Traditionally most board games worked best for smaller groups. But more and more awesome tabletop experiences are coming out that cleanly and elegantly scale up to 10 or even more players, giving everyone something to do, a specific role to play, keeping people moving and shouting, and just generally having a good time. Not all games are suited for a party atmosphere, however; it would be counterintuitive to break out the hours-long Terra Mystica for a friendly get-together.
If you’re seeking a good game to break out at your next party, these are the best board games for parties and large groups.
Playtime: 25 minutes
Do you enjoy trivia games, but aren’t very good at them? If you answered yes, then Wits and Wagers is the game for you. It’s a trivia game, but instead of using your own answer, you bet on who got the right answer. So if a football question comes up and you have no idea how many Super Bowl rings Peyton Manning has, you can bet on your friend who is a huge football nerd. If they get the question right you earn a point. It’s that simple. Because you don’t need to be versed in every topic under the sun, Wits and Wagers is the most accessible trivia game around. There are three versions of the game, with the party and family games having easier questions than the standard version. The party game, as the name suggests, also accommodates more players. You’ll have no reason to go back to Trivial Pursuit after picking up Wits and Wagers.
Playtime: 30 minutes
Cash ‘N Guns is a game all about bluffing, backstabbing and robbery. The goal is to make off with the most loot, which you do by gunning down the competition, literally. Each round plays out like the standoff scene at the end of Reservoir Dogs as players point their guns at each other in an attempt to grab the most loot. The twist is that you only have three bullets to use over the course of eight rounds, so you must use them wisely. Getting shot knocks you out of the round, and thus out of the running for loot, but if you can track how many bullets your opponents have used you can play the probabilities to your advantage and call their bluff. It’s chaotic, tense, and hilarious all at once. If you can get past the sometimes uncomfortable imagery of pointing a gun at your friends and family, Cash ‘N Guns can offer a great evening of loot and laughter.
Playtime: 15 minutes
In this approximation of a spy thriller, players are split into two teams, with one player on each team assuming the role of “spymaster.” It’s the spymaster’s job to make their team name the codewords that will earn them points. In any given game, there are 25 available codewords arranged into a five-by five grid, and the spymaster must, without actually speaking the words, use a code phrase to describe what words belong their team. For example, if three of the words are “fence,” “tree” and “door,” the spymaster might say “wood, three” to indicate that three of the words might have to do with wood. Codenames depends heavily on the spymaster to think quickly, and poorly thought-out clues can lead to some hilarious arguments. If you tire of seeing the same codewords after a handful of plays, Codenames has seen severalexpansions and reimaginings since its 2015 release, which can add a great deal of replay value.
Playtime: 15 minutes
Another spy-themed game, Spyfall places players in secret roles as they try to figure out who among them drew the spy card. The game consists of several decks of cards, each revolving around a different location. Within each location are specific roles, as well as one spy. For instance, if the location deck is the school, one player might be a teacher, one might be a student, and another the spy. It’s up to the players to converse in order to weed out the spy. Heavily improvisational, Spyfall requires you to walk a fine line between giving out too much information about your secret role and acting suspicious by not giving out enough. This leads to some great conversations that sees the spy struggling to keep up. It’s almost like watching James Bond forget he’s a spy and talk about how good he is at basketball instead. Spyfall is designed to be nonlinear and rely on the ability of the players to keep the game going, so it may not be a good fit for every group. But if you happen to find the right collection of friends, Spyfall can offer hours of hilarity and memorable moments.
Playtime: 45 minutes
Although Bohnanza is not strictly labeled as a “party game,” I’ve taken it off the shelf on many a night of casual beer or wine tasting. It’s a game about trading beans, which is as dry a theme as you can find in board gaming, but the gameplay is so engaging that you won’t care after the first couple of rounds. You hold a hand full of bean cards, and on your turn you must plant the first two cards in your hand. Before you do, however, you have the opportunity to trade beans with other players around the table. Because you can only plant two or three different types of beans at any time, you may wish to trade away the bean card in your hand that you will be forced to plant. The result is frantic conversation around the table as players scramble to ditch their worthless beans. Because of the memories I’ve made, Bohnanza might be my personal favorite game on this list.
Players: 3-10
Playtime: 30 minutes
Cards Against Humanity has come to dominate store shelves and nearly every online party game recommendation list, but for my money Snake Oil is an infinitely better option. It sticks to a similar formula as CAH, but injects a healthy dose of player creativity. On the active player’s turn, they randomly draw a “customer” card. The other players then take turns pitching a product to that active player by combining two object cards from their hand. For example, if the active player draws the cheerleader card, other players must combine two cards in order to make an item that might appeal to a cheerleader. The sales pitches are the meat of the game, and it’s an absolute blast to watch your friends scramble to sell a “meat bicycle” or a “puppet helmet” to a caveman. In a perfect world, Snake Oil would replace Cards Against Humanity on every game shelf.
Playtime: 20 minutes
Sushi Go! Is a simple, compact card drafting game released in 2013 that sold a huge number of copies. Because of its success, Gamewright was able to expand on the formula with Sushi Go Party!, a larger and more varied version of Sushi Go! The gameplay remains largely the same, with players choosing a card from their hand, playing it, and passing the rest to the player next to them. Party! includes several types of cards not in the standard version that mix up your strategy in different ways, and the variable setup means that every game will play out differently. As far as simple and quick party games go, it would be a mistake not to take a look at this one.
Playtime: 15 minutes
The original Bang! was long considered a party game go-to, but one of the major complaints was its length--it was too long for what it was. The dice game version fixes this in a big way, and is now the best version of Bang! you can play. Players are dealt secret roles, with the sheriff revealing themself at the start of the game. Everyone is also dealt a random character card that gives them a unique power. A turn consists of a player rolling five dice Yhatzee-style, then applying the effects to the table, but because nobody is sure of the others’ role, figuring out who to deal damage to and who to heal takes on the form of a logic puzzle. There are different victory conditions depending on your role: the sheriff wins if all the outlaws are defeated, the outlaws win if the sheriff is defeated, and so on. Because of Bang! The Dice Game’s easy ruleset and quick playtime, it’s a great game to play while waiting for the rest of the party to show up.
Playtime: 30 minutes
In 2010, the original Dixit won the Spiel des Jahres, Germany’s coveted game of the year award. Since then, its unique approach to storytelling in games has been expanded on and reiterated nearly a dozen times. Despite all the new content in recent years, 2011’s Dixit Odyssey remains the best version of the game. The concept is simple: each turn one player is the storyteller, and uses a simple word or phrase to describe one of the cards in their hand. Then the other players choose a card from their own hand that they feel best fits the description the storyteller gave. The cards are shuffled and then revealed, and everyone attempts to choose which card was the storyteller’s, who gets points if people correctly guess their card. The rub is they get no points if nobody or everybody guesses their card, so it’s important to find a balance between vague and descriptive when describing the card. Dixit boasts surreal and beautiful artwork that makes the game a joy to experience and discuss, and the reliance on creativity will bring out the storyteller in even your most stubborn friends.
Playtime: 10 minutes
The One Night franchise has become nearly synonymous with the term “party game,” and for good reason. It’s simple to learn, encourages a lot of player interaction, and plays in about 10 minutes. At the start of the game, each player is dealt a secret role, and it’s the goal of group to weed out who the werewolves are, unless of course you are a werewolf yourself. Each role has a special ability that help offer clues, such as the seer who can look at some of the roles, or the toublemaker who can switch roles with someone else. Because there’s no 100 percent way to know who is telling the truth, the game depends on your ability to read your friends’ tells. Each game is a chaotic flurry of accusations that will have the table in lively conversation during and after the game. If you want a good idea of what One Night Ultimate Werewolf has to offer, check out this video of a sample game. There are also several different flavors available, from vampires to aliens, if werewolves aren’t your cup of tea. Fair warning if you choose to pick this one up: friendships may be destroyed.
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