Great 5-Player Board Games
A few weeks ago we received a message from a mother asking for card game and board game suggestions for her family of 5.
“We are looking for fun, quick games to play as part of family home evening. Like everyone, we have a lot of commitments so sometimes we don’t start until late. But I would like to end it with a fun game. Our children are 2 boys, 12 and 15, and a 14 year old girl. What is your favorite, QUICK (15-20 min or less), board or card game?”
The question seemed perfectly timed because our family is recently down to 5 family members at home as well – with children ranging in age from 11 to 16.
While responding to her request, I realized it would make a great list for readers worldwide.
There are many great card games and board games that are well suited for 4 players. But what about 5 players?
Here are our lists of great games for 5 players.
“Quick” 5-Player Family Card Games
These are great family card games that play in 15 minutes or less and can be enjoyed by young and old alike.
- Spot It – fast flipping, visual spotting, many ways to play
- Flip Out – brightly colored, double-sided cards
- For Sale – out-bid other players for the best cards
- Get Bit – card game at heart with awesome detachable pirates to boot
- Incan Gold – press-your-luck race for gems
- Skip-Bo – a family card game staple
- Mamma Mia – mix in the right ingredients to make the most pizzas
- No Thanks – try not to get stuck with the high cards
- Guillotine – order the people in line to collect the most points
- Botswana – card game driven but with animals to collect as well
- Timeline – put history in order
Longer 5-Player Family Card Games
While these great family card games are “longer”, most can still be played in 30 minutes.
- 7 Wonders – mom’s favorite that plays up to 7, but is fantastic with 5 players
- Dominion – mostly suited for 4 players, but so addicting that we’ll fit in 5
- Thunderstone Advance – closer to an hour, the boys love the hero collecting / monster slaying
- Dixit Odyssey – good party game, but players get more turns and better guessing when played with 5
5-Player Family Board Games
But we can’t leave out the family board games because there are a bunch of great games that are fantastically suited for 5 players. However, these don’t fit in the “quick” category because most of them take 45 – 60 minutes to play.
- Small World – area control game that’s perfectly suited for 5 players
- Carcassonne – it’s hard not to include this tile-laying game in so many lists of great family games
- Ticket to Ride Europe – another modern board game that’s becoming a household staple
- K2 – our full review is still to come, love the battle for the top of the mountain
- Code 777 – get your thinking caps on, it’s a fantastic deduction game
- Lemming Mafia – make your best bets on which lemmings will make it to the end
- Forbidden Desert – fun family cooperative game well-suited for 5
- King of Tokyo – dice-rolling, king of the mountain fun
- Fast Flowing Forest Fellers – race through logged filled streams to the end
- Inkognito – another great deduction game that’s best with the full 5 players
- Zooloretto – populate your zoo with cute animal tiles
- Scotland Yard – let’s add one more great deduction board game that’s great with 5
- Risk Legacy – clocks in over an hour, but it’s definitely the best way to play Risk
- Power Grid – can’t leave of my absolutely favorite board game since I love it with 5 players. The first challenge though is finding 4 other players that can commit to a 2-3 hour game (because it doesn’t appeal to the 4 others living in our home). 🙂
So if you’ve got a family of 5, flip through our video reviews and written reviews of the card games and board games on these lists to find a few that will fit perfectly with your family.
What are your favorite 5-player board games and card games?
(click on this post’s title to add your comments)
I like this list. There are plenty of five player games, but “quick” five player games are a little tougher to come by and that’s mainly because of the turn time. There are plenty of games that are quick with 2 players, but when you scale to 5 players it becomes a longer game.
My favorite 5 player game is without a doubt Cosmic Encounter. It’s sweet spot seems to be 5. It’s also fun to watch because of all the negotiation going on and the crazy alien powers (especially if players are truly acting out their alien role).
For a “quick” 5 player game I like One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Some social deduction games are unplayable or aren’t as good with 5, but I think this is one of the ones works well.
Aaron – We picked up Cosmic Encounter in a trade earlier this year, but haven’t yet gotten it to the table. Thanks for letting us know the sweet spot is 5 players.
“Quick” definitely makes for a limiting factor when searching for five-player games. Compounded could fit the bill, but it’s certainly on the longer end of quick. My fave fivers are a little heavier: Keyflower and Spyrium.
Yep – there’s always a catch. And time limits just give another challenge to find the right game.