General Rules | Tabulis

General Information

Tabulis - Game Guide

What is Tabulis ?

Tabulis is a team-based word guessing party game where teams compete against each other. Each round, one player acts as the clue-giver and tries to get their team to guess the word on the card — while following a specific set of restrictions. The exact rules depend on the chosen game mode.

Teams

The game is played with at least two teams, each consisting of at least two players. Teams are formed before the game begins and cannot be changed once play has started.

How the Game Flows ?

Teams take turns in a predetermined order. Each round, one player from the active team becomes the clue-giver. Once the clue-giver is chosen, the timer starts and the card is revealed.

The clue-giver tries to get their team to guess as many words as possible before time runs out. When time is up, the round ends and play passes to the next team.

Pass Allowance

The number of passes is set separately for each mode before the game begins, and can be set to zero. A passed card scores no points and goes back into the deck. Once all passes are used, the clue-giver can no longer skip cards — they must continue explaining or wait for time to run out.

Scoring

Each card correctly guessed by the team earns one point. Passed cards earn no points. In certain modes, a rules violation by the clue-giver results in the card being invalidated and one point being deducted from the active team. The specific violations that trigger a penalty are described in each mode's rules.

End of Game

Before play begins, one of two ending modes is selected:

Equal Rounds: When one team reaches the target score, the other teams continue playing until they have completed the same number of rounds. The team with the highest score wins. In the event of a tie, additional rounds are played until the tie is broken.

First to the Target: As soon as any team reaches the target score, the game ends immediately — no waiting for other teams to finish their turn. The first team to reach the target score wins.

Classic Mode — Rules

Classic Mode is the standard word guessing mode of Tabulis. The clue-giver tries to get their team to guess the target word on the card.

Card Structure

Each card contains one target word and five taboo words that the clue-giver is not allowed to use.

The Referee

In Classic Mode, one player from the opposing team holds the device and watches the clue-giver. If they detect a violation, they press the Taboo button — the active team loses one point and the card is invalidated. If a disputed situation arises, they may press the Pause button to stop the game and discuss.

Explanation Rules

The target word and taboo words cannot be said. The target word and taboo words cannot be said. Neither the word itself nor any of its derivatives, inflected forms, or plurals may be used. For example, if the target word is 'run', then 'running', 'ran', 'runner', and 'run-up' are also forbidden. The same rule applies to all words on the taboo list.
Gestures, facial expressions, and hand movements are forbidden. Gestures, facial expressions, and hand movements are forbidden. It is not permitted to give hints through body language, facial expressions, or hand gestures. For example, if the target word is 'sleep', closing your eyes and tilting your head to the side is a violation. Miming the shape of an object, pointing in a direction, or indicating a number with your fingers are also forbidden.
Sound effects are forbidden. Sound effects are forbidden. It is not permitted to imitate a sound related to the word, hum a melody, or tap out a rhythm. For example, if the target word is 'guitar', strumming an imaginary instrument is forbidden; if it is 'train', imitating a whistle is also not allowed.
Showing the card is forbidden. Showing the card is forbidden. It is not permitted to hold the device so that the team can see the card, turn the screen toward the team, or deliberately reveal it.
Hints about syllable count or word length are forbidden. Hints about syllable count or word length are forbidden. Expressions such as 'three syllables', 'it's a short word', 'just one word', or 'very long' are not allowed.
Letter or syllable hints are forbidden. Letter or syllable hints are forbidden. Expressions such as 'starts with B', 'ends in -tion', or 'there's an A in the middle' are not allowed. Any grammatical description of the word's structure is also a violation.
Saying the word in another language is forbidden. Saying the word in another language is forbidden. Neither the target word nor the taboo words may be used in a foreign language. For example, if the target word is 'cat', saying 'gato' or 'chat' is also forbidden.
Numerical or symbolic hints are forbidden. Numerical or symbolic hints are forbidden. Expressions such as 'it's the fifth letter of the alphabet' or 'written as a number it has four digits' are violations.
Using part of the target word is forbidden. Using part of the target word is forbidden. For example, if the target word is 'butterfly', neither 'butter' nor 'fly' may be said on their own.
The clue-giver cannot confirm answers. The clue-giver cannot confirm answers. When the team is getting close to the correct answer, responding with 'warm', 'nearly', or 'almost there' is forbidden. Hints such as 'the first one you said was closer' also fall under this rule.
References to previous rounds are forbidden. References to previous rounds are forbidden. It is not permitted to refer to words or hints that came up in the current round or in previous games.

Drawing Mode — Rules

In Drawing Mode, the clue-giver does not explain the word verbally — they draw it on the screen. The team tries to guess the word by looking at the drawing.

Card Structure

Each card contains one target word.

The Referee

In Drawing Mode, one player from the opposing team holds the device and watches the clue-giver. If they detect a violation, they press the Taboo button. If a disputed situation arises, they may press Pause to stop the game.

Explanation Rules

Speaking and making sounds are forbidden. Speaking and making sounds are forbidden. The clue-giver may not speak or make any sound while drawing.
Writing letters, numbers, or words is forbidden. Writing letters, numbers, or words is forbidden. It is not permitted to write the target word, a letter, or a number on the screen.
Drawing arrows or directional symbols is forbidden. Drawing arrows or directional symbols is forbidden. Arrows or similar symbols indicating a direction may not be used within the drawing.
Drawing punctuation marks is forbidden. Drawing punctuation marks is forbidden. Question marks, exclamation marks, equals signs, and similar symbols may not be drawn.
Indicating the number of letters is forbidden. Indicating the number of letters is forbidden. It is not permitted to represent the number of letters in a word using dashes or blank spaces.
Gestures and facial expressions are forbidden. Gestures and facial expressions are forbidden. It is not permitted to give the team hints through facial expressions or body language.
Pointing to previous drawings is forbidden. Pointing to previous drawings is forbidden. It is not permitted to point with a finger at something drawn earlier in order to give a hint.
Guiding another player's hand is forbidden. Guiding another player's hand is forbidden. It is not permitted to take another player's hand or make physical contact with them to guide their drawing.
Showing the device to the team is forbidden. Showing the device to the team is forbidden. It is not permitted to hold the device so that the team can see the screen.
Confirming answers is forbidden. Confirming answers is forbidden. When the team is getting close to the correct answer, the clue-giver may not confirm or deny this through facial expressions.

Limited Words Mode — Rules

In Limited Words Mode, the clue-giver may only use a set number of words to explain the target word. This mode tests the clue-giver's ability to communicate concisely and the team's ability to read between the lines.

Word Limit

The clue-giver may use a maximum of 30 words per card. One player from the opposing team holds the device and presses the Word button each time the clue-giver says a word. The app tracks the number of words used in this way.

When the Limit is Reached
Once the clue-giver has used all 30 words, they have two options:

End the Round (Recommended): The clue-giver presses the Pause button to end the round. The card is invalidated and play moves on to the next card.

Stay Silent: The clue-giver stops speaking and the team continues trying to guess until time runs out. During this period, the clue-giver may not say a single word.

Explanation Rules

Gestures, facial expressions, and hand movements are forbidden. Gestures, facial expressions, and hand movements are forbidden.
It is not permitted to give hints through body language or facial expressions.
Sound effects are forbidden. Sound effects are forbidden.
It is not permitted to imitate any sound related to the target word.
Showing the card is forbidden. Showing the card is forbidden.
It is not permitted to show the screen to the team or allow the team to see the screen.
Confirming answers is forbidden. Confirming answers is forbidden.
Expressions such as 'warm' or 'nearly' are forbidden; confirming or denying through facial expressions is also not allowed.