room on their own phone. The describer and the other teams see the card; the describer’s teammates don’t.