10 Board Games for 5 or More Players

Overview

Monique and Naveen (from the channel) kick off by sharing 10 board games that work best with 5+ players, especially for groups that gather in summer. They also thank the sponsor, World Series of Board Gaming in Las Vegas (Sept 24–28), highlighting the $40,000 main tournament prize pool and various events/ticket options.

Before the main list, they note the video isn’t including obvious party games and provide honorable mentions in two categories:

• Party games / social games they like: Just One, Codenames / Codenames Pictures, Monikers, Time’s Up.
• Social deduction games they usually recommend instead of including in the top 10, including Two Rooms and a Boom, versions like Time Bomb / Don’t Mess with Cthulhu, and discussion of how One Night Ultimate Werewolf is addictive early on but can become a “phase.”

They stress the top 10 isn’t ranked.

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The Standout Games (Best for Higher Player Counts)

1. Scythe

A strategy engine/resource management semi-war game on a large asymmetrical map. They joke that it “almost” gets mentioned every episode—until they admit they’re “sick of hearing it.”

• Naveen’s favorite player count: 5 (also likes 6–7)
• Monique prefers: 7, because it leaves “no place to hide,” preventing players from camping in corners.

2. QE (Quantitative Easing)

A thematic economy/auction game modeled after 2008-style QE.

• Best at 5 (they dislike 3; chaos is fun at 4–5+)
• Punchline-style twist: the person who spent the most money automatically loses
• Described as very group/meta dependent, and not great as a back-to-back game

3. Captain Sonar

An intense real-time (and turn-based) submarine team game—submarine Battleship—with roles like captain, engineer, navigator, etc.

• Monique prefers turn-based to reduce chaos
• Major complaint: if the captain gives unclear directions (wrong cardinal directions, too quiet), the whole game can fail
• They debate how to make it smoother, but don’t fully resolve it on-screen
• They note it can be played at 8, with odd variants mentioned (including intense 1v1 turn-based)

4. Not Alone (1 vs Many)

Humans vs a single creature on a planet. The creature is more powerful, but humans explore and open more location options, forcing the creature to adapt.

• Uses a rock-paper-scissors-style “choose locations, try to catch/avoid capture” mechanic with racing using tracks
• Highlighted as best around 5, and it scales with more humans (more capture opportunities)

5. Fujiflesh (Out of Print Warning)

A quick hand-shedding numeric card game (3–8 players).

• Fun mechanism: players with matching lows (e.g., multiple 8s) can combine forces additively
• Creates an “epic team” that’s very hard to beat
• Builds a crowd-chant/ganging-up vibe as players rally against whoever is closest to dumping their hand

6. Decrypto (Anniversary Edition)

A quirky two-team clue-giving game—described as “code namesy.”

• Each clue-giver helps teammates deduce a 3-digit code mapped to four visible words/positions
• Clues can’t be too obvious, or the other team will steal the code
• Running jokes: a friend who never understands it, and another friend who repeatedly says things like “left or right field,” derailing play

7. Cursed Court (Not Owned)

A bluffing/deduction + bidding game set across seasons/years, where you wager which nobles will appear.

• Knowledge is shared privately with neighbors, while public reveals affect betting
• Emphasis on table talk/meta gaming and bluffing (including “forcing” others to commit coins by outbidding strategically)
• They want it for their collection, especially because it tends to shine at higher counts

8. Modern Art

A classic auction game about manipulating the market for painters/art categories.

• Different auction types appear round-to-round
• Values are determined by rank (top artist earns most), and those values can accumulate
• Not simply “buy low sell high”—you can also flood the market and try to steer what others value

9. Hansa Teutonica

A euro-style game about building networks across the map by placing cubes and claiming cities/expanding through an upgraded player board.

• Turns feel fast (often 2 actions early, more as upgraded)
• Fits 5+ because there are more cubes and more direct interaction—frequent chances to bump other players off spots
• Described as ideal at 5, less great at 3

10. Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia

A heavier race-to-win strategy game where you build a dystopia by using dice/worker factions and pushing your way to place all your stars.

• Mix of race + carousel timing + area control
• Worker placement can involve recalling, and some actions allow bumping others’ dice
• Player interaction is heavy due to markets requiring shared resources—leading to negotiation and betrayal risk
• There are punishments for those who don’t participate, but mitigation is possible
• Rules issues were fixed in later materials; they enthusiastically recommend an expansion (and mention reprint availability for the broader idea)

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Closing Notes / Extra Recommendations

They end by reiterating that the list avoids party/social deduction games, then share additional audience suggestions they’ve heard for 5+ players, including:

• Blood on the Clocktower
• Heat: Pedal to the Metal
• Twilight Imperium variants like TI4
• More trading-game ideas like Dusty Gorillas

They encourage viewers to comment more recommendations.

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Main Personalities (as shown)

• Monique
• Naveen