The 15 Best 6-Player Board Games of 2023

1. King of Tokyo

Verdict: Reasonably priced, easy to learn: this is an excellent game if you have a bunch of newcomers or beginners to the board gaming world. Being an card game it works out as a perfect 6-player board game; the gameplay is fast yet very funny and reasonably challenging. 

Here's an in-depth review with playing instructions:

2. Codenames

Why we love it: A spy game that you can play with your friends is a sure-fire way to have a good night! Codewords is a simply-designed, uncomplicated word-guessing game, set in a world of spies. It is a good game if you're on a budget. There are also multiple expansions for added replay.

Gameplay: The game is purely cards-based. Twenty-five word cards are laid out for all to see. Each team has a captain (the Spymaster), whose job is to relay the codewords to his/her team, without naming the specific codewords. The team then has to guess the correct words: the first team to guess all their words wins!

Don't choose the wrong words, though, as you may help the opposing team to victory.

Codewords spices play up with a hidden assassin - if you guess the wrong codeword, you can immediately lose the game.

Verdict: Straightforward to play, and a quick playtime means multiple games in one night. It is engaging, team-based, competitive play, and is the right mix of fun and challenging. Choose this if you want co-operative play for a larger group, but still want that competitive spice!

3. The Resistance: Avalon (see also: The Resistance)

Why we love it: A social deduction game set in the mythical age of King Arthur! It's a game of trickery and deception to decide who is plotting to undermine the success of the quests. Players are either servants of Arthur, Minions of Mordred, or Merlin, and nobody knows who the enemy is, except Merlin. Nobody knows who Merlin is either!

We love it because Avalon requires subtle hints and secrecy to win, which is great fun: what's a better way to spend a night with friends?

Gameplay: Players go out on five quests in the mythical time of King Arthur. Players receive a secret, random character: either a servant of Arthur, a Minion of Mordred, or Merlin (cool!). Arthur's servants aim to win quests, and Minions of Mordred conspire to undermine these journeys. Merlin uses his mystical powers to intervene and prevent this from happening (using his magic he knows who the good guys and bad guys are).

At the game's end, if the majority of quests succeed, the servants of Arthur win, but if they fail, Mordred wins the day. Also, if the minions correctly guess who Merlin is, they win automatically!

For variety, there are additional characters to add to Avalon, each with their own unique rule. For example, Percival (a loyal player) knows who Merlin is.

Verdict: Avalon: The Resistance is a reliable, quick-playing, and easy-to-learn social game. Choose Avalon if you want a game with secrecy, deception, and lots of intrigue, all for a reasonable price.

(NB: If you wish to try the sci-fi setting of the same game, try 'The Resistance.' There are also rules to combine the two for a mash-up of sci-fi and fantasy!)

4. Cosmic Encounter

Why we love it: Galactic space empires trying to expand and colonize other aliens' planets requires diplomacy, tactics, and a star fleet of invading ships. Cosmic Encounter has all of the above. This is a game of space conflict, and we love it for its deceptively easy basic rules that provide a challenge to master.

Expansions allow for replay value, so while it's a more expensive game, but it pays for itself over time.

Gameplay: Each player has a unique alien empire to run, with its own planets and ships. The winner is the first player to colonize five planets outside their realm.

Taking it in turns, a player has a chance to attack other players' planets, while they get to defend. Successful attacks require ships and asking other players to assist and help out, hence the negotiation part of the game.

Attackers and defenders can also choose to negotiate rather than fight, allowing for some serious variation in gameplay (not to mention some trickery!).

Cards come in to play through a hand of eight, secretly held by each player. Knowing when to use each card requires skill and consideration.

Verdict: Choose Cosmic Encounter for a more complex and longer-lasting game night. While enormous fun with excellent replay value, it is more on the expensive side and requires an expansion for six players.

5. Twilight Imperium

Why we love it: Twilight Imperium does not pretend to be anything but EPIC. 'Epic' describes the weight of the box, the size, and scope of the game, the number of pieces involved. And we feel this is by far the best strategy board game for 6 players. 

Gameplay: The winner is the first player to get to 10 (or 14) victory points. Victory points are where the simplicity ends because how you get to winning is really up to you. There's negotiation, technology, trade, warfare, diplomacy, politics, peace, and more.

Each player takes their turn with a unique race they have selected (17 in total). For example, the Federation of Sol can generate lots of infantry units for overwhelming their foe.

An uncomplicated dice system determines combat when it transpires, which is handy as the rest of the game demands your complete attention.

Verdict: If you want to go BIG, we mean REALLY BIG, look no further. We'd recommend this for the more dedicated gaming group. It requires time, and the wallet takes a bit of a blow, but if you love in-depth strategy and a grand scale of gaming, this is for your six player group.

Here's an in-depth review of the game:

6. Dixit

Why we love it: Dixit understates in its artwork and style, the contents, and the rules, but this is part of Dixit's charm. It is a game that gets the creative juices flowing in a social setting, requiring minimal set-up or fuss.

Gameplay: Every player has a hand of cards. The player whose turn it is, chooses a card from their hand, placing it face down. Every card has a unique picture. The player then creates a sentence describing the image. Each other player then adds a card from their hand that best describes that sentence, shuffling all the picture cards together. Each player then has to guess which card is the original one, with points awarded for choosing the wrong cards, guessing the right one, or for the initial card getting no picks at all. That's it!

Verdict: Dixit is a great game for a party, especially for a group of people who have perhaps not played many board games before. Expansions add replay value by adding variety in new picture cards. Choose this if you love simplicity and avoiding clutter!

7. One Night Ultimate Werewolf

Why we love it: Werewolf is a fantastic social game that keeps everyone involved. This game gives back what players put into it - committing to your character is everything! It is short, so a group can play multiple times in a night or use it as a warm-up for a bigger game after!

Gameplay: Players receive a character card, which is who they are for the game. There are two sides: the werewolves and the villagers. All players' identities are a secret!

Players close their eyes during the night phase while the werewolves hunt the villagers and kill them. It is up to the villagers to uncover the Werewolf during the daytime phase before he eats the entire village! They must decide who they think the Werewolf is and hang that player. If they get it wrong, it brings the Werewolf team closer to victory. 

Werewolf leaves room for a lot of deception and cunning for the players to trick each other and is enormous fun!

Verdict: Choose this for a loud and raucous game, full of suspicion and accusation! If you want a game of shouting, finger-pointing, and laughing, then Werewolf is a solid pick.

8. Talisman: 4th Edition revised

Why we love it: It's a magical fantasy adventure quest, where each player must find the talisman to obtain the Crown of Command. Characters must build their strength and experience through adventuring to be able to approach the Crown in the center of the board, which makes the game competitive. Part role-playing, part quest with an old-school fantasy charm makes this a highly enjoyable game.

Gameplay: In a turn, a player moves spaces on the board by rolling a die. They randomly encounter a monster or event and gain experience, gold, or some kind of set-back (like turning into a Toad!). Players can rob each other or help each other out, but the end goal is to be the first to reach the center of the board, where the Crown of Command lies.

The three tiers of the board (outer, middle, and inner) progressively become harder, so a player must be confident of their character's experience before progressing to the next level.

Characters have unique artwork, player pieces, and abilities. For example, the Wizard can cast extra spells, and the Elf can transport quickly through forest spaces. Character choice provides excellent replay value, along with expansion sets, ensuring you'll keep coming back to this one.

Verdict: An intermediate level game, requiring some time to play. It is not the most expensive game, but not the cheapest game either. If you enjoy fantasy quest games with loads of cards and quests and upgrades (but less demanding than, say, Twilight Imperium), this is a superb choice for a six-player evening.

9. Game of Thrones Board Game (2nd Edition)

Why we love it: This is a game that requires diplomacy and the inevitable backstabbing for which Westeros is renowned! It is a complex strategy game that requires careful planning and thinking to win and conquer the Iron Throne.

Gameplay: Only one player can capture the Iron Throne and win the game - to do so, a player must acquire each of the seven kingdoms. Turns divide into a Westeros phase (random world events that affect the turn), a planning phase (secret maneuvering and plotting), and an action phase (reveal your secret plots and fight your rivals!).

Using your footmen, knights, siege engine, and ship tokens, you invade and defend territory. Character cards held in your hand reinforce your troops. For example, House Stark has access to Ned Stark as a character to fight for your cause!

The real secret to this game's appeal and success is diplomacy - a peace deal with your Lannister friend only to be betrayed next turn by them is entertaining and friendship-testing!

Verdict: If you want a challenging game that pushes your group a little, choose Game of Thrones. It's particularly suited to six players. It takes time to play, but it's hard to go past if you have a group of six who are keen for a solid night of gaming.

10. Mysterium

Why we love it: It's a murder mystery, where each player represents a psychic medium or a ghost, who was murdered when alive as a person. They are trying to solve the murder and how it happened within a mysterious mansion. Do we need to explain more?

Gameplay: This game has levels of difficulty, so it's flexible according to your gaming group's experience. It has resonances with the game Clue (or Cluedo for our non-US readers) in that the players must guess the murderer, the weapon used, and in which room of the mansion. The mediums and the ghost must work out the murder together. Each turn is 6 minutes long, representing an hour of game time. There are seven turns to solve the crime, so time is of the essence!

Players succeed and fail together: even if one player fails to guess their clues by turn 7, the game ends. All players lose, so it encourages a tremendous amount of interaction and co-operation.

If players guess the clues, they have a final turn to guess the murder correctly. It requires all the players to agree to a murderer, weapon, and location. If a majority is correct, the players win.

Verdict: We all know a party with a murder mystery is a good party. Mysterium has beautiful artwork and a compelling premise. Mysterium is an excellent social co-operation game for six players of any skill level.

11. Bananagrams

Verdict: This is probably the most accessible game to pick up and play on this list. If you want easy, competitive, fast, and fun, then look no further than Bananagrams.

12. BANG! The Dice Game

Why we love this game: BANG! The Dice Game is fast-paced, unpredictable, and set in the Wild West. Players get to be characters drawn from this time and play as Sheriffs, Renegades, and Outlaws. All this combines for a great night of furious gaming with six players!

Gameplay: Players are either Sheriff, Renegades, or Outlaws. These are kept secret, apart for the Sheriff, who must reveal him/herself. Each player gets a unique character with special rules that add variety and flavor to the game (for example, 'Vulture Sam' gains life when a player is eliminated from the game).

Players roll five dice and get to re-roll up to three times, choosing which dice they keep, which adds an element of suspense and chance to the game. The dice are quality and fun - symbols include beer (heal life), dynamite (take damage if you roll three) arrows (get shot by indigenous Americans), Gatling guns (deal damage to everyone except you if you roll three) and targets (shoot players next to you).

If the Sheriff dies, the Outlaws win. If the Sheriff dies and the Outlaws are dead, then the Renegades win. If the Sheriffs kill the Outlaws and Renegades, the Sheriffs win! The tactical element to the game is impressive if simple, in that players must plan their kills to win.

Verdict: This is a fast, fun, and furious board game for six players. It is not overly complicated and easy to learn, meaning it's very accessible for all players. If you want a simple shoot-out game between friends that has pace, choose BANG! The Dice Game.

13. 7 Wonders

Why we love this game: This is a civilization-building game that has a simple rules system that is not overly complicated but not basic either. Beautiful artwork rendering some critical achievements of human civilization round out this game. It is atmospheric, beautifully themed, and fun to play.

Gameplay: 7 Wonders plays over three ages of human civilization, represented by three unique card decks, one for each age. The ages allow for variety in the game and keep it engaging. Players lead one of seven civilizations. Each has its own unique rules: the players' goal is to be the first to build one of the seven wonders. Players can win other ways too, such as a military or science victory. The variation of civilizations adds some flavor to the game.

There are two levels of gaming, A and B, of which B has more complicated rules, meaning you can tailor the game to your group's experience level.

In each age, the cards pass around the table. Each card allows players to build resources to progress their civilization along or attack other players to hinder them. You can also trade resources for coins collected in the game, creating an exciting dynamic between asking for assistance and beating your opponents to victory!

Verdict: Beautifully designed and atmospheric. If you want to play a strategy game that is competitive and challenging yet simple to learn, then choose this game. It's also not long enough that you can't squeeze in a few games in a single session!

14. Trivial Pursuit

Why we love this game: It's a classic. There is a pleasure to getting trivial knowledge right over all your friends. Decide who is the smartest one of all. It's like trivia night at home!

Gameplay: Trivial Pursuit has barely changed since its inception in 1981. Roll a die, move around the board, and answer trivia questions. Get it right: roll again. Repeat. Collect all the six colored pies/wedges for your playing piece: each color represents a category (e.g., nature and science; literature; entertainment). The goal is to collect the pies and be first to answer a final trivia question in the center of the board to win the game.

The fun is knowing the answers when it's not your turn and being generally obnoxious to your friends. It is, after all, Trivial Pursuit.

Verdict: If you want an 'oldie but a goodie,' pick this game. It's a great game to play with a few beverages and snacks around a table. A group of 6 is ideal for playing Trivial Pursuit.

15. Concept

Why we love this game: This is a great party game that involves teams and cross-interaction between them. It's sort of like the classic game 'Twenty Questions.' It's excellent at engaging everyone all at once and grand party fun for a group of 6.

Gameplay: Each team has two players. As mentioned, this game is like 'Twenty Questions.' A team picks a word, and the other players must try and guess that word. Concept has a board littered with pictures all over it.

The team uses these pictures to communicate to the other teams what the word might be. Placing markers on the board pictures is the only form of communication allowed. The pictures make the game one of lateral thinking and lead to much frustration in which it is enjoyable to participate!

Verdict: This is a great party game and plays very casually. So it is suitable for casual games nights when you want to lay back and have an activity while enjoying your friends' company. It is an excellent family game for all ages.