BoardGameCountry is on a mission: To find the absolute best board games for your game night, based on how many players are going to play.
Here, you can check our recommendations for 3 and 4 players.
- Best 4 Player Board Games – Top 15 Board Games For All Difficulties
- Best 3 Player Board Games – Our Top 7 Advanced Games
- Best 3 Player Board Games – Our Top 7 Intermediate Games
- Best 3 Player Board Games – Our Top 7 Light Games
But there are some dark times when the player count is 5. Just 5!!! what are you going to do, separate the group into 2 and 3 persons? that division will likely last all night, and the concept of union will be lost.
BoardGameCountry never allows such monstrosity, rest assured, and that is why we bring you the TOP 10 BOARD GAMES FOR 5 PLAYERS (as always) divided in complexity (or duration).
Contents
Best 5-Player Board Games – Low Complexity
3. Sushi Go Party! (2016)
| Designer | Phil Walker-Harding |
| Players | 2-8 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 20 min |
| Category/mechanics | Draft |
Evolving from the original Sushi Go!, Sushi go Party! is a card draft game where players compete to create the best menu for a sushi restaurant.
In each round, players choose from 1 of the 7 dishes (cards) to play on their spot, pass the other 6 and receive 6, choosing 1 and passing the other 5, until all have played the 7 cards (dishes).
The cards played gives them victory points in various ways: Getting the majority of one type of food, completing specific sets, and many other ways.
SGP! expands the game by bringing many kinds of dishes you can vary from play to play, making it a very different game each time.
Why we love it: Small, simple, fast, cute, and everybody plays simultaneously!
2. For Sale (1997)
| Designer | Stefan Dorra |
| Players | 3-6 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 30 min |
| Category/mechanics | Bidding, Hand management |
Money is the uttermost important thing in the mind of the Real Estate sharks that players are.
In For Sale, each player starts with $14 (that doubles as victory points), and the money will be used to bid for 30 houses, valued from 1 to 30 (being 30 the most luxurious ones).
This game plays in two very different phases:
During each round of the first phase, several houses equal to the number of players will be auctioned.
Each player will buy a house on each round until all properties are in the portfolio of all players.
Then, in phase two, they will have to sell the houses one by one in a closed market, trying to get the most money for each one. A really fast and funny game to play with family and friends.
Why we love it: The competition is very tight and is the easiest game to explain.
1. Sheriff of Nottingham (2014)
| Designers | Sérgio Halaban, André Zatz |
| Players | 3-6 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 60 min |
| Category/mechanics | Hand management, bribery, bluffing |
This game is one of a kind. just play it, trust us.
Here, players are merchants bringing goods to their market stands so they can sell them at the end of the game.
The player with the most money will be the winner, but only 4 types of goods are legal, and many other kinds are not.
In each round, one player will be a sheriff with the mission to spot the illegal goods the other players are trying to smuggle OR negotiate a bribe or future favor for the round they will be the sheriff.
The play time of the past 3 games is relatively short, so you can wait for more players to come to your gathering or to leave… or to keep playing them, we assure you: you will want to play again!
Why we love it: Great player interactions and a tasteful “high risk, high reward” feeling.
Best 5-Player Board Games – Intermediate Complexity
3. Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) (2012)
| Designers | Daniel Clark, Corey Konieczka, Adam Sadler, Kevin Wilson |
| Players | 1-5 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 120 min |
| Category/mechanics | Action points, cooperative game, hand management, campaign mode |
The epitome of the “overlord” games (one player vs the rest).
Here, a team of brave heroes must embark on quests and venture into dangerous caves, ancient ruins, dark dungeons, and cursed forests to battle monsters, earn riches, and attempt to stop the overlord from carrying out his vile plot.
With some “dungeon crawler” elements and an evil player throwing every danger he/she has in stock, the fun is assured. and playing the overlord is something everyone should taste at least once!
Why we love it: The “Overlord” mechanic is great for both sides and the game art is just stunning.
2. Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game (2008)
| Designers | Corey Konieczka |
| Players | 3-6 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 150 min |
| Category/mechanics | Hidden roles, hand management, voting |
Battlestar Galactica is the second -but not the last- Corey Konieczka game on this list.
And we are sure that 5 players are the perfect count.
Based on the tv series, Battlestar Galactica takes players on the search for planet earth after a Cylon attack on human colonies, traveling through the stars in the legendary ship.
Each round, some events and dangers will happen that need the attention of the crew (in form of specific cards) BUT maybe one or two Cylons have infiltrated the ranks and tried to sabotage the ship and the missions.
All of this while the Cylon army attacks the starship.
Why we love it: There is a real sense of purpose and a respectable level of difficulty, besides, the change of “affiliation” mid-game spices the whole gameplay.
1. 7 Wonders (2010)
| Designers | Antoine Bauza |
| Players | 2-7 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 30 min |
| Category/mechanics | Draft, hand management, set collection, engine building |
7 Wonders have been an inspiration for board game designers across the globe since its launch.
Here, players have the task to bring glory to civilization building one of the 7 classic humanity wonders.
Is a draft game where each turn you use the cards to build a resources engine that allows you to progress and, finally, erect the wonder you are in charge of.
But military and civilian edifications are important too because you will keep fighting and trading with your neighboring civilizations until the third round ends.
A great game to advance from simple games to more complex ones, without overwhelming new players.
Why we love it: It´s a great introduction to resource management and engine building, and the fact that all players play at the same time is a plus.
The time pass and you discover that 5 players are the number you have today, no more, no less. So, if you are looking for the best, complex games to delve into with your 4 friends, bring one of the next to the table:
Best 5-Player Board Games – Advanced Complexity
3. Rising Sun (2018)
| Designers | Eric M. Lang |
| Players | 3-5 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 105 min |
| Category/mechanics | Action Drafting, area influence, negotiation, battle |
A true delight for the eyes and a rewarding challenge for the mind.
Set in feudal Japan, players incarnate Daimios fighting Asian demons (Onis) on one side and their opponents on the other.
This is an area control game where players will forge and break alliances, choose political actions, worship the gods, customize their clans, and position their figures around Japan.
In the process, Honor is a palpable element in Rising Sun: Having high Honor gives several advantages, while having low Honor may grant the allegiance of the darker aspects of the world.
It is a reimplementation of Blood Rage, the game we discussed on our “Best 4-Player Board Games” that fits the 5 players’ scene.
Why we love it: The components are beautiful, the lore is rich and the experiences make it feel complete.
2. Star Wars: Imperial Assault (2014)
| Designers | Justin Kemppainen, Corey Konieczka, Jonathan Ying |
| Players | 1-5 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 90 min |
| Category/mechanics | Team-based, skirmish |
Star Wars fand raise the hand! Miniature and skirmish players raise their hands! People who enjoy the good narrative, battle puzzles, and teaming up with friends to beat that rebel/imperial scum, raise their hands!
In Imperial Assault, you control factions recreating important battles in the Star Wars universe, after the destruction of the Death Star on Jarvin 4.
It has an effective battle/movement engine and two different play modalities.
Even if you are not a fan of the franchise, its solid gameplay will convince you to dive in and have a blast (pun intended).
1. Power Grid (2004)
| Designers | Friedemann Friese |
| Players | 2-6 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 120 min |
| Category/mechanics | Bidding, market, area control |
Although we put Power Grid on the complex list, the flow of the game is simple to follow, after a single-round of the game.
Have you experienced the thrilling world of “electric companies” competing to supply the biggest network of cities in North America or Germany? This is your best opportunity, if not because Power Grid is an excellent game where you have to:
- Acquire power plants to generate electricity,
- Buy the necessary resources to put those plants to work and
- Construct the infrastructure in the cities you can and give them valuable energy.
It has an exciting bidding system, a highly competitive market, and an area control mechanism that let the game feels fluid, claustrophobic, and rewarding.
Best 5-Player Board Games – Our Top Pick
The best of the best, independent of complexity or duration is…
Nemesis (2018)
| Designers | Adam Kwapiński |
| Players | 1-5 (best 5) |
| Playtime | 135 min |
| Category/mechanics | Cooperative game, campaign, hidden roles, battle |
This is the game Alien fans deserve (besides the great Legendary Encounters) and one of the best board games Kickstarter has given us.
A semi-cooperative game where players take the role of a crew in charge of repelling the advance of xenomorphs and other evils lurking around.
It has different scenarios available, a deck of cards and abilities for each player, and a great sense of danger and adventure.
Nemesis is our best pick for game sessions with 5 players!
Have you read our other articles ranking expansions, teaching winning strategies, or compiling different tops? Check them out here
- Gateway Games – Top 5 Board Games To Start Your Journey
- How to Win at UNO – 10 Best Strategies to Win UNO
- Best Dominion Expansions – All 13 Expansion Ranked
- Othello Strategy – Top 10 Tips to Win at Othello/Reversi
Last Updated on 04/10/2022 by ARU