Board games for large groups
Last checked 24 October 2026
Quick answer: Herd Mentality and Colourbrain both take up to 20 players, and Cartographers says 1 to 100 because everyone draws at once. Hues and Cues takes 10. Codenames, The Chameleon, Sushi Go Party! and Camel Up all work with 8. Every one is easy or very easy to teach, which matters when half the room arrives late.
Most board games top out at four or five, which is no good when the whole family turns up at Christmas. These all work with at least eight, and a few go much higher. Big-group games need quick rules and turns where everyone's involved at once, or people drift off to the kitchen. All eight are easy or very easy to teach, and a couple play in teams, so you can split the room however you like. Check the age on each card if there are kids.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The “Check price on Amazon” buttons are paid links: if you buy through one, we may get a small fee at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change which games we pick. See how we make money.
1. Herd Mentality
Everyone secretly writes an answer to a daft question. Match the most popular answer and you win a cow.
- Players
- 4 to 20 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 20 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: Everyone secretly writes an answer to a daft question, and if you match the most popular answer you win a cow. You're not trying to be right, just to think like everyone else. It's 4 to 20 players, 10 and up, about 20 minutes, and it gets better the more people you've got.
Check price on Amazon for Herd Mentality (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 17 October 2026.
2. Colourbrain
A quiz where every answer is a colour, or a few. Teams lay down the colour cards they think fit the question and only score if they get every colour right. Works in teams for big groups.
- Players
- 2 to 20 players
- Age
- 12+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: A quiz where every answer is a colour, or a few. Teams lay down the colour cards they think fit the question and only score if they get every colour right. You don't need to know trivia, just what colour things are. It's 2 to 20 players, 12 and up, about 30 minutes, with 152 question cards.
Check price on Amazon for Colourbrain (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 20 October 2026.
3. Cartographers
Draw shapes onto your own fantasy map as each card comes up, chasing scoring goals that change every game. Plays solo or with a whole room.
- Players
- 1 to 100 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Jordy Adan's Cartographers is a flip-and-write (a card is turned over and everyone draws on their own sheet at once). You draw each shape onto your own fantasy map, chasing scoring goals that change every game. Because everyone plays at the same time, the box says 1 to 100 players. It's 10 and up and 30 to 45 minutes.
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
4. Hues and Cues
One player picks a shade from the 480 on the board and gives one-word and two-word clues. Everyone else puts a marker where they think it is. It takes up to 10, so it's handy for big groups.
- Players
- 3 to 10 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: One player picks one of 480 shades on the board and gives a one-word clue, then a two-word clue. Everyone else puts a marker where they think it is. Arguing over whether something's teal or turquoise is half the fun. Scott Brady's game takes 3 to 10 players, 8 and up, about 30 minutes.
Check price on Amazon for Hues and Cues (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 22 October 2026.
5. Codenames
Two teams race to find their secret agents in a grid of words, working from one-word clues given by their team's spymaster.
- Players
- 4+ players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Vlaada Chvátil's Codenames splits the room into two teams racing to find their secret agents in a grid of words. Each team's spymaster gives one-word clues and everyone else argues about what they meant. It's 4 to 8 or more players, 10 and up, about 15 minutes, and the 2025 edition has a revised word list.
Check price on Amazon for Codenames (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
6. The Chameleon
Everyone but one player knows the secret word. Each of you says one word linked to it, then you vote on who's faking. Catch the Chameleon and they can still escape by guessing the word.
- Players
- 3 to 8 players
- Age
- 14+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Everyone but one player knows the secret word. Each of you says one word linked to it, then you vote on who's faking. Catch the Chameleon and they can still escape by guessing the word. It's 3 to 8 players aged 14 and up, and a game takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Check price on Amazon for The Chameleon (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 2 November 2026.
7. Sushi Go Party!
Pick one card from your hand, pass the rest along, and try to collect the best combos of cartoon sushi dishes.
- Players
- 2 to 8 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: The bigger version of Sushi Go!, for 2 to 8 players. Pick one card from your hand, pass the rest along and try to collect the best combos of cartoon sushi dishes. Everyone picks at once, so eight players is barely slower than four. It's 8 and up and about 30 minutes.
Check price on Amazon for Sushi Go Party! (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 26 October 2026.
8. Camel Up (2nd edition)
Bet on a wobbly camel race where camels stack on top of each other, so the leader can change on every dice roll.
- Players
- 3 to 8 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Bet on a wobbly camel race where camels stack on top of each other, so the leader can change on every dice roll. You're betting, not racing, so anyone can still win near the end. It's 3 to 8 players, 8 and up, 30 to 45 minutes, and it gets loud in the best way.
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
More ideas for a crowd are on our party games page. Buying for Christmas? See best board games for Christmas. Playing on the day rather than gifting? Try Christmas party games for families or board games for New Year’s Eve.
A mixed friends night (not just big crowds) is on board games for a games night with friends.
How we choose and check
We pick games for the situation, and ignore hobby rankings and hype. Player counts, ages and play times come from the publisher's own page or the box. If we can't confirm a detail there, we leave it off the card. The teaching rating is our own view from reading the rules, not a publisher figure. Nobody pays us to include a game. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. See how we make money.