A Heads Up! alternative that plays taboo, not charades
Heads Up! is a forehead-charades game: you hold the phone up and your friends act it out. Tadado is the other classic party format. You hold the phone yourself, you describe the word, and you lose points the moment you say one of the forbidden clues. If what you actually want is the taboo game you grew up with, on a phone, with decks you own rather than rent, this is the closer match.
Side by side
How the two games differ in practice.
| Tadado | Heads Up! | |
|---|---|---|
| How you play | Describe the word, dodge 4 or 5 forbidden clues | Hold the phone on your forehead, teammates act or describe |
| Game type | Forbidden-words taboo | Charades style |
| Custom decks | AI writes a full deck from any prompt | Pick from the packs on offer |
| How you pay | Buy a deck once, keep it forever | Free with paid packs and subscription options |
| Offline play | Yes, works fully offline | Varies by pack |
| Ads | None | Present in the free tier |
Frequently asked questions
Is Tadado the same as Heads Up!?+
No. Heads Up! is a charades-style game where you hold the phone on your forehead and your team acts or describes the answer. Tadado is forbidden-words taboo: you look at the card yourself and describe the target word without saying any of the forbidden clues under it.
Is Tadado free like Heads Up!?+
Tadado is free to download for a limited time and includes the Classic deck. Expansion decks are one-time purchases from $0.99 that you own forever. There is no subscription and there are no ads.
Which is better for a big group?+
Both work with a crowd. Tadado splits into two teams and passes one phone around, with a 60-second timer, a buzzer for forbidden words, and team scoring built in, so it suits a competitive group that wants a running score.
Try the taboo version tonight
Free to download for a limited time on iOS and Android, Classic deck included. No subscription and no ads, ever.