Best Board Games for 6 Players

Why 6 players is a tricky count

Most board games are designed for 2 to 5 people. Games that genuinely support 6 players are a smaller category, and many that claim to support it just become slower and more miserable at that count. The ones that work use one of two approaches: simultaneous play (everyone acts at the same time, so there is no waiting) or team structures (groups pair up, which effectively halves the player count for turn management).

What to look for

• Simultaneous drafting, like 7 Wonders or Sushi Go Party. Every player picks and plays at the same time. A 7-player game takes the same amount of time as a 3-player game.
• Real-time play, like Captain Sonar. There are no turns at all. Everyone is doing something constantly.
• Social deduction, like Codenames or The Resistance. The game is conversation. More players means more conversation, which is the point.
• Team games. Pair up players on each team and the individual turn gap shrinks to half.

What to avoid

Any game with long individual turns gets painful at 6 players. Worker placement, auction games, and traditional turn-order strategy games all suffer badly at high counts. Each player waits through 5 other turns before acting again. By round three, half the table has checked out.