2–16 players · 15–30 min · Words

Don’t Say It: describe it, don’t say it

You have sixty seconds to get your friends to say Biryani, but you are not allowed to say rice, chicken, Hyderabad, dum or spicy. Don’t Say It is the fast, loud word game where the describer sweats, the guessers shout, and everyone else waits with a finger over the BUZZ button. On PlayAdda each card appears only on the describer’s screen, guesses are typed and checked automatically, and the timer and scores are handled for you. Just open a voice or video call and share the code.

How to play

1. Tap Start Don’t Say It, enter your name and share the code with your group. Join a voice or video call together.
2. In the lobby the host picks a turn length (60 seconds is a good start) and the number of rounds.
3. When the game starts, the first describer taps Start my turn. The timer begins and their first card appears: one word to describe and five banned words.
4. The describer talks; everyone else types guesses. A correct guess scores and the next card appears straight away.
5. When the timer runs out, the next player becomes the describer. After every player has described the chosen number of times, the highest score wins.

The rules

While describing, you may not say:

• the word on the card, or any part of it (for “Cricket bat”, you cannot say “cricket” or “bat”);
• any of the five banned words on the card, or parts of them;
• “sounds like” or “rhymes with” clues, or spell letters out;
• a translation of the word into another language. Saying “chai” for Tea counts as saying it.

Gestures are a grey area; most groups allow them on video calls, but agree before you start. If the describer breaks a rule, any listener can tap BUZZ. That card is discarded and the describer loses a point. If a card is too hard, the describer can tap Skip to move on at no cost except time.

Scoring

Because the describer scores for every correct guess, the best strategy is clear, quick explaining. Because guessers score individually, everyone races to type first.

Tips for describers

• Go around the banned words. If “Diwali” bans lights, festival, crackers, lamps and October, try “the night every house in India puts out clay diyas and buys sweets”. Oops, careful: diya is close enough to lamp for some groups!
• Use films and famous people. “What Shah Rukh opens his arms for on a Swiss mountain” gets a lot of words.
• Skip fast. A hard card can eat your whole turn. Skip and keep the points flowing.

Hosting a bigger group? Pair it with Doodle Dash for a drawing round, or finish the night with Mafia Night.

Frequently asked questions

Is Don’t Say It the same as Taboo?

It is PlayAdda’s own forbidden-words party game, with original cards written for Indian players. Taboo is a trademark of Hasbro; this game is not affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro.

How do people guess?

Guessers type their answers into the chat box. Spelling, capital letters and spaces are forgiving, so “paneer tikka” matches “Paneer Tikka”. The describer explains out loud on a voice or video call.

Who checks for banned words?

Everyone except the describer sees a BUZZ button. If the describer says the word or any banned word, or uses a gesture or “sounds like” clue, anyone can buzz. The card is lost and the describer loses a point.

How long is each turn?

The host picks 15 to 120 seconds in the lobby; 60 seconds is the default. The host also picks how many rounds to play. In each round, every player describes once.

Can we play with only two people?

Yes. One describes and one guesses, then you swap. It is more fun with four or more, because more people race to guess and more people are listening for banned words.

Are the words suitable for families?

Yes. The cards cover food, films, cricket, festivals, places, everyday objects and pop culture, with nothing rude. They are written with Indian players in mind but most work anywhere.

More party games

🎟️ Tambola (Housie) · 🎲 Ludo · 🐍 Snakes & Ladders · ⚪ Carrom · 🃏 Colour Rush · 🔵 Five Chip · ✏️ Doodle Dash · 🕵️ Spy Words · 🕶️ Mafia Night