Board games have a unique way of building friendships, bringing people together, and inspiring friendly competition. Finding the ideal board game for a group of five can occasionally be tricky, even though many options are available for different player counts. Hence, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best board games and ranked them accordingly so that you have a game ready next time you hang around with the group.
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10. Catan
Catan is a well-known strategy game that has been a fan favorite for many years. Players trade, construct, and grow their settlements on a fictitious island while carefully managing resources. Catan is a terrific game for a group of five because of its simple rules and limitless replayability due to varied board settings.
9. Pandemic
The pandemic might be gone, but you can still play its game, which offers a cooperative experience. Players work together as a team of disease-fighting specialists, traveling the world to treat infections and find cures before time runs out. The game’s tension and strategic depth make it an excellent choice for groups looking for a collaborative challenge.
8. Codenames
A word-based party game with an emphasis on deduction and creativity, Codenames is always a fun game to play. Split into two teams, the players use one-word hints to guide their teammates toward the correct words on the board while avoiding the other team’s words. Its straightforward but engrossing gameplay ensures amusement and mystery.
7. Dominion
Dominion pioneered the deck-building genre, where players construct their decks by purchasing cards from a shared pool. With numerous expansions available, Dominion’s ever-changing combinations of cards ensure endless replayability and strategic depth for a group of five.
6. Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate
If you and your friends are a horror genre fan, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate is a perfect game to try. Set in a haunted mansion, players explore, gather items, and uncover mysteries together until a traitor emerges. The game transforms into a thrilling asymmetric experience where one player’s goal is to ruin the group’s plans.
5. The Resistance: Avalon
The Resistance: Avalon is a social deduction game where players assume the roles of Arthurian characters. Players are either loyal servants of Arthur or agents of Mordred, working together to complete quests or sabotage them. The game’s intense discussions and deduction mechanics make it a standout choice for a group of five.
4. Five Tribes
In Five Tribes, players navigate the intricacies of a bustling marketplace in the fictional land of Naqala. By manipulating the movement of different colored meeples, players aim to claim tiles and score points through various combinations. It is an entertaining game that will keep everyone on their toes.
3. Kemet
Kemet revolves around ancient Egyptian mythology, with players representing tribes seeking to establish dominance by battling each other and controlling key temples and territories. Although the game is fast-paced, it still requires proper strategic implementation.
2. Terraforming Mars
Terraforming Mars lets players take on the role of corporations working to make the Red Planet habitable. Through card play and resource management, players raise the temperature, create oceans, and build infrastructure. Overall, Terraforming Mars can be quite competitive.
1. Scythe
Scythe’s gameplay is a bit complicated, encompassing aspects of area control, resource management, engine building, and combat. Players expand their territories, gather resources, build structures, and deploy mechs to protect their assets and exert influence over the board. The central action-selection mechanism involving a player’s “action mat” adds depth and strategic decision-making.
