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Plus similar games to play…like Scattergories and Hive Mind
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Tapple is a fun board game in which you must race against the clock to name words within a given category that start with each letter of the alphabet. This fast-paced game is a blast to play with friends, but after a while, using the same categories over and over may become a bit boring. Luckily, you can make your own! We’ve compiled a ton of funny and unique Tapple categories for kids and adults . Plus, learn how to play Tapple and get similar game recommendations.

Best Tapple Category Ideas

  • Funny Categories: Professions that will disappoint your parents, words that describe your ex, regrettable tattoos
  • Unique Categories: Forms of torture, mythical creatures, British slang
  • For Adults: Curse words, sex positions, other words for intoxicated
  • For Kids: School subjects, ice cream flavors, playground equipment
Section 1 of 10:

General Tapple Categories

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  1. Create your own general Tapple categories to make the game more fun. While Tapple comes with its own category cards, if you’ve played the game a lot, you’re probably ready for something new and challenging. Sit down with the other players and have everyone write down a few categories of their own to spice things up. Here are some examples: [1]
    • Foods at an Italian restaurant
    • Bakery items
    • Things in a hospital
    • Periodic Table elements
    • Dog breeds
    • Vacation destinations
    • Kinds of flowers
    • Things associated with a wedding
    • Hobbies
    • Pizza toppings
    • Rappers
    • Fast food chains
    • College majors
    • Things on a diner menu
    • Items in a picnic basket
    • Types of cookies
    • Movies made before 1980
    • Ways to show affection
    • Boys’ names
    • Girls’ names
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Section 2 of 10:

Funny Tapple Categories

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  1. Pick funny categories to get hilarious answers. Board games are supposed to be fun, so think outside the box and come up with some creative topics. Picking funny categories will help everyone loosen up and get into the game. Plus, you’ll probably get a ton of funny answers! Here are some examples: [2]
    • Professions that will disappoint your parents
    • Things you wouldn’t want to eat
    • Things your mother has scolded you about
    • Ways to embarrass your kids
    • Places where you shouldn’t be naked
    • Things you shouldn’t bring into the bathtub
    • Inappropriate gifts for your grandmother
    • Places you wouldn’t want to fall asleep
    • Subjects to avoid at the Thanksgiving table
    • Words that describe your ex
    • Things that will get you fired
    • Things that you shout
    • Excuses for being late
    • Things you might go viral for
    • Regrettable tattoos
    • My internet search history
    • Dumb ways to get hurt
    • Wild news headlines
    • Things you don’t want your parents to know
    • Odd ways to earn money
Section 3 of 10:

Tapple Categories for Adults

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  1. Go for more risque categories if you’re playing with adults. If all players are adults, choose topics that are more mature. Consider dirty categories, categories about alcohol, or simply topics that only adults would understand. Here are some examples: [3]
    • Curse words
    • Other words for sex
    • Serial killers
    • Sounds your body makes
    • Retail stores that have gone bankrupt or closed
    • Cocktails
    • Ways to die
    • Kinks and fetishes
    • 1960s sitcom titles
    • Terrible places to have sex
    • Crimes you’d be arrested for
    • Reasons to break up with your partner
    • Sex positions
    • Personality disorders
    • Honeymoon spots
    • Things found at a bar
    • Inappropriate songs or lyrics
    • Other words for intoxicated
    • Dirty talk phrases
    • Controversial topics
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Section 4 of 10:

Tapple Categories for Kids

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  1. Keep things age-appropriate if you’re playing with kids. Some categories are inappropriate because they contain adult subject matter, while others are simply topics children might not understand or have answers for. If you’re playing with kids, make sure to choose categories that they can easily answer. Here are some examples: [4]
    • Cartoon characters
    • School subjects
    • Playground equipment
    • Ice cream flavors
    • Famous children’s books
    • Holidays
    • Halloween costumes
    • Breakfast cereals
    • Poptart flavors
    • Animals in a zoo
    • School supplies
    • Things in the ocean
    • Crayola crayon colors
    • Things associated with the circus
    • Types of candy
    • Things that stink
    • Things on the beach
    • Pink things
    • Things associated with Christmas
    • Chores
Section 5 of 10:

Tapple Categories About Pop Culture

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  1. Choose trendy categories relating to music, movies, or TV shows. Think about which elements of pop culture you and your friends are most interested in, and base your category around those interests. If you’re all experts on something, it’ll make the game even more fun and challenging! Here are some examples: [5]
    • Disney characters
    • Oscar-winning movies
    • 80s hair metal bands
    • Dead celebrities
    • Harry Potter characters
    • Famous movie lines
    • Broadway musicals
    • Marvel characters
    • Things associated with The Office
    • Taylor Swift songs
    • 2000s pop stars
    • Boy bands
    • Grammy award winners
    • Horror movie monsters
    • Characters on LOST
    • Game show titles
    • SNL characters
    • Reality shows
    • Famous models
    • TikTok trends
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Section 6 of 10:

Unique Tapple Categories

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  1. Come up with a Tapple category you’ve never played before. Some Tapple categories are played more often than others because they’re easier to think of. If you really want to challenge your friends, take some time to think of some obscure or oddly specific categories. Here are some examples: [6]
    • Famous people with a color in their name
    • Greek gods and goddesses
    • Mythical creatures
    • Forms of torture
    • Names that bullies called you as a kid
    • British slang
    • Things associated with Dracula
    • Reasons to call 911
    • Words associated with exercise
    • Kinds of dances
    • Things to do with a million dollars
    • Places to hide a body
    • Yoga poses
    • Amusement parks
    • Milk alternatives (oat milk, almond milk, etc.)
    • Cryptids
    • Hair dye brands
    • Natural disasters
    • Celebrities who have gone bankrupt
    • Names of hurricanes
Section 7 of 10:

Cultural Tapple Categories

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  1. Find out which of your friends is the most cultured. If you want to play a more serious round of Tapple, choose a category inspired by historical or current events. See who knows the most about your own country or different places around the world. Here are some examples: [7]
    • Foreign countries
    • Famous paintings
    • Classic novels
    • Renowned painters/artists
    • Languages
    • Historically disastrous events (Pompeii, Titanic, etc.)
    • Famous world leaders
    • Presidents of the United States
    • Things in New York City
    • American cities
    • Famous world landmarks
    • Things at the Museum of Natural History
    • Famous authors
    • World capitals
    • Tourist destinations
    • Historical figures
    • Things you see in the news
    • Foreign words used in English
    • Notorious people
    • Colleges/universities
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Section 8 of 10:

Random Tapple Categories

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  1. Choose whatever category comes to mind. Don’t stress too much trying to come up with the perfect Tapple category. This good thing about this game is that almost anything will work! Pick something simple if you’re struggling to come up with an idea, or challenge your friends with a very specific category. Here are some examples: [8]
    • Things in a woman’s purse
    • Science fiction movies
    • Things in your junk drawer
    • Bodies of water
    • Common bucket list goals
    • Things you can kick
    • Gemstones
    • Things that have buttons
    • Things with tails
    • Something you keep hidden
    • Foods you eat raw
    • Car parts
    • Five-letter words
    • Baby foods
    • Luxury brands
    • Famous duos
    • Religions
    • Types of cheese
    • Phobias
    • Things that sparkle
Section 9 of 10:

How to Play Tapple

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  1. 1
    Set up the Tapple wheel and category cards. If you haven’t already, flip the Tapple wheel upside down to access the battery compartment, and insert two AA batteries. Flip the on/off switch to turn on the timer, and remove the category cards from the storage compartment. Place the wheel right side up and stack the cards within easy reach of all players. [9]
    • If you’re making up your own Tapple categories, consider writing them on index cards and using them in place of the cards that come with the game.
    • Tapple is best played with 2-8 people.
  2. 2
    Have the first player draw a card and pick a category. According to the official Tapple rules, the player whose middle initial is closest to ‘A’ goes first, and gameplay proceeds in a clockwise manner. Determine who goes first and have them draw a card. Each card will have two categories on either side. The player may pick whichever category they prefer. [10]
    • The blue/white side has easier categories for younger players, while the red/yellow side has more challenging questions.
  3. 3
    Announce the category and tap the timer button to start the round. Once a player has selected a category, they announce it to the group and hit the timer button on the Tapple wheel. Each player has 10 seconds to come up with an answer that matches a letter on the wheel. [11]
  4. 4
    Press the first letter of your answer and tap the timer to end your turn. Let’s say your category is “zoo animals” and your answer is “elephant.” On your turn, you’d say “elephant” out loud and press the ‘E’ on the wheel. Then, press the timer button as soon as possible to end your turn and reset the timer for the next person. Once a letter has been used, it cannot be used again for that category. [12]
  5. 5
    The last player remaining collects the card for that round. Players are eliminated from the round when they fail to come up with an answer within 10 seconds, if they press a letter for an unacceptable answer, or if their answer doesn’t appropriately match the category and they can’t come up with an appropriate answer within the timeframe. Keep playing the same category until only one player remains. They collect the card for that round, and then you can begin another with a new category. [13]
  6. 6
    Go into overtime if more than one player remains. If you’ve already used all the letters on the wheel and there is more than one player still in the game, reset the letters and select a new category. Players must then name two answers per round, using two different letters. The time limit is still 10 seconds. [14]
    • If there are still multiple players left after an overtime round, choose another category and repeat the process, having them come up with three different answers per round.
  7. 7
    Collect three cards to win. According to the official Tapple rules, the first player to collect 3 cards wins the game. However, if you want to keep playing, you can increase the number to 4, 5, or more. [15]
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Section 10 of 10:

Other Games Like Tapple

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  1. 1
    Scattergories Scattergories is a fun word game in which you try to come up with an answer for 12 random categories, all starting with the same letter. To play , and a copy of the same category card to each player, then roll the letter die to see which letter you have to use. Start the 3-minute timer and see how many categories you can answer. At the end of the round, compare your answers to the other players. You get a point for every answer you have that no one else wrote down. [16]
  2. 2
    Hive Mind In Hive Mind , the goal is to answer questions the way you think your fellow players will answer. You score points for each match you get. One player will draw a card from the question box and read it aloud. All players then have two minutes to write down their responses. The player who asked the question will then read all answers out loud. If more than one player wrote the same answer, they each get an additional point. [17]
  3. 3
    Mad Gab In Mad Gab , players must read a series of unrelated words out loud to determine what familiar word or phrase they sound like (ex: “Europe Lace Sore Mind” sounds like “Your place or mine?”). Divide players into two teams, and have one player from the solving team give clues while another player on the team tries to sound out the word. The solving team has until the timer runs out to solve three puzzles. [18]
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