Comparison

Taboo vs 5 Second Battle Rule Game

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

Head to head
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!

About

5 Second Battle Rule Game

This is a fast-paced party game where players have five seconds to name three things related to a given topic. It's designed to be an icebreaker and keep everyone engaged. Special challenges and various categories add to the fun.

Highlights
  • 5-second timer for answers
  • Name 3 items per topic
  • Scoring system
  • Physical challenges
  • Multiple categories
  • Age-appropriate content options
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Five seconds. Three answers. No thinking allowed. The party game where hesitation means losing. How to play The app gives you a topic. You have 5 seconds to name 3 things that fit. (Example: Name 3 Al Pacino movies.) Get all three in time, and you score a point. Fail and the other players pick a dare for you. First to 10 points wins. Special challenges Turn on bonus rounds, and random physical challenges pop up between questions. Dance, act, or do something ridiculous in 15 seconds. Miss it and the group decides your fate. Pick your vibe Categories for every group and every occasion. All questions are tested, sorted, and built to keep the pace fast. Who can play Everyone. Friends, family, coworkers. Categories cover all ages, so nobody has to sit out. Made by Vanilla, creators of the world's most popular party games, loved by over 30 million players worldwide. Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you: https://www.vanilla.nl/contact/ --- This app contains a subscription. You can subscribe to Premium for unlimited access to all games, regular new content, and no ads. The subscription period is 1 week and includes a 3-day free trial. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled. Link to our Terms of Use: https://www.vanilla.nl/terms-of-use/ Link to our Privacy Policy: https://www.vanilla.nl/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Taboo4 screens
5 Second Battle Rule Game4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 5 Second Battle Rule Game at Free against Taboo's $1.99. Taboo's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and chart position (#2 vs #119). On review sentiment, 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 Battle Rule Game is free to download; Taboo costs $1.99 up front. Taboo sells 26 one-off in-app purchases and 5 Second Battle Rule Game sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. 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. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Taboo has 4.7K ratings behind it against 327, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of Taboo's written reviews are positive against 40% of 5 Second Battle Rule Game's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Taboo versus 5 Second Battle Rule Game: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTaboo5 Second Battle Rule Game
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (4.7K ratings) — better4.5 (327 ratings)
Positive reviews37.2% of reviews40.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.7K — better327
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#2 — better#119
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB57 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMarmalade Game Studio LimitedVanilla b.v.

Customer experience

Taboo

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

5 Second Battle Rule Game

All ratings327 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral4.9%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral2.5%
Negative57.5%

User reviews

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

5 Second Battle Rule Game

From 327 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun game
  • 😃 Great for parties
  • ✨ Excellent fun
  • 🤩 Incredible
  • 😊 Happy users

Room to improve

  • 💸 Ridiculously overpriced
  • 💰 Cash grab app
  • 👎 Lame questions
  • 💳 Expensive subscription
  • 💸 Costs too much

Bugs and requests

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

5 Second Battle Rule Game

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Glitchy interface
  • Unreadable text in challenges
  • Scores change simultaneously
  • Screen doesn't update when trying to cancel
  • Categories not working

Requested features

6 requests
  • More varied questions
  • Space to suggest questions
  • Player voting for questions
  • Subscription for chosen modes
  • More free options
Show 1 more
  • More categories

In-app purchases

26 purchases

Taboo

One-time26
  • Holiday Thanksgiving Pack$0.99
  • Fun & Games Sports Mix 3 Pack$0.99
  • Holiday Halloween Pack$0.99
Show 23 more
  • Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 1$0.99
  • Surprise Pack 2$1.99
  • Festive Fun$1.99
  • Fun & Games Games Mix Pack 1$1.99
  • Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 2$1.99
  • Holiday Christmas Pack$1.99
  • Mystery Mix Pack 1$1.99
  • Generations Gen Z Pack$1.99
  • Holiday Christmas Pack 2$1.99
  • Into the wild$2.99
  • Surprise Pack 1$2.99
  • Food and Nature Bundle$2.99
  • Sports and Celebrity Bundle$2.99
  • Unlock Taboo Premium$2.99
  • Midnight Mix Pack 1$2.99
  • Midnight Night Out Pack$2.99
  • Midnight Bedroom Pack$2.99
  • Ready to Roast$6.49
  • Celebrity Deck$6.49
  • Sports and Games Pack$7.99
  • Welcome Offer$9.99
  • Midnight Deck$9.99
  • Word Bonanza Bundle$19.99
8 purchases

5 Second Battle Rule Game

Subscriptions7
  • Premium Subscription3 Days trial2 variants$3.997 Days
  • Premium Subscription3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Premium Subscription2 variants$4.997 Days
Show 4 more
  • Premium Subscription3 Days trial2 variants$9.997 Days
  • Premium Subscription$9.997 Days
  • Premium Subscription1 Month trial$9.997 Days
  • Premium Subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Month
One-time1
  • Unlock Everything$49.99

Questions

Is Taboo free?
Taboo costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is 5 Second Battle Rule Game free?
5 Second Battle Rule Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Taboo or 5 Second Battle Rule Game?
Taboo is rated higher. Taboo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while 5 Second Battle Rule Game averages 4.5 from 327 ratings.
Do Taboo or 5 Second Battle Rule Game have ads?
Neither Taboo nor 5 Second Battle Rule Game shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Taboo or 5 Second Battle Rule Game?
Taboo ships an update monthly, and 5 Second Battle Rule Game monthly. Most recently, Taboo was updated on October 25, 2026 and 5 Second Battle Rule Game on October 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Taboo or 5 Second Battle Rule Game?
Taboo currently peaks at #2 in the App Store charts, and 5 Second Battle Rule Game at #119. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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