I know you people at the Dice Tower have always preferred splitting the group into 2 smaller ones, but this might be because you have the chance to often play games. I think for most of us, a game day (or night) with friends is such a special occasion that there is added value to the shared social experience and so we prefer to keep the entire group together.

@rickthompson3843

2 жыл бұрын

I agree with you.

@gijoe250

2 жыл бұрын

My groups have that problem if not wanting to split up, and someone not willing to lead the other game

@kylenelson6141

2 жыл бұрын

I would also say that Tom has games he needs played and it is easier to play them in smaller groups instead of the max player count.

@m-sousa

2 жыл бұрын

I have a similar experience as the DT crew. Bottom line, I guess this will go in hand with group dynamic. When I started to play board games, I did it in a big organized group in Porto. We would plan ahead (sometimes) which games players wanted to play; so there would be groups of 4, 3, and 2 playing games. But then, we would mix stuff after games were finished, and we would have fun everyone kind of together.

@benjaminspears8488

2 жыл бұрын

We often play party games or roll and writes when we have 6-8 players…and there could have been a ton of those on this list. Generally, if you’re a family of 4 and have a couple more people over, splitting the group isn’t usually viable.

When we have 6 players, our go-to is 6 solo games, in which no one leaves their homes or even communicates with each other.

@simonmancini6038

10 ай бұрын

looooolll

If it's a random get-together, then sure, splitting up might be preferred. If "game night" is a special social activity that you purposefully make time for, the entire point is to spend it with all of the people in your group and enjoy that time together.

I only speak for myself, but I watch these top 10 lists for ideas to play not just with my board gaming friends but my family that is less keen on games. The main priority is to all play together in any case. I don't go to many meetups, so I think that may be skewing your perspective into finding it astounding that people would rather keep their groups together.

@metallsnubben

Жыл бұрын

That actually makes me think of another thing: splitting up is rough when you're the only person that knows the rules for both of the games!

At six I also like Lords of Waterdeep with the expansion, between two cities, welcome to ... (the moon), point salad, tiny towns, take 5, 7 wonders architects ...

Mike is spot on with Medici. That is always the first game that comes out with 6 players and the first one our play group would recommend to anyone looking for a fantastic 6 player experience. Fantastic selection Mike.

Retheming "Shadows over Camelot" would be a mistake. The theme is the best part of the game.

@sortehuse

2 жыл бұрын

I think that the theme is great and there is really no reason to change it - but maybe someone could make a great rethemed version.

Games that work at 5 or 6 but also don’t take hours is my entire collection because that’s the size of my family. 7 Wonders, Between Two Cities/Castles, Tiny Towns, Sushi Go Party, For Sale, 6 nimmt, and Camel Up all work great at 6 and none are too long or complicated to learn.

@sharefaerber5268

Жыл бұрын

Seven wonders Archatects? Great at 6!

Great work on updating how the presentations animate. Definitely freshens things up!

I'll throw The Alpha out there as one of our favorite 6 player games. Also, I love the 5 seconds of contemplation on Mike's face as he ponders the "Shake Your Jockies" joke. Keep up the good work crew!

MY favorite 6 player game is Not Alone, it is not a party game but works really well with high numbers, can go to 7 even!

Quartermaster General! QG is so bloody good with six people that it's impossible to enjoy it with any less. It's the most accessible wargame you can imagine and it plays relatively quickly. The two teams dynamic is always a blast with a good group. I love it.

Ethnos is one of my go-to 6 player games

I love Game of thrones at 6! Same goes for Rising Sun and Western Legends

Project Elite is great fun at 6, pure chaos but so fun!

Surprised nobody picked Keyflower. That game plays best at 6 IMO and is amazing. The reason I don't have it is we rarely have 6 players, but I am first in line every time we play it at one of our yearly (before covid) boardgame vacations with all our friends.

@Tokengesture

2 жыл бұрын

Keyflow for me

@lesliee700

Жыл бұрын

My first thought as well

My list would be something like this: 1. Dixit 2. Codenames 3. Cosmic Encounter + expansion 4. Bang! The Dice Game 5. For Sale 6. Camel Up 7. King of Tokyo 8. TransAmerica 9. Airlines: Europe (with optional 6 player rule) 10. Ave Caesar I own Cyclades with the expansion, but I haven't tried it at 6 but it sounds interesting.

I knew Scythe wouldn’t make any of their lists, but I LOVE it at 6 & 7. If players start their turn as the previous player is completing the bottom action, that speeds things up a lot. Also, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a GREAT game at 6, maybe my favorite game for 6 players.

@Tokengesture

2 жыл бұрын

Between 2 castles

@rav3style

Жыл бұрын

If everyone is a fan and knows what to do it's a fantastic experience

I got crazy lucky lately and scored a second hand copy of Shadows Over Camelot from someone in my fb board game group for 50$! Game is in amazing shape, just a bit of box wear and that's it!

love the new slide transitions

Great Video. My game group meets up twice a year and we are always 6 people, so I'm always looking for games for 6. Some games we really like and weren't mentioned: - Eclipse 2nd Dawn - It's a wonderful world (playable with 6 with expansion) - Lords of Waterdeep (playable with 6 with expansion) - RoboRally - Sushi Go Party

Absolutely love Shadows, it was the first game I thought of for this topic. I still have vivid memories of defeat being grasped from the jaws of victory as in a 4P game where there was maybe a traitor maybe not a traitor the traitor had remained hidden by the end of the game and so we lost by 1 sword! It was spectacular but also so painful.

Some of my favorite 60-90m 6p games (non-party or social deduction) are It's a Wonderful World (with ex), Isle of Cats (with ex), Libertalia, Mission Red Planet, Camel Up (2nd ed), and Zombicide. Also really like The Thing : Infection at Outpost 31, Gates of Ryleh, and Shadow Hunters which are social deduction, but more goal/task oriented.

Good lists. I want to mention Evolution: Climate, which is great at all player counts 2-6.

To add my two cents to the discussion, I have frequently tried to encourage every 6+ group into smaller groups so as to play separate games, and they are always reluctant to. Even if it's not what's happening, everyone feels like pairing up with some and not others feels exclusionary. Granted, I mostly play with the same small group of friends that I've known for 10+ years at someone's house, not playing with a mixed group of new and old faces at a public game shop. The comparatively few times I've gamed at a hobby shop, it's been with either 2-4 other people, or 20+ other people. In the former, we're not at 6 and on the latter we obviously have to split into groups.

@TheOldMan-75

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, splitting groups is super weird when you're in someone's home and not at a hobby shop. I wouldn't even consider doing that.

This was a timely Top 10: the boardgames night I facilitate at the FLGS has had a couple low turnouts (sunny days and holidays, can't blame 'em), and 6 seems to be the magic number for those sessions. I initially wanted to split it up, but the feedback was that people have opportunities to get 2-3 player games in usually...the "high player count" was actually a selling point or positive feature of their coming to the event. This list has given me some more options to draw on, for those low turnout sessions. Thanks for all the god work!

I am very happy about this list, this is always one of those... issues we run into.

really surprised that captain sonar wasn't on the list. I'm a fan of power grid at 6

@yogzoth

2 жыл бұрын

I came in here expecting everyone to have Captain Sonar in the top 2.

@mikemudrow

2 жыл бұрын

I know you can play Captain Sonar at 6, but I mostly think of that as an 8-player only game.

Tiny Towns is great at 6, just played it this week. A very rare instance where more players means a shorter game, because people have less control of the resources. It does become less strategic but it's super fun.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (2nd edition), Rex: Final Days of an Empire, New Angeles :)

@MongooseDoggie

2 жыл бұрын

Rex / Dune are amazing at 6

My group loves Space base, Isle of cats, Medici the card game, 7 Wonders and Dominion.

Great list! We're six people often and never split!

My favourite 6 player game is New Angeles. It plays best at 6 players and the boardroom drama is so good. It is the only game that I know that does negotiation in a realistic manner as the two sides don't need to necessarily beat each other in the negotiation, so they can find a way to both benefit.

@bluwzrdisgreedy234

2 жыл бұрын

Ran straight to the comments to see if someone brought this up because I knew no one on the panel would, with their documented distaste of semi-co-op games.

@user-js7ht4kz2x

2 жыл бұрын

I really LOVE New Angeles. I really wished there was an expansion for it. Don't get me wrong: I think the game is sufficiently awesome as it is, but still: At least to me it "feels" like the systems in the game were meant to be able to accommodate a few more things added to it and a bit more variety with the cards would be nice as well. (I know this was a contested point with Battlestar Galactica, that used a similar card mechanism and some people disliked the fact that expansions added more variety because they liked to be able to better predict what certain players could do. I however am not one of those people. ;) )

Ethnos is missing from these lists. Amazing 6 player game.

@jettryker

2 жыл бұрын

Yes!! I was really surprised. I think the whole art snobbing on Ethnos is ridiculous.

@Tokengesture

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed- Works really well at 6… quite weird that nobody had it

Yes Vabanque is great at 6! Just discovered this game and it’s fantastic.

Please note that Tom's #3 pick Unicorn Fever has been "killed"/supplanted by Ready Set Bet (as per their March 2023 video)

Trails of Tucana is amazing at all player counts!

I called Toms #1 while they where still talking about #10. But this was very amusing anyway. Thank you.

I really like Mare Nostrum Empires at 6 with the Atlas expansion. I throw in all the cards and all the heroes. Great fun.

one of my favs for more then 5 players is Citadels, it is just so much fun and it has a good pace. I rarely see this game mentioned in any list but i would add this to 6 player+ top 10 for sure

My friends and I do not live near to each other any more, so we are only able to get together 1-2 times a year. With everyone starting to get married our group size is now up to 6 people. The last thing we want to do the one time a year we manage to get together is to split the group up to play separate games apart from each other. So I appreciate this list as we are always looking for good games we can all play together.

It's a little tough to get, but I think The King's Guild plays surprisingly well at 6 players (though it does play best at 4)

Played an 8 player game of Longshot. It was fun for sure.

The problem with 6 is not the player count, but finding a game that fits all 6 people's taste in games

Not sure if anyone mentioned it, Zee, but I thought about Atlantis Rising 2nd ed. That is one of my go-to co-op's if I have a large player count bc of the simultaneous actions.

Hi Tom and all, I watch every group Dice Tower top 10 (and plenty of Tom's solo short top 10s as well) and also have gone back and watched every old one I missed from the very beginning. I've always been a "look up the channel" rather than a subscribe kind of guy. But today, with the excitement of seeing 300k subs, I'm officially hitting the button. Best of luck!

Euphoria is a beauty at 6 players, since you are either just placing a die or removing them.

With my group, I often am the game host and the person who can explain rules in a concise-yet-understandable way to newer players. Because of this, people dont like to split into multiple games. I can certainly understand splitting the room when able, but it's an assumption that "Foxbear is going to show us how to play quickly," so everyone wants to be in whatever game I'm leading. 6+ games are a hot commodity.

Point Salad and Tiny Towns would have been on my list.

I had a hard time with that poll because I fit into all three camps based on the context. Biweekly weekday gaming after work - split group, usually based on how much time people have Nerdy dinner party where games break out - party game Rare all day Saturday gaming day - TI4, Dune, etc, massive 6 player game that takes 8 hours.

The one in my collection that I always prefer with 6 is Rex: Final Days of an Empire.

Imperial (2030) - such an original game that plays very well at 6. Too bad that game somehow never gets any attention on The Dice Tower. I don't know any game like It, but rarely gets some love.

@davidhowell1424

2 жыл бұрын

I played this for the first time 2 weeks ago. I loved it.

@gvozdaka1907

2 жыл бұрын

There is also Antike 2 from same author, works quite good at 6

Jamaica, Feed the Kraken, king of Tokyo and maybe Night of the Ninja or 7 Wonders are on my list for this Saturday. I wish I could get a copy of Ready Set Bet

We frequently get 6 players. We used to get more but when we got tired of Avalon and realized that splitting players up didn’t work for us, I decided six was max. It still poses a problem, but we always have a player or two willing to sit out on a game. Basically, it’s come to the point where we host 4 players most of the time when we want to be, “serious” about gaming…but we’ll host more less frequently and end up playing King of Tokyo and the like.

Here are some non-party/non-social deduction : 7 Wonders / Cartographers / Camel Up 2nd / Skull King / Betrayal at House on the Hill

Perpetual commotion is a great 6 player game. Very highly recommend it more. Every friend we play buys a copy. And only print copies are available in America. We live in Australia.

Late to this but surprised that Mike didn't say Cthulhu Wars for 6 players. Its a go to game when we get a lot of us together for a yearly thing and plays well at 6.

@Exozik

Жыл бұрын

One of the best area control game.

Libertalia, Mission Red Planet, and Shadows Over Camelot have worked will at 6 with me.

Scythe is my go-to game for 6-7 players. It is better with more players and if you stick to the rule (from rulebook) that next person can start while active player does bottom action it keeps it moving. Also makes recruiting more interesting.

Between Two Castles plays well at high player counts and is more complex than a party game. I'm on the fence about keeping it however since it never gets played.

Veiled Fate just came out and really surprised me. I had honestly lost all interest in it after backing but now that I have it, I'm glad I backed it

Scythe plays great at 6 as long as everyone has some experience in the game, someone helps keep everyone on track, and the next turn begins as soon as the top action is resolved. If you have a group that loves Scythe, it can be a lot of fun.

@rav3style

2 жыл бұрын

@@Ironhawx really depends on the group

@thecyclamen9106

2 жыл бұрын

oh my god never haha

@TorIverWilhelmsen

2 жыл бұрын

Stonemaier tries to make all their games play 6 players, sometimes it works well (Libertalia with simultaneous action selection, Euphoria with quick turns and lots of bumping, Rolling Realms also simultaneous turns), sometimes less (Scythe and Viticulture have a fair bit of downtime because some actions are more complex than others)

@DumahAtreides

2 жыл бұрын

@@TorIverWilhelmsen Viticulture I agree is just too slow at six. Scythe as I said is good (not best) at six, given the conditions I pointed out.

@JimmySquiky

2 жыл бұрын

How do you even play at 6 ? There are only 5 bottom board.

I love Sidereal Confluence at 6-9 players... And it plays in about 2h regardless of count because of silmuyanious play.

@cromatoast

2 жыл бұрын

nice

@MartinHinshelwood

2 жыл бұрын

And it plays in about 2h regardless of player count (not including teach)

Interesting lists 😊 Happy to have found the dice tower, didn’t know about them before but now binge watching a lot of top 10 lists 😂 As a European, I have to say I don’t know some of these games. I also wouldn’t consider a top 10 without : « challengers » « the great split » but they might be too recent to make it to this list?

I’ve played I’m the Boss at 4 players once, it was super dumb and I loved it. Ended with two players tying somehow

Um... Shadows over Camelot is EXTREMELY rare. $673.20 worth of rare on Amazon. Been tryingto acquire it for a couple years now and should've got that copy on eBay recently for $120.

@mardel5466

2 жыл бұрын

Ugh.. I mean at this point just try printing it with half the price even more

@junkjunk81

2 жыл бұрын

$673.20! I'll sell anyone my copy for the low, low price of $499.

@grog3514

2 жыл бұрын

I'll sell mine for $498!

@Skippan

2 жыл бұрын

Amazon’s worst price indicator for out of print stuff

@joeferreti9442

2 жыл бұрын

Amazon is known as a place where a certain kind of people place out-of-print products for extremely exorbitant high prices. It's really not a good price indicator for out-of-print products.

Really looking forward to trying Last Light at 6

I think there are a few reasons splitting up isn't practical for many groups. Firstly I feel the dynamic for many is everyone is there to see each other and have a good time, which makes to the less gamer types splitting into two less desirable, I doubt many people's groups of 6 consist of 6 hardcore gamers. Secondly I feel making this work in practice isn't that easy as you'd like two games that end around the same time, that's not easy to setup. Then you have all the other issues, eg. often someone is bringing out a new game and they have to teach, one of space is also relevant. I know I'm in the minority on this specifically, and I miss out on a ton of good games this way but I only buy games that play at least 5 players as >80% of the times I play games is with 5 or 6, and there's just no desire from anyone at the table to split up on those nights.

@thecyclamen9106

2 жыл бұрын

Yep I agree with you. My gaming sessions are 4,5 or 6 people going to someone’s house because we don’t have a game store. Splitting up into groups would be silly

@ozza000

2 жыл бұрын

@@thecyclamen9106 I think it's probably more acceptable if everyone in the group is a hardcore gamer there to play games, but reality is most gaming groups aren't 6 hardcore gamers, there are some just tagging along for a bit of fun.

@thecyclamen9106

2 жыл бұрын

@@ozza000 it’s also completely unnecessary. The game doesn’t improve with more players it just takes longer

@sharefaerber5268

Жыл бұрын

Seven wonders architects is very good at 6….my group is always 5 or 6 and no one wants to split up….so thank you for this list!

While it isn't intended for more than 5 players even with the expansions I have played Res Arcana with 6 players once and it did surprisingly well. I wouldn't recommend doing so with new players, only people who have played 4 or more times. Games still go smooth and there is a lot more tension knowing what you are going for could be swiped away just before your turn. It added even more advanced plays and only served to elevate my excitement for the game. Also more players in the game makes artifacts like the dragons better since it can effect more players so while it is usually a bad strategy to go for 1v1 and mediocre 3-4 player, 5-6 player is in my opinion the best way to play. Just requires a little home rules to decide how many monuments and places of power you want to include. We also played to 12 VP when we had the first expansion but the second expansion extended it to 13 VP so we might try 15-17 VP depending on how quickly games end the next time we have 6 people for it. Might even try 7 players if there is enough cards in both expansions.

Big fan of Bohnanza at 6. Much preferred at 5, but 6 is a solid game if everyone knows how to play

Power Grid is great with 6 that no one mentioned. Auctions are great with more players - fighting over real estate is intense. Managing your plants is simple and fun. I also picked your honorable mentions Bohnanza and Colt Express. They are too predictable and not enough options with only a few players.

@rexgoodheart3471

2 жыл бұрын

Correct. Auction games are great with more players. Modern Art, for example.

You can stay in Tokyo with 6 players. Because there will often be two monsters in. If a monster outside has low health they will try not to roll claws, so you can end up staying for a full round.

Mentioned this in the poll but i really think star wars duels is a good choice, enough to think about and enough to power fantasize about. I would house rule that you can't attack a players card that has already been attacked on the first round though, nothing worse than not getting a turn because you started in the front.

What about "The Hunger" ? I've never played it but I saw it plays at 6. What's your opinion , cause I am considering getting it mainly because of the max player count.

My 6yr old was appalled that Dungeon Mayhem wasn't on the list.

Simultaneous play games are good choices: 7 Wonders, Sushi Go! There’s probably some other good ones that I can’t think of right now.

The 5th and 6th player expansion for Sagrada changes the game so you are looking at your personal dice pool while others are drafting so there is little to no down time. Because of this, I would rather play it at 5-6 than 4!

Love the harmony at 30:25

I am not surprised that roughly 85% of the voters said that they don't split. I would be in favour of splitting into 2 groups of 3 but never have a situation that makes sense to do so. Especially as I am usually the only one who knows the games and has to teach one table then switch back to the game I am about to play. It feels odd to split my attention. It would work better if you had enough people who can teach and setup the game for each group you split into. Also the other situation is when my immediate family gets together for dinner. We are all adults and enjoy playing non-party games, but as we meet mainly to catch up, the board game needs to include everyone so if there are random side conversations other people aren't left out.

@Cowardlydabbling

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. There are not a lot of groups that have a bunch of experts like dice tower groups have. There’s a lot of ppl like us who love bored games, but tend to coerce our loved ones or non board game friends into a game night. Couldn’t t agree more on the catching up part too. If you split, you don’t get to socialize with half the ppl you wanted to that night.

@michaelmorgan23

2 жыл бұрын

I agree, not to mention we meet at my house because that is where the games are and I only have one table.

@pikkdogs

2 жыл бұрын

Whenever I’m In a group with 6 or more I’m like, “let’s split up”, nobody ever wants to.

@tinstargames

2 жыл бұрын

There’s tons of social pressure not to split

Take it Easy is a great one at 6 as well!

If we are 6 players we usually play a quick game first (Tsuro, For Sale etc) and then split up.

I had shadows over camelot for years but didn't have a group to play with, so I sold it. Now that I do have a group, I regret selling it along with the expansion as I can't seem to find it anywhere.

I play a lot of 6-player games. Great lists. But, here are more that weren't on the top ten lists. Asking for Trobils Avalon Bang the Dice Cash n Guns Celestia Cockroach Poker Code Names Colt Express Coup Crosstalk Decrypto Dicetown (w/ expansion) Dixit Dream Home (w/ expansion) Insider Just One Love Letter Mysterium Not Alone NY Slice Pit Saboteur Sheriff of Nottingham (w/ expansion) Skull Spyfall Sushi Go Party The Captain is dead Time’s Up Treasure Hunters When I dream

lol Mike suffering from anomia while trying to explain what anomia means 😂 Also, gauva and cheese turnovers are awesome!

Maybe I'm the odd one here, but my choice to play in a large game depends on the setting. If I'm at a game store or public club meetup, I'd rather split into smaller groups. If I'm at a friend's house we'd rather play a big six-player game even if it takes longer. Splitting into smaller groups feels like somebody got banished to the kid's table at the holidays.

@Alluvian567

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. I will never want to split a group among friends. If there is not a game we all want to play together we just won't play a game and sit and chat instead. Or sometimes there are those that don't like boardgames as much and prefer to sit out and watch. I am HAPPY to take the role of rules teacher for instance and take myself out of the game. I find playing and teaching a game at once to sometimes be frustrating. So usually there will be some who will bow out and stay at the table to usually heckle the rest of us, heh.

@davismcnevin8795

2 жыл бұрын

"The Kids' Table" That is exactly how I feel when it happens to others in the group. In my gaming circle, I'm the one that more or less brought so many of them into the hobby. So I'm the one that is "the game nerd", and everyone loves to beat me in board games (which happens more than not).

I’ve been looking for a copy of Shadows Over Camelot, but I haven’t seen it for less than $100

Mysterium park for me, I've had great success with this game.

I REALLY hope for a reprint of Shadows over Camelot. Here in Germany it it super expensive to get a copy, because it is so out of print.

@jacobmartin9021

2 жыл бұрын

If it's any consolation you aren't missing that much. Also IIRC it's a solved game i.e. the good knights can win every time without fail (and it's not that hard of a solve either)

I'm kinda surprised no one had Western Legends on their list. In my opinion, this game gets better the more players you have.

@alexandertufano8462

2 жыл бұрын

It can be very long with 6 with a lot of down time though, depending on the players.

@timothywalsh9637

2 жыл бұрын

@@alexandertufano8462 I suppose that can be true, though, with more players, there tends to be more player interaction in the form of duels, playing poker, and sending the sheriff after other players. I'm also not someone who is bothered by downtime in board games because I enjoy watching what the other players will do.

When I Kickstart "Get off my back" with the "Shake your Jockeys" expansion, I expect you guys to give it some love on crowdsurfing.

More people need to have a chance to play Quartmaster General WW2. Absolutely one of the best 6 player games.

We played Citadels with a full table. One friend kept getting killed almost every round. It was hilarious.

Dominant species, Dragon & flagon, Bang!, Trading On The Tigris, and Bohnanza are some I think of

@davismcnevin8795

2 жыл бұрын

THERE it is...Dominant Species. Thought I was the only one on the list.

what's the snowboard game in the backround?!

Before i finish the video, Colt Express is my number 1 and it always is a great introduction to people who dont like boardgames

Bang! The dice game, Detective Club, Cockroach poker, Perudo, Telestration, Parade, Colt express (very chaotic!).

How is Sidereal Confluence taking you guys three to four hours? That's thirty-to-forty minutes per turn! One of my favourite things about Sidereal is that it takes two hours and change regardless of player count, because everything is simultaneous. The rulebook mentions putting a ten-minute time limit on each trade phase if you feel it's necessary; sounds like it'd be worth giving it a try if things are dragging out that long.

@blacksheep9950

2 жыл бұрын

The game goes up to nine players, but yeah, one of the races is mean and a couple are complex. Expansions should provide some alternative options. Most I've managed is seven, but I'm hoping to get a nine-player game at a boardgame getaway later this year.

Carcassonne with 6th player expansion? (Just playing to a time limit to shorten it)

I recommend detective club. It’s like dixit/Mysterium but with more interaction and social reads.

@benjaminspears8488

2 жыл бұрын

That’s a game where 6-8 people are perfect. I would say it’s a party game though.

Planet Unknown plays great at 6!