Since COVID, it’s fair to say we’ve all become a little more insular. People say that they don’t spend as much time with friends, or that their interests and tastes have changed. As a result of this, there’s been a positive shift towards doing more social activities, and a diverse array at that. One of those activities is board games.
Now you can play board games of all different varieties, but for those looking to bond together in a group, this guide is for you. We’ve assembled our list of the best 6 player board games for you to play together as a group.
We’ve got some absolute favorites in there, as well as some new games that you may not have heard of before.
Let’s dive in.
The Best 6 Player Board Games: A Quick Overview
- Monopoly
- Catan
- Mafia
- Codenames
1. Monopoly
Monopoly is arguably one of the most popular board games of all. It’s suitable for 2 to 8 players, but 6 players offers a perfect sweet spot. It helps balance out the game and stops individual players from buying up too much property too soon.
If you’re unfamiliar with Monopoly, the idea of the game is to buy properties and develop them into grander and more expensive ones, which in the game are known as hotels. These properties come in the form of squares on a board.
Players roll the dice to see how many squares they get to move each turn. When they land on a vacant property, they can purchase it for a fee. If it belongs to someone else, they have to pay them a fee, or rent, for parking there for that round. The more developed that property is, or in Monopoly terms, the more houses or hotels there are on it, the higher the fee.
Games of Monopoly can be hugely entertaining. I still think back to an epic 6-hour game we played back in my student days, way up until the early hours, with a great group of people. It’s what makes it one of the best 6 player board games.
2. Catan: Player Extension
Catan is a board game that sees players build and develop settlements, competing against their fellow players in the process. The original game of Catan is for up to 4 players, but due to its popularity, the game’s creator, Klaus Teuber, introduced a larger board that allows for up to 6 players. This edition is known as the Catan Player Extension version.
The game of Catan is turn-based, with each player allowed to develop their own settlements in different ways. Players take turns to roll dice to determine what resources they produce. They must also choose where to build, who to block and when to trade. Players also get to trade resources to help with their building exploits, and that side of the game can allow you to unlock opportunities to win the game.
The rules are slightly different when it comes to 6 players. In a bid to avoid the game slowing down, multiple players are allowed to build at the same time
Catan is a huge amount of fun to play with a group of 6, pitting everyone against each other in a fun and entertaining way.
3. Mafia (Werewolf)
Another hugely popular board game is Mafia, also known as Werewolf, and made famous by the TV show The Traitors, which is derived from this.
The game is perfect for playing in large groups, with 6 an ideal number, and usually the minimum required.
One player must serve as the moderator and game master. They appoint one or two people to become members of the mafia. Everyone else is a villager. Each round, the members of the mafia must secretly conspire to murder a villager without getting caught. Villagers get a chance each round to interrogate all players to try and uncover their secrets. They then get an opportunity to vote to eliminate a player who they think is in the mafia.
Given how popular the TV show Traitors is, it’s unsurprising that Mafia is one of the best 6 player board games you can play. We played recently and ended up losing count of how many rounds we went through because everyone found it that entertaining.
So go and see how well you can lie to all of your family and friends, and why not throw an interesting prize into the mix for the winner.
4. Codenames
Codenames is a relatively new board game which is designed for large groups, 4 as a minimum, with 6 being a nice solid number.
It’s a word-based game that involves following clues and working together in teams to uncover the mystery.
As the name suggests, it’s a spy game, and the idea is for each team to uncover all of their secret agents who are hidden on a grid. In each square is a one-word clue.
Each team nominates a spymaster. It’s their job to give clues which relate to words on the board. The other members of the team, known as Field Operatives, have to try and work out the correct words.
When one team finds all of their agents, they win.
It’s a game back with intrigue and tension, and lots of twists and turns too. It’s why it makes our list of the best 6 player board games.
Get More Board Game Suggestions
If you’d like more suggestions for 6 player board games, check out this in-depth Reddit thread below. There are links to lots more suggestions, including those for children.
What boardgames do you like playing at 6 people that are not party games?
byu/AlexRescueDotCom inboardgames
If you’re more into video games, why not check out our review of the new Elder Scrolls Oblivion game.
