Explain Chai to your team. Easy. Now do it without saying patti, doodh, cup, garam or tapri. Suddenly your brain goes blank and the other team is waiting with their finger on Buzz.
Ulta Pulta is the desi Taboo game. You get a word and five mana hai (banned) words. Your team has to guess as many cards as possible in 60 seconds, and the other team sees the same card and buzzes the moment you slip.
Mandli has 407 cards in Hinglish, from khana, Bollywood and cricket to naukri-dhanda, gadgets and desi cheezein. A round takes about 10 minutes for 4 to 16 players, and the Taboo game works just as well on voice as in one room.
Kya chahiye: Just phones. The app shows the cards, counts buzzes and keeps team scores.
Rules: kaise khelte hain
Teams
The app splits everyone into two teams, with sizes differing by at most one. The host has 20 seconds to reshuffle once and set turns per team: 1 to 4, default 2.
Taking turns
Teams take turns, and describers rotate inside each team. Before each turn the next describer is shown for 5 seconds, and they can tap Taiyaar to start early.
Describe in 60 seconds
The describer gets a card: one word to explain and five words they must not say. Their team guesses. When the team gets it, the describer taps Sahi and the next card appears at once. The turn runs the full 60 seconds.
- You can skip up to 2 cards per turn, for 0 points.
- In Door mode, teammates can also type guesses. A matching typed guess marks the card Sahi.
Buzz
The other team sees the same card during the turn. If the describer says a banned word, they tap Buzz. Each player can buzz once per card. The card is buzzed when buzzes reach more than half of the other team: 1 of 1, 2 of 2 or 3, 3 of 4 or 5, and so on. Everyone can see the buzz counter climbing.
Turn end
After 60 seconds, every card from the turn is shown with its result for 6 seconds, or until everyone taps Ready. The card on screen when time ran out does not count.
Result
After the last turn, the result shows team totals, personal bonuses and every card of the round. If team points are equal, it says Barabar and both keep their points.
Points kaise milte hain
Each card guessed gives the describing team 10 points and the describer 2 personal points. In Door mode, a teammate who types the correct guess gets 1 personal point. A buzzed card costs the describing team 5 points, but a team's total never goes below 0. Skips score 0. At the end, team points go to every member of the team, and personal points are added on top.
Jeetne ke tips
- Read all five banned words before you start talking. Most buzzes happen in the first second.
- Use opposites, rhymes and famous examples. For Chai, try what you drink with Parle-G at 5 pm.
- Skip early on a hard card. You only get 2, but a stuck card eats your whole turn.
- Guessers, shout short answers fast. The describer can only tap Sahi once they hear it.
- On the other team, watch the words, not the describer. Buzz only when they really slip.
Ghar wale rules aur variants
The boxed Taboo game uses a sand timer, a buzzer and a judge from the other team. Ulta Pulta works the same way, but on phones, with the whole other team voting on each buzz.
Some groups ban gestures and sound effects too. Mandli does not check this, so agree on house rules before you start.
Ulta Pulta online kaise khelein
Create a room in Mandli, share the link on WhatsApp or show the QR code, and friends join from the app or a browser link. No login, just a name and a colour. In Saath mode you sit in one room, the describer talks and the team shouts. In Door mode there is voice chat inside the game with mic and speaker buttons, nothing recorded, and teammates can also type guesses. The host sets the turns per team. If someone's net drops, their seat is held. Points carry across games in the room. It is free and has no ads.
Sawaal jawaab
What are the rules of the Taboo game?
You describe a word to your team without saying the word or its banned words. The other team watches and buzzes if you slip. In Ulta Pulta each turn is 60 seconds, a guessed card is 10 points and a buzzed card is minus 5.
Can we play Taboo online with friends?
Yes. Everyone joins a Mandli room from the app or a browser link. In Door mode you talk over voice chat and teammates can type guesses too.
How many players do you need for Taboo?
At least 4, for two teams of two. Ulta Pulta supports up to 16.
Are the Taboo cards in Hindi?
They are in Hinglish, with desi words like Chai, Samosa and cricket names, and banned words the way people actually talk.
What happens to a card still on screen when time runs out?
It does not count. It scores 0 and is not a skip or a buzz.