My Top 10 Favorite Games for 5+ Players (Medium Weight)

[@DaveConnollyM]

My favorite game at five players is El Grande. I enjoy the game at other player counts but I just love it at five. The bidding for actions is more meaningful and it's harder to keep track of the number of "caballeros" in the "castillo". Both of which make the game more exciting for me.

[@kaz_don_fan]

Yep - awesome game with 5 - some of the "older" euros really do cater for that number well.

[@ddobrien1]

I love how Fantastic Factories "scales well" for all player counts, especially solo.

[@TheSludgeMan]

I LOOOVE the 'Invasion' co-op expansion for Orleans. I keep meaning to go back to the competitive mode but every time we get it out we end up playing Invasion. It has a beautiful arc, at first you're peacefully tending to your own garden until the threats ramp up and it really tests how well you can work together by swapping workers, tiles and prioritising, all while having your own personal goal to complete.

[@DiFFERENTversionOFmE]

Hansa Teutonica is my favorite 5 player game. So much fun and it's pretty snappy. I love the whole pull your cubes off your board to get better actions mechanic (similar to Terra Mystica). I usually upgrade too much and forget about the main board...which is also a lot of fun to explore and get in other player's way.

[@mrp4242]

Some thoughts: 1) Orleans has a 5th player expansion that has the player color black. Jamey addresses this in his video description. 2) I like a lot of these picks, Isle of Skye works so well at 5. 3) A low key medium weight game that plays well at higher player counts is Antike II. 4) I wouldn’t consider Twilight Imperium IV as ‘medium’ and I often wonder what games gamers are playing where TI IV is considered ‘medium’.

[@yodaman115]

Orleans Deluxe included the fifth player tokens during its Kickstarter campaign. This may be where he got the idea that they were included.

[@jacquesfouche4278]

Interesting insights as always, thanks! I recently played Cosmic Encounter for the first time and we were 5 players. It was so much fun and is one of those rarer games where you almost need at least 4 or 5 players for it to really work.

[@kevinfrank1520]

My favourite games I think fall into this category are Mission Red Planet and Colt Express. Simultaneous selection keeps things pretty quick but fun decisions and a bit of chaos.

[@JonathanNation]

Always good to talk about 5+ players ... I had not realized the philosophy of Stonemaier Games. Here are some of the ones we like that were not mentioned: Moonrakers Veiled Fate Creature Comforts Flamecraft Northguard Marvel United - need season 2 or beyond (X-Men) and really the 1 vs Many is much harder and complicated than playing all co-op Ecos: First Continent - I think .. been a while since we played, might be time to play again.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks for sharing! I could see Moonrakers working great at 5. I'm not sure I'd ever play Creature Comforts at more than 3 players, though, due to the downtime.

[@JonathanNation]

@@jameystegmaier When your people are use to playing quick and know the game it's pretty fine. Mostly I play with my wife and three kids, and we play a lot of stuff, so it does speed up the game.

[@vincentskater]

Broom Service is best at five ! Quacks with the Herbs expansion makes it play five, and that's fun because it's simultaneously played! Liberatalia Winds of Galecrest is one of my favorite games of all time, and crazy how fun it is at all player counts actually! Mysterioum is good at five, though more of a lighter game . Awesome video with some amazing picks! I do find it's hard to find a good heavier game that plays well at five, but that's also a huge reason I love Stonemaire games so much! Most of your games scale so well into the higher player counts, so owning some of them as a gamer is a must !

[@aetherllama8398]

At 5+ I like games with more interaction; trading, negotiation, auction, and war games. Moonrakers, Chinatown, Sidereal Confluence, Kemet, Eclipse, and Modern Art.

[@jessicaside]

Stockpile is fantastic game that works at 5 really well.

[@johnorr3738]

This is a really good list and very helpful, since the 5 player game night is a dilemna my group often faces! I am surprised that Nidavellir didn’t make the cut!

[@jameystegmaier]

I probably need to give Nidavellir a few more tries. :)

[@johnorr3738]

Haha it’s one of my favorites! The set collection aspect is admittedly a bit dry but I love the way the auction works.

[@dennissein2119]

Love Orleans.....especially the "mean board" in the Trade and Intrigue expansion

[@andrewwagner3462]

Great list! My gaming group has an all-day gathering on Saturday, and this list gave me some ideas of what to bring to the table!

[@danbrown679]

I appreciate the focus on 5 player games as this is the typical player count in my game group, and I rarely get to play the (too) many games that are designed for 4 players. I agree with comment below that El Grande may be the best 5-player game (because all the cards are used), but a close second is Modern Art and throw Hansa Teutonica in as well. These unfortunately do not scale down very well.

[@marcosseven8872]

Queendomino is good at 5. And Quacks of Quedlinburg. Libertalia WoG. I love Isle of Skye and Lords of Waterdeep. And I just got my copy now of the new edition of Ra , which I never played and I keep hearing good things about it

[@jameystegmaier]

I didn't quite count Quacks because it doesn't play 5 out of the box. I love Ra!

[@Breyfunk]

I have acquired Ra, Isle of Skye and Castles of Mad King Ludwig based entirely on your past recommendations, and I also own Cartographers, Lords of Waterdrep and Architects. All of that is to say I think you have immaculate taste sir ;)

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy these games too. :)

[@daniellebackus819]

Camel Up is probably on your light list, but as an avid gamer who leans toward medium weight games, I think it’s FANTASTIC at high player counts. I played with my family at 8 over the holidays, and we all had a great time.

[@jameystegmaier]

Indeed, it's on my light list, coming next week. :)

[@guillaumechalifour3985]

Hey Jamie, I would offer Wonderland’s War as a great 5 player experience. We played at 2, 4 and 5, and playing with all characters was certainly very exciting 😉 thank you for keeping the conversation going with your great top 10s 👍

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! I also played my one game of Wonderland's War at 5, and I really enjoyed it!

[@khornschemeier]

The newest printing of Orleans by Capstone is 2-5 players out of the box. I'd throw in Atlantis Rising, Kemet, Istanbul, and Mission Red Planet. Slightly lighter - Campy Creatures and Mysterium.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Kevin!

[@elainelydon2952]

I think Keyflower works well at 5. The bidding for tiles involves everyone, then you simultaneously place your tiles.

[@wesleydunkerton]

I would argue that Tokaido is a lighter game (hopefully to be featured in the future!) but it is my absolute favorite game to play with a full 5 players. Turns are simple enough to keep things moving but the limited spaces and different goals for finishing a painting first or having the most friends still encourage healthy competition and strategy when choosing where to go.

[@draheim90]

Hansa Teutonica, Viticulture (with Tuscany), Hadrian’s Wall, Champions of Midgard (with an expansion), and Architects of the West Kingdom came to mind. I like Wingspan decently enough but not at 5 (for a variety of reasons) and think it works best at 3, with 2 also working very well, especially with Duet mode. I also love Caverna and it scales well but I think 4 is the best player count for it by some margin.

[@BillyIndiana]

We just played Ra with 5-players yesterday and had a lot of fun. It was my first time playing! We also played Princes of Florence with 5 and that was terrific as well. It would be a medium to heavy game though. Last week we played Moonrakers with 5, and while it went a little long with 4 players learning the game, it spiced up the negotiations. Great list👍

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad you enjoyed Ra!

[@MadSlantedPowers]

A good list. I own Castles, Cartographers, Fantastic Factories, and Space Base. I have the app for Lords of Waterdeep. I have played Isle of Sky, Architects and Ra, and will soon own the new version of the latter. I've been wanting to play Orleans.

[@Hailtothegun]

Battlestar Galactica, Tapestry, Fury of Dracula, Mission: Red Planet, Small World

[@kaz_don_fan]

It might reflect when I got into gaming ( around 2006), but some of the older euros are just fantastic (and even best at 5). Definitely agree with Ra, but by Knizia would also add Medici, and Amun Re. Princes of Florence is both wonderful and brutal with 5, and Power Grid also great at 5 and 6. Someone has also mentioned El Grande - absolute classic with 5 players. For slightly lighter then Airlines Europe does 5 players well ,and I think there is a simple adaption that make it work with 6.

[@matthewcrawford4216]

I’d put 7 wonders on the list. It’s too heavy to be called a light or casual game. I know because I gave it to my sister for her family to play and it never saw play. It was too complicated for them. The best part of 7 wonders is it plays so well with large groups. Everyone is busy during every turn. No down time. It’s a classic for a reason.

[@chriscockrell9495]

I love listening to some of your design philosophy. you ask a lot of good questions around Game design. Personally, I tend to ask questions that are less about Game design and more about sales. There is a lot of value recognizing that board games which take turns for the players are worse with 5+ players. Do you have any videos discussing 2 player games or zero sum games or light games?

[@jameystegmaier]

Yes, just search my channel for "light", "filler", and "2-player" and you'll see quite a few videos. :)

[@simonmcg23]

Even though it does not say it on the box Dominion works with 5. Quick and easy to set up and moves quickly if you don’t use any of the more exotic expansions. Also Quacks with Herb Witches

[@franktitzler2689]

Also at the lighter end of medium weight that is typically a quick play with plenty of meaty decisions is Raccoon Tycoon. If not in this list, definitely in your future lighter weight games. Nice list!

[@JonathanNation]

I thought about that one too. I almost think Raccoon Tycoon gets heavier as people understand it better.

[@tbahr123]

Between Two Castles and Space Base are the top choices for me that don’t lose a step going up to 5, but honorable mentions would go to 7 Wonders, Verdant, and The Crew. Some of your ambassadors must have a lot of patience with some of their picks! Some of those I would hesitate to play with even 4…

[@daniellebackus819]

Does verdant play at 5? I was picturing a max of 4. But it’s a fantastic game!!!

[@tbahr123]

@@daniellebackus819 unlike Calico or Cascadia, it does! It adds a bit of play time but makes the selections more interesting IMO

[@ColonelKurtz]

Some other games of mention that are good at 5 players: Kemet Francis Drake Neither plays more than 5 without an expansion, and Kemet's Seth expansion changes it to a 1-vs-many game. At the lighter end of the spectrum, I would also consider Long Shot: The Dice Game.

[@rolling.reggie]

I love Fantastic Factories but haven’t tried at 5p! My fave 5p game has gotta be Coloretto.

[@Kieran26]

Have you tried Twilight Inscription? Not sure if you'd class it more on the lower end of heavy, but also being simultaneous play, it fascinates me to see a game that plays up to 8. I usually play games with a group of 4, sometimes 5, so this really helps for those times when we need a game to fit that extra person!

[@jameystegmaier]

I haven't yet, but I'm curious to try it!

[@StockySnail]

My group always has 5 players and play Ark Nova 5 players and it works well with 5. The Coffee thing is extended a little but that's about it. Terraforming Mars is my and my groups favorite 5 player game. The new game HEAT is great at 6 players and Hansa Teutonica is great too, but my groups doesn't like Hansa Teutonica as much as I do.

[@TheSludgeMan]

Speaking of 5+ player games. Please give Paolo Mori's Ethnos the same treatment you gave Libertalia :)

[@jameystegmaier]

It's a neat game, but another company has the rights.

[@tonycork2pa469]

I rarely play at 5 players, but if I do, I would pull out: Citadels Liar's Dice (= Perudo) Winner's Circle

[@jameystegmaier]

One of those makes my 5+ lighter game list.

[@tonycork2pa469]

@@jameystegmaier That would appear to be Citadels :)

[@shockwavemasta]

Interesting that you chose Ra over Modern Art at 5 players - I've heard it's best at 3 to 4 players.

[@jameystegmaier]

My lists definitely have a lot of personal preference in them--while I like Modern Art, I LOVE Ra. :)

[@xaviershorten4226]

Quacks of Quidlenburg?? Or is this more of a light game?

[@jameystegmaier]

It's right on the edge.

[@benfairbank1]

Feld’s Strasbourg is great with 5 and doesn’t drag at all

[@mkitten13]

I highly disagree about Lords of Waterdeep. I much prefer that one at a lower player count. 3 is best, but 2 is also good. The higher player counts feel far too restrictive for me since you don't really get to do much every round, you have too few workers. Sure, the intrigue cards (if you get good ones) can help with that, but if you are unlucky with the intrigue cards, I tend to feel too "stuck" when playing Lords of Waterdeep at a higher player count.

[@errolwilde1656]

Do you think there is a market for 5+ player count games?

[@jameystegmaier]

ABSOLUTELY. I mean, a significant portion of the Stonemaier Games core philosophy is built around the idea that there's a big market for games that play from 1-5+ players.

[@errolwilde1656]

@Stonemaier Games that is good to hear. I've been working on a game that plays 5-20 and I'm worried no publisher will want to touch it with a 10ft pole, lol.

[@lordcocoon]

Orleans is really good, but it's 4 players only, right?

[@jameystegmaier]

You know, I could have sworn it went up to 5, but I literally just tried to play it at 5 last night, and the box we had only went up to 4--you're absolutely right!

[@kostiantynshapran163]

It goes up to 5 with an expansion

[@jameystegmaier]

​@@kostiantynshapran163 Thanks!

[@mrp4242]

I have the 5th player expansion and I think it plays well at 5 players.

[@JonathanNation]

looks like the Deluxe version has the 5th player included.

[@nib71286]

Ethnos or Senji didnt even make the ambassador list...maybe its time to apply to become an ambassador or maybe they are too light 🤷‍♂️ Quacks of Quedlinburg is probably the lighter version of orleans. If you want to try Senji bring some peeps to gopo in Fulton and Ill teach ya 😁

[@jameystegmaier]

I enjoyed my first play of Ethnos, but I need to play it more. I need to try Senji!

[@nib71286]

@@jameystegmaier if you dont know where to find a copy in St. Louis, there is a copy here 😉 really looking forward to seeing how Expeditions plays at 5 🤘

[@CANAS1AN]

how did no one say Kemet for 5+?

[@jameystegmaier]

I loved Kemet for a long time, and it's still a game I greatly admire...it just isn't one I get excited about now.

[@CANAS1AN]

@@jameystegmaier Kemet is what I call a "thumper" where the game state can get my heart pounding. love that game. I enjoy your videos so thx for making them

[@rikvanhorn9714]

Concordia and Istanbul

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

I think you could avoid the whole: is this game really "medium" argument by having a list that was "non-party games". Gamers can be weird calling a medium game "light", but most of them will agree what is a party game and what isn't. Before watching your list and off the top of my head: Scythe, Euphoria, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Ethnos, The Artemis Project, 7 Wonders, King of Tokyo, Concordia, Captain Sonar, Notre Dame. (I think Wingspan is a touch long at 5, but I can't wait to try the flock mode at 6-7 and see how it plays.)

[@jameystegmaier]

True, though I consider "light" to be quite different than "party"--you'll see what I mean in next week's video. :)

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

Post-video: my copy of Orleans says 2-4 players... does it go to 5 with an expansion?

[@mrp4242]

@@StevenStJohn-kj9eb yes. It was the first expansion I got for it.

[@jameystegmaier]

@@StevenStJohn-kj9eb I think so; I don't know why I had it in my head as 5 players out of the box.

[@mrp4242]

The 5th player color is black. Bottom line: you can most definitely play Orleans with 5 players.