The 24 Best Board Games for 5 Players in 2024

Rolling the dice on fun with family and friends can take on a whole new level of excitement when board games enter the picture.

Finding the perfect game for an exact number of players can be hard, which is why in this article we have picked the best board games for 5 players.

24. Catan

• Players: 3-4 (5-6 with extension pack)
• Ages: 10+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: Medium

Catan is a game of strategy, where players collect resources and use them to build roads, settlements, and cities on their way to victory. The game board is variable, making each game a little different from the next.

Although the base game is ideally suited for up to four players, an extension pack allows the inclusion of up to six players, making the competition more challenging and interesting.

23. Forbidden Desert

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 10+
• Play Time: 45 Minutes
• Complexity: Medium

In Forbidden Desert, a thematic sequel to Forbidden Island, players take on the roles of brave adventurers who must survive the arid conditions of a desert and uncover a legendary flying machine buried under an ancient city.

The game’s cooperative mechanics and increasing difficulty level as the sandstorm intensifies keep players engaged and challenged.

22. Carcassonne

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 7+
• Play Time: 30-45 Minutes
• Complexity: Easy

Carcassonne is a tile-placing game where players draw and place a tile with a piece of southern French landscape on it. The tile might feature a city, a road, a cloister, grassland or some combination thereof, and it must be placed adjacent to tiles that have already been played, in such a way that cities are connected to cities, roads to roads, etcetera.

The game shines at five players as it creates more competition for key areas on the board.

21. Camel Up

• Players: 2-8
• Ages: 8+
• Play Time: 20-30 Minutes
• Complexity: Easy

Camel Up is a quick, fun and light betting game in which players bet on five racing camels, trying to determine which ones will land on top.

The dynamics change significantly with five players, leading to more unpredictability and excitement. The game is a great choice for family gaming nights.

20. Small World

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 8+
• Play Time: 40-80 Minutes
• Complexity: Medium

Small World is a zany, light-hearted civilization game in which players vie for conquest and control of a board that is simply too small to accommodate them all.

With a diverse roster of races and special powers, every game is a unique adventure in this world of limited space.

19. Betrayal at House on the Hill

• Players: 3-6
• Ages: 12+
• Play Time: 1 Hour
• Complexity: Medium

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a tile game that allows players to build their haunted house room by room, tile by tile, creating a new thrilling game board every time.

The game is designed for three to six people, each of whom plays one of six possible characters.

18. Century Spice Road

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 8+
• Play Time: 30-45 Minutes
• Complexity: Easy

Century Spice Road is the first in a series of games that explores the history of each century with spice-trading as the theme for the first installment.

The game is incredibly easy to learn, yet full of depth and tactical play.

17. Citadels

• Players: 2-8
• Ages: 10+
• Play Time: 20-60 Minutes
• Complexity: Medium

Citadels is a game of nobles, intrigue, and cities for two to eight players, where each player vies to become the kingdom’s next Master Builder by constructing the most impressive medieval city.

16. Power Grid: Recharged

• Players: 2-6
• Ages: 12+
• Play Time: 2 Hours
• Complexity: High

Power Grid: Recharged has all the strategy and fun of the classic first edition, but adds some updates that improve the (already great) gameplay.

Players mark pre-existing routes between cities for connection and then bid against each other to purchase the power plants.

15. Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 13+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: Medium

Dead of Winter is a meta-cooperative psychological survival game about surviving through a harsh winter in an apocalyptic world.

The group dynamics and potential traitor element are accentuated in a five-player setting, making each decision vital and potentially game-changing.

14. Star Wars Imperial Assault

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 14+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: High

Star Wars: Imperial Assault is a strategy board game of tactical combat and missions for two to five players, offering two distinct games of battle and adventure in the Star Wars universe!

At five players, one takes the role of the Empire with the others being iconic rebels, leading to an intense and strategic gameplay experience.

13. King of Tokyo

• Players: 2-6
• Ages: 8+
• Play Time: 30 Minutes
• Complexity: Easy

King of Tokyo is a game for 2 to 6 players where you play as mutant monsters, rampaging robots, or even abominable aliens battling in a fun, chaotic atmosphere.

12. Mysterium

• Players: 2-7
• Ages: 10+
• Play Time: 40 Minutes
• Complexity: Medium

In Mysterium, one player takes on the role of the ghost and over the course of a week, tries to lead the investigators to their culprit.

The game’s cooperative, yet challenging nature becomes more pronounced at the higher player counts.

11. Ticket To Ride

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 8+
• Play Time: 30-60 Minutes
• Complexity: Easy

Ticket To Ride is a cross-country train adventure where players collect cards of various types of train cars that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America.

The competition gets heated with five players, as the available routes can quickly dwindle.

10. Nemesis

• Players: 1-5
• Ages: 17+
• Play Time: 1-3 Hours
• Complexity: High

Nemesis is a semi-cooperative game where you and your crewmates must survive on a ship infested with hostile organisms.

To win the game, you have to complete certain tasks and return back to Earth alive.

9. Dixit

• Players: 3-6
• Ages: 8+
• Play Time: 30 Minutes
• Complexity: Easy

Dixit is a beautifully-illustrated game of creative guesswork, where your imagination unlocks the tale.

In a five-player game, the storytelling becomes even more interesting and varied, with more perspectives contributing to the unique narrative experience.

8. Descent: Journeys In The Dark (Second Edition)

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 14+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: High

Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition is a board game in which one player takes on the role of the treacherous overlord, and up to four other players take on the roles of courageous heroes.

The game truly shines with a full complement of five players, making each delve into dangerous dungeons a grand adventure.

7. El Grande

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 12+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: High

El Grande is a classic game of strategy and intrigue where players take on the roles of Grandes in medieval Spain. The gameplay involves cleverly maneuvering your state and claiming the king’s favor. A five-player game brings more strategic depth and competition, making it a highly engaging game for strategy game lovers.

6. Terraforming Mars

• Players: 1-5
• Ages: 12+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: High

In Terraforming Mars, you control a corporation with a certain profile. Play project cards, build up production, place your cities and green areas on the map, and race for milestones and awards!

5. Twilight Imperium

• Players: 3-6
• Ages: 14+
• Play Time: 4-8 Hours
• Complexity: High

Twilight Imperium is a game of galactic conquest in which players take on the role of one of seventeen factions vying for galactic domination through military might, political maneuvering, and economic bargaining.

With five players, the game becomes an epic battle of strategic diplomacy and warfare, making it ideal for those who enjoy intense, long-form games.

4. Cosmic Encounter

• Players: 3-5
• Ages: 12+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: Medium

In Cosmic Encounter, each player is the leader of an alien race. The object of the game is to establish colonies in other players’ planetary systems.

The game is notorious for its zany characters and interactions, with the dynamics shifting significantly in a five-player game.

3. 7 Wonders

• Players: 2-7
• Ages: 10+
• Play Time: 30 Minutes
• Complexity: Medium

In 7 Wonders, players get hands of cards, pick those that will help them build their city and pass the rest to their neighbor. The game shines at five players, with the drafting mechanics allowing for diverse strategies and interaction.

2. Fury of Dracula (4th Ed)

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 14+
• Play Time: 2-3 Hours
• Complexity: High

Fury of Dracula is a thematic horror adventure game where one player assumes the role of Dracula while the others become hunters trying to defeat him.

The game is great with five players as Dracula’s movements and the hunters’ pursuit create an intense, thrilling experience.

1. Puerto Rico

• Players: 2-5
• Ages: 12+
• Play Time: 1-2 Hours
• Complexity: High

Puerto Rico is a high-powered economic game with players producing goods to ship out, or to keep for points at the end of the game. With five players, the competition to choose the best roles becomes more intense, with strategic depth and player interactions at their peak.