Comparison

5 Second Rule vs Taboo

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

Head to head
About

5 Second Rule

This game challenges players to answer questions by providing three responses within a five-second time limit. It's designed to be an engaging icebreaker for parties, suitable for both close friends and new acquaintances. With various question decks, including adult-themed and family-friendly options, it offers hours of entertainment for groups.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of questions
  • Multiple question decks
  • Play with 2-16 players
  • Family-friendly and adult content
  • Create custom questions
  • No video ads
Features
Read full description

5 Second Rule is a game you can use to start any house party with a blast. It’s a perfect ice breaker. You can play it with your closest friends or complete strangers, it will always deliver. How to play? Answer simple questions, you have 5 seconds to come up with 3 answers before the buzzer rings. The first player to give 10 correct answers is the winner! Features: - Hundreds of questions - 7 Different decks - Hours of fun with your friends and family - Minimum 2 players, maximum 14 players - Includes dirty questions for adults (NSFW) - Includes family friendly questions - Create your own questions - No video ads Frequently Asked Questions What if I have only 1 friend? No worries! You can play with 2 players. How big can my party get? You can play with a maximum of 16 players. If you have more people, we recommend you split up into teams. Can I play it with my family? Absolutely, you can play with all cards, and leave out the dirty pack before the start of the game. I don’t want to play with boring cards I want only the dirty stuff! That’s not a question, but yes, you can play the game with ONLY dirty questions. 5 second Rule Premium subscription: - Gives user instant access to all existing and future cards and removes all ads. - Subscriptions are from $1.99 weekly* - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - You will be able to access everything for the duration of the subscription - Subscription automatically renews for the same price and duration period as the original package unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the cost of the chosen package (weekly, monthly or yearly package) - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's iTunes Account Settings after purchase - You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription setting through your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 for more information - You may turn off the auto-renewal of your subscription via your iTunes Account Settings. - Please note: any unused portion of a free trial period (if offered) will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period. Links to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy can be found below Privacy Policy: https://gamenight-games.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://gamenight-games.com/terms-of-use/ * Prices are equal to the value that "Apple's App Store Pricing Matrix" determines as the equivalent of the subscription price in $ USD

About

Taboo

A word-guessing party game where teams compete to describe words without using forbidden terms. Play remotely with friends via video chat and customize game settings for endless fun.

Highlights
  • Video chat integration
  • Team-based word guessing
  • Customizable game settings
  • Ad-free gameplay
  • Multiple language support
  • Themed card decks
Features
Read full description

Can you describe an APPLE without using the words RED, FRUIT, PIE, CIDER or CORE? Taboo is the ultimate brain-teasing, word-twisting adult party game. Play with video chat and throw a house party on your phone! Split into two teams and take it in turns to describe the words on the cards. Your team has to guess as many as possible before the timer runs out. If you use a taboo word by mistake, the other team will buzz and you’ll lose a point. Think fast and talk your way to victory! HOW TO PLAY TABOO: 1. Start a game and invite your friends. 2. Split into two teams and name your team. 3. The app chooses a Clue-giver for each team. Each team then takes their turn! 4. The Clue-giver draws a card. The Clue-giver must describe the word without saying any of the words on the card. 5. Team B will buzz if the Clue-giver says a taboo word! 6. Your team must guess as many words as possible before the time runs out. FEATURES - FULLY CUSTOMISABLE – Decide the number of players, rounds, how many turns per round and how many skips are allowed. - AD-FREE GAME – Have fun with zero ads to distract you. - COMPLETE STARTER CARD DECK – Includes cards from the original game. Expand your game further with additional themed decks! - FULLY TRANSLATED – Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Greek, Polish and Hindi. Get the perfect party game on your mobile now!

Screenshots

5 Second Rule3 screens
Taboo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 5 Second Rule at Free against Taboo's $1.99. Taboo's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and chart position (#2 vs #111). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

5 Second Rule is free to download; Taboo costs $1.99 up front. 5 Second Rule sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Taboo sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Taboo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.2K and 4.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of 5 Second Rule's written reviews are positive against 37% of Taboo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

5 Second Rule ships an update every 6 weeks, Taboo monthly. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
5 Second Rule versus Taboo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter5 Second RuleTaboo
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.5 (3.2K ratings)4.9 (4.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.5% of reviews37.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.2K4.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#111#2 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB272 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperKristian MarkovicMarmalade Game Studio Limited

Customer experience

5 Second Rule

All ratings3,094 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral4.1%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive22.5%
Neutral1.3%
Negative76.3%

Taboo

All ratings4,680 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews242 reviews
Positive37.2%
Neutral14.0%
Negative48.8%

User reviews

5 Second Rule

From 3.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and entertaining
  • 💡 Unique gameplay concept
  • 🤩 Engaging for friends and family

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Lack of free play options
  • 🤔 Unclear pricing information
  • 🙄 Forced to start free trial

Taboo

From 4.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun game
  • 🎉 Great for family and friends
  • 🥳 Lots of laughter
  • 🤩 Easy to play

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Limited number of cards
  • 🔁 Repeated cards after a few rounds
  • 💰 Need to pay for more cards
  • 🤨 Unclear how to add more players

Bugs and requests

5 Second Rule

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Free version with limited content
  • Option to purchase individual card packs
  • More variety in question/prompt types

Taboo

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game stopped in the middle to ask for payment
  • Video chat feature not working
  • App not optimized for high refresh rate displays

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more cards in the base version
  • Allow customization of game rules
  • Implement a stats/history section
  • Support more than 2 teams

In-app purchases

4 purchases

5 Second Rule

Subscriptions4
  • Party Games3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription$9.997 Days
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
10 purchases

Taboo

One-time10
  • Mystery Mix Pack 1$1.99
  • Generations Gen Z Pack$1.99
  • Unlock Taboo Premium$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Midnight Night Out Pack$2.99
  • Midnight Bedroom Pack$2.99
  • Ready to Roast$6.49
  • Sports and Games Pack$7.99
  • Welcome Offer$9.99
  • Midnight Deck$9.99
  • Word Bonanza Bundle$19.99

Questions

Is 5 Second Rule free?
5 Second Rule is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Taboo free?
Taboo costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 5 Second Rule or Taboo?
Taboo is rated higher. 5 Second Rule averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while Taboo averages 4.9 from 4.7K ratings.
Do 5 Second Rule or Taboo have ads?
Neither 5 Second Rule nor Taboo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 5 Second Rule or Taboo?
5 Second Rule ships an update every 6 weeks, and Taboo monthly. Most recently, 5 Second Rule was updated on November 7, 2026 and Taboo on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, 5 Second Rule or Taboo?
5 Second Rule currently peaks at #111 in the App Store charts, and Taboo at #2. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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