Comparison

Tabu vs Wordinal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Tabu

Describe words without using forbidden terms in this engaging party game. Explore multiple game modes like classic guessing, drawing, and puppet challenges. Perfect for gatherings, it enhances vocabulary and teamwork.

Highlights
  • Classic Taboo mode
  • Limited Words challenge
  • Draw & Guess mode
  • Puppet Mode with animations
  • Mixed Mode combining all modes
  • Customizable game rules
  • Team-based gameplay
Features
Read full description

Tabu: Forbidden Words is a team-based word guessing party game for friends, families, and groups. Describe the target word without saying the forbidden clues, help your teammates guess before time runs out, and compete across customizable rounds and game modes. Choose from more than 5,000 word cards, create two to four teams, adjust the rules for your group, and play at parties, family game nights, school activities, or casual gatherings. HOW DO YOU PLAY TABU? Create two, three, or four teams. Choose a game mode and set the round rules. Describe the target word without using any forbidden words shown on the card. Help your teammates guess as many words as possible before time runs out. Track the score and continue until the selected score or round limit is reached. CHOOSE FROM FIVE GAME MODES CLASSIC TABU Describe the target word without using the forbidden words. LIMITED WORDS Explain the target using only a limited number of words. Choose each clue carefully and try to communicate more with less. DRAW & GUESS Draw the target without speaking while your teammates try to guess it. PUPPET MODE Choose a puppet and use animated characters while describing words for your team. MIXED MODE Combine Classic Tabu, Limited Words, Draw & Guess, and Puppet Mode in one game. The mode changes between rounds to create a more varied team competition. CUSTOMIZE THE GAME FOR YOUR GROUP Set up each game based on how your group wants to play: Create two, three, or four teams Customize team names and avatars Set the duration of each round Adjust the number of allowed passes Choose score-based, round-based, or free-play limits Use swipe or button controls Pause and resume the game at any time EXPLORE MORE THAN 5,000 WORD CARDS Play with a large collection of word cards across repeated game nights and different groups. Choose both your language and region so cards and content feel more relevant to where you play. Tabu is available in English and 32 additional languages. TRACK SCORES AND ROUND RESULTS Review detailed results at the end of each game, including: Correct answers Wrong guesses Passed cards Team scores Success rates Use the scoreboard to compare teams and see which group performed best. WHO IS TABU FOR? Tabu is designed for: Friends looking for a team party game Families playing together on game night Groups that enjoy fast word guessing games Teachers and students planning classroom activities Players who enjoy communication and teamwork games FULL VERSION AND PURCHASE INFORMATION Tabu is free to download and contains advertising. The Full Version is a one-time purchase, not an automatically renewing subscription. There are no recurring subscription charges associated with this purchase. Please review the Privacy Policy and other purchase information available on the app's App Store page. Create your teams, choose a mode, and start describing words without saying the forbidden clues. Please review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Terms of Use: https://bosphorusdigital.com.tr/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://bosphorusdigital.com.tr/privacy-policy

About

Wordinal

Features
Read full description

Wordinal is a fast and strategic word game where you connect neighboring letters in 8 directions to build words and score big. BLAST SEA MINES, CLEAR THE BOARD In arcade mode, there are 4-5-6 squares with sea mines. Blast the mines in the number order via dropping to the bottom. FIND WORDS. BUILD YOUR SCORE. Explore a 7x7 board filled with letters. Connect neighboring tiles to create words. Longer words give you bigger scores and bonus rewards. How many words can you find before your moves run out? TWO SOLO GAME MODES Floating - No timer. Remove letters and let the board evolve as you play. Keep going until no moves remain. Static - A 5-minute word race. Find as many high-scoring words as possible before time runs out. PLAY AGAINST FRIENDS Challenge your friends in multiplayer games. Play live or take your time with turn-based matches, with up to 72 hours per move. COMPETE AND IMPROVE Track your performance with detailed statistics and trend charts. Climb leaderboards, chase high scores, and earn success badges as you master the game. PLAY IN 7 LANGUAGES English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and Turkish. Each language has its own dictionary and leaderboard. WEEKLY PUZZLES Take on a fresh weekly puzzle and compete for the top spot on the puzzle leaderboard. TRAINING MODE Learn the game at your own pace and sharpen your word-finding skills. YOUR WAY TO PLAY Draw letters with your finger or tap them. Choose the control style that feels best. SOCIAL FEATURES Add friends, send game invites, chat in-game, and use built-in block protection. The letters are waiting. Connect them. Find the words. Crush the score. Wordinal - Connect letters, catch words, blast mines!

Screenshots

Tabu4 screens
Wordinal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wordinal at none against Tabu's 1. Wordinal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Tabu sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Wordinal asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tabu ships an update every 4 months, Wordinal every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 15, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Tabu versus Wordinal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabuWordinal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB33 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBosphorus DigitalMehmet Cakir

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tabu

One-time1
  • Full Version$1.99
None

Wordinal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tabu free?
Tabu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wordinal free?
Wordinal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tabu or Wordinal have ads?
Tabu shows ads; Wordinal does not.
Which is updated more often, Tabu or Wordinal?
Tabu ships an update every 4 months, and Wordinal every 10 days. Most recently, Tabu was updated on November 15, 2026 and Wordinal on October 31, 2026.

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