Board games have been a popular form of entertainment for centuries, and it’s easy to see why. Whether you’re a fan of strategy, luck-based games, or cooperative gameplay, there’s something for everyone in the world of board games. However, with so many games, it can take time to figure out where to start, especially regarding player count. There are different games that would be considered the best board games by player count, whether you are playing by yourself, or anywhere from 2 to 10+ players.
One of the most critical factors to consider when selecting a board game is the number of players involved. Some games are designed for one or two players, while others require a larger group. Playing a suitable game with the right number of players can make all the difference in enjoyment, strategy, and competitiveness.
In this article, we’ll explore the best board games for each player count, from 1 player to 8 players. We’ll look at the benefits and limitations of playing games with different player counts and list the best games for each group size. Whether you’re looking for a solo game at home or a fun group activity for a party, you’ll find plenty of excellent options. A lot of these games have even made it on our list for the best game night games.
So, whether you’re a seasoned board game enthusiast or just getting started, join us as we discover the best board games by player count.
Best Board Games for 1 Player
Playing board games alone may seem counterintuitive, but it can be a rewarding and challenging experience. Solo games can be a great way to sharpen your strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and focus. The following are some of the best board games designed for one player:
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion – This highly-rated game has become a hit with solo players. It’s a dungeon-crawler game that offers a challenging and engaging gameplay experience. The game includes a campaign mode that will take you through a series of interconnected scenarios, each with its objectives and challenges.
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island – This challenging and immersive survival game pits you against the elements on a deserted island. You must gather resources, build shelter, and fend off wild animals to survive. The game offers different scenarios and multiple difficulty levels, making it highly replayable.
Scythe is a highly strategic game set in alternate-history 1920s Europe. You play as a faction leader vying for control of the region. The game offers multiple paths to victory and requires careful planning and resource management.
If you’re looking for more options for solo board games, check out our article on the best solo board games for more ideas. With these games, you can enjoy a challenging and engaging experience, all while playing alone.
Best Board Games for 2 Players
Board games can be an excellent way for two people to spend time together, whether it’s a romantic night or a friendly competition between friends. The following are some of the best board games designed for two players:
Patchwork – This game is a fun and challenging strategy game that involves building a patchwork quilt. Players take turns selecting and placing fabric pieces on their boards to score points. The game requires careful planning and resource management, making it an excellent option for those who enjoy puzzles and strategy.
Jaipur – This fast-paced, easy-to-learn card game involves trading goods and camels in a bustling marketplace. The game offers a mix of luck and strategy, making it an attractive and fun option for two players. The game is played over three rounds, each ending when one player has collected enough victory points to win.
7 Wonders Duel is a two-player version of the popular 7 Wonders game. Players compete to build the best civilization over three ages in this game, each with unique cards and challenges. The game offers a mix of strategy, luck, and resource management, making it a highly engaging and replayable option.
For more ideas for board games for two players, check out our article on the best board games for two players. You and your partner or friend can enjoy a fun and challenging experience with these games.
Best Board Games for 3 Players
Finding an equally enjoyable board game for three players can be challenging, but there are plenty of options. The following are some of the best board games designed for three players:
Azul – This game is a beautiful and engaging tile-laying game that involves creating intricate and colorful mosaics. Players take turns selecting tiles and placing them on their boards to score points. The game requires careful planning and strategy, making it an excellent option for those who enjoy a challenge.
Splendor – This fast-paced and easy-to-learn game involves collecting gems and building a solid economic engine. Players take turns ordering gems and purchasing development cards to score points. The game offers a mix of luck and strategy, making it a fun and engaging option for three players.
Ticket to Ride – This classic and popular board game involves building railroad routes across North America. Players collect and play train cards to claim routes and connect cities, earning points for their completed routes. The game offers a mix of strategy and luck, making it a fun and engaging option for three players.
For more ideas for three-player board games, check out our article on the best board games for three players. With these games, you and your friends can enjoy a fun and challenging experience together.
Best Board Games for 4 Players
With four players, you have a wider variety of board games. Whether you’re looking for a fun party or a strategic game, there’s something for everyone. The following are some of the best board games designed for four players:
Settlers of Catan – This classic and popular board game involves building settlements, cities, and roads on a fictional island called Catan. Players collect and trade resources to expand their settlements and earn points. The game offers a mix of strategy, negotiation, and luck, making it a fun and engaging option for four players.
Codenames – This game is a fun and engaging party game that involves two teams competing to identify their secret agents. Players take turns giving clues to their teammates to help them identify the correct agents while avoiding the opposing team’s agents and avoiding the assassin. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and social interaction, making it an excellent option for four players.
Dominion – This game is a deck-building game that involves building a solid deck of cards to earn victory points. Players start with a small deck of cards and add new cards throughout the game to improve their hands and earn points. The game offers a mix of strategy, luck, and resource management, making it a highly engaging and replayable option for four players.
For more ideas for board games for four players, check out our article on the best board games for four players. With these games, you and your friends can enjoy a fun and challenging experience together.
Best Board Games for 5 Players
Finding a game that everyone can enjoy can be more challenging when you have five players, but there are still plenty of great options. The following are some of the best board games designed for five players:
Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate – This game is a fun and engaging horror-themed game that involves exploring a haunted mansion and battling monsters. Players take turns exploring rooms, collecting items, and fighting monsters while trying to prevent one of their teammates from becoming a traitor. The game offers a mix of strategy, luck, and storytelling, making it a great option for five players.
Small World – This game is a fantasy-themed game that involves conquering territory and scoring points. Players choose different races and special abilities to control and expand their empires while trying to outmaneuver their opponents. The game offers a mix of strategy and luck, making it a fun and engaging option for five players.
7 Wonders – This fast-paced, easy-to-learn game involves building a civilization and scoring points. Players take turns drafting cards to develop their civilizations and earn points for their achievements. The game offers a mix of strategy and resource management, making it a fun and engaging option for five players.
For more ideas for board games for five players, check out our article on the best board games for five players. With these games, you and your friends can enjoy a fun and challenging experience together.
Best Board Games for 6 Players
When you have six players, you have a prominent enough group to play more complex and strategic board games. The following are some of the best board games designed for six players:
Terraforming Mars – This game is a science-fiction-themed game that involves terraforming Mars and scoring points. Players take turns playing cards and using resources to raise the temperature, oxygen levels, and oceans of Mars. The game offers a mix of strategy, resource management, and competition, making it an excellent option for six players.
Scythe is a strategy game set in an alternate history of 1920s Europe. Players control factions and mechs to control territory and resources and score points for achievements. The game offers a mix of strategy, combat, and resource management, making it a desirable and competitive option for six players.
Blood Rage – This is a Viking-themed game that involves battling for control of territory and earning glory. Players control clans of Vikings and use cards and abilities to gain control of different areas and score points. The game offers a mix of strategy, combat, and resource management, making it a highly engaging and competitive option for six players.
For more ideas for board games for six players, check out our article on the best board games for six players. With these games, you and your friends can enjoy a fun and challenging experience together.
Best Board Games for 7 Players
Finding a game that accommodates seven players can be challenging, but plenty of great options are still available. The following are some of the best board games designed for seven players:
Captain Sonar – This is a high-stakes submarine battle game involving two teams competing against each other to sink the enemy submarine. Each player has a unique role on the submarine, and communication and teamwork are crucial to victory. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and real-time action, making it an exciting and engaging option for seven players.
Spyfall – This game is a social deduction game involving one player being a spy and the other trying to figure out who the spy is. Players take turns asking each other questions to determine who among them is the spy while the spy tries to remain hidden. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and social interaction, making it a fun and engaging option for seven players.
Mysterium – This game is a cooperative game that involves solving a murder mystery. One player acts as the victim’s ghost, while the other is a psychic investigator trying to solve the crime. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and storytelling, making it a highly engaging and immersive option for seven players.
For more ideas for board games for seven players, check out our article on the best board games for seven players.
Best Board Games for 8 Players
You have a prominent enough group with eight players to play more complex and strategic board games. The following are some of the best board games designed for eight players:
Two Rooms and a Boom – This game is a social deduction game that involves two teams competing against each other to find the President and the Bomber. Players are split into two groups and are placed in separate rooms, with one player from each team being the President or the Bomber. Players must use communication and deduction to determine who is who and achieve their team’s goals. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and social interaction, making it a highly engaging and immersive option for eight players.
Codenames – This word association game involves two teams competing against each other to identify their team’s agents. One player on each team is the Spymaster, who gives one-word clues to help their teammates identify the correct agents. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and wordplay, making it a fun and engaging option for eight players.
Secret Hitler – This social deduction game involves two teams competing against each other to either pass or veto policies. Players are divided into two groups, with some players being Fascists and one player being Hitler. The Fascist team tries to pass fascist policies, while the Liberal team tries to pass liberal policies. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and social interaction, making it a highly engaging and competitive option for eight players.
For more ideas for board games for eight players, check out our article on the best board games for eight players.
Best Board Games for 9 Players
When it comes to board games, having a group of 9 players can be a bit of a challenge to accommodate. However, there are still some great options available. Here are some of the best board games that can be played with 9 players:
Bang! – This game is a Wild West-themed card game in which players take on roles such as Sheriff, Outlaw, or Renegade. The Sheriff and their Deputies work together to eliminate the Outlaws and Renegade, while the Outlaws try to eliminate the Sheriff and their Deputies. The Renegade tries to eliminate everyone else and become the last player standing. The game offers a mix of strategy, social deduction, and luck, making it a fun and engaging option for 9 players.
Two Rooms and a Boom – This game is a social deduction game that involves two teams: the Red Team and the Blue Team. Each player is assigned a role secretly, and the goal of the game is for the Red Team to get their Bomber into the same room as the President of the Blue Team and for the Blue Team to keep the Bomber away. The game is played over several rounds, with players switching rooms and information being shared between them. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and social interaction, making it a great option for larger groups.
Mascarade – This game is a bluffing and deduction game in which players take on secret roles that grant them special abilities. Players take turns performing actions, but the catch is that players can bluff about their role, and other players can call them out. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and social interaction, making it a fun and engaging option for 9 players.
For more ideas for board games for larger groups, be sure to check out our article on the best board games for 9 players.
Best Board Games for Higher Player Counts
If you have a high player count (like 10+ players), finding board games accommodating everyone can be difficult. Fortunately, there are some great games designed specifically for larger groups. The following are some of the best board games that can satisfy 10+ players:
Werewolf – This classic party game involves two teams: the Villagers and the Werewolves. Players are assigned roles secretly, and the game is played over several rounds as players try to determine who is on their team and who is not. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and social interaction, making it a fun and engaging option for larger groups.
Telestrations – This drawing and guessing game involves passing a drawing book around a group of players. Each player takes turns drawing a picture of a given word or phrase and passing the book to the next player, who then tries to guess the drawing. The game offers a mix of creativity, humor, and social interaction, making it an excellent option for larger groups.
Just One – This game is a cooperative party game that involves guessing a mystery word or phrase. One player is the guesser, while the others write down one-word clues to help the guesser figure out the word or phrase. The catch is that any duplicate clues are canceled out, so players must use their creativity to create unique clues. The game offers a mix of strategy, deduction, and wordplay, making it a fun and engaging option for larger groups.
For more ideas for board games for high player counts, check out our article on the best board games for higher player counts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, finding a suitable board game for your group size is key to having a fun and engaging game night. From solo to large group games, there are plenty of options, each with unique gameplay mechanics and challenges.
Whether you’re a board game enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to spend an evening with friends or family, this guide has helped you find the perfect board game for your player count.
And if you’re looking for more ideas or inspiration, check out our other articles on board games!
