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Entertaining friends can be stressful. You almost feel as if you have to throw together a whole agenda for them, otherwise you risk boring them. We don’t know about you, but we know we’ve spent our fair share of time apologizing to guests or worrying about driving them away.
A card game could be the solution to all your entertaining problems. They’re fun, there’s no need to set up a complicated board, and cleaning them up is easy-peasy.
But there are, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), tons of options out there. To help you save a little time, we’ve gathered a compilation of the best card games for more than 4 players.
Best Card Games for More than 4 Players
Exploding Kittens Party Pack
When most people are asked to think of fun card games for large groups of people, Exploding Kittens is probably one of the first ones to come to mind. This is a card game that many people are familiar with, and for good reasons.
The rules are really simple. All you want to do is avoid drawing an Exploding Kitten card, otherwise you lose. Everything else is game.
That simplicity is what makes the game so desirable – anyone can learn it in mere minutes. Plus, we can’t get enough of the outlandish, colorful art on the box and cards.
Pros:
- Can play with up to ten players, so no one will get left out.
- Crazy and hilarious artwork on the box and cards.
- Anyone can learn to play it in minutes.
- The box literally plays music when you open it.
- Suitable for ages seven and up, which means the whole family can play.
Cons:
- Some people feel that a few of the rules are little ambiguous.
- The theme can come off as a little childish.
Fluxx 5.0
The thing about Fluxx is it can’t really be described in just one word, unless that word is flexible. (Maybe even – dare we say – Fluxxible?) Why? Because it can change literally every time you play it.
Throughout the course of the game, the rules can vary based on different cards players put down. There’s not necessarily a constant goal.
This could be a good thing, however, if you’re the type of person who hates repetitive gameplay. No two games of Fluxx will feel exactly the same.
Pros:
- Will feel fresh every time you play it.
- Attractive packaging and bright cards.
- You can finish a game in as little as five minutes, making it a good option when you don’t have much time.
- Two to six people can play.
Cons:
- Some people may find the constantly changing rules a little confusing.
Rick and Morty Total Rickall
Fans of the hit TV show Rick and Morty should definitely consider getting Total Rickall at some point. It’s based off the episode of the same name, in which alien parasites pretend to be beloved friends of the Smith family.
You’ll follow the same concept as the plot for the episode. You and the other players at the table must try and discern which characters are who they say they are…and which ones are simply imitations.
The goal is to eliminate as many of the imitations as possible while preserving as many real characters as you can.
Pros:
- Ideal for Rick and Morty fans.
- Can play with up to five players.
- Includes many of the characters from the Total Rickall episode.
- Doesn’t take long to learn to play.
- Includes an advanced mode with hidden roles once you’re more familiar with the game.
Cons:
- The rules can be slightly confusing at first, especially for the Advanced mode.
Never Have I Ever: a Fun Adult Party Card Game
If you’ve ever played any drinking games with your friends, you’ve probably heard about Never Have I Ever before. That’s what this card game is based off of.
As you play, you’ll find out all kinds of wacky things the other players have done. There are rule cards and play cards in this set. If you’ve done whatever action is on the play card you get to keep it, facing up, on the table so everyone knows what you’ve done…and you know what others have done.
This is a game that will have everyone laughing- and probably a few blushing. But if your friends are easygoing, it’s undoubtedly a game you’ll all have fun playing.
Pros:
- Based on the iconic drinking game of the same name.
- Simple, straightforward rules.
- Perfect for getting everyone to laugh.
- You’ll learn new things about your friends.
Cons:
- Although there’s a family edition, the base version may not be suitable for children.
What Do You Meme?
Know anyone in your group of friends or family that loves memes? What Do You Meme? could be the perfect gift for them, then.
You can kind of imagine it as being like Cards Against Humanity. One person, who’s the judge for the round, draws a prompt card that’s a picture. The others play cards as captions for the picture. Then the judge decides who made the best meme by picking the funniest caption.
With 435 cards in the deck, the combinations are virtually endless. Every time you play, there’s no doubt you’ll see a new meme.
Pros:
- You can learn to play in literally seconds.
- Tons of combinations of pictures and captions.
- Includes an easel that you can put the photo cards on so all players can see.
- The cards are printed on high-quality paper with a gloss finish.
- There are expansions you can purchase if you just can’t get enough.
Cons:
- Definitely not suitable for the kids in your family, so save this one for the adults.
Red Flags
If you and your friends aren’t shy, Red Flags is a great pick. We’ve all daydreamed about our perfect soulmate at one point or another, and Red Flags lets you live out that fantasy…with a twist.
In Red Flags, each person gets cards with positive traits and cards with negative traits on them. Every turn, one person is the “single,” or the person who will be judging that round. The other players try to use three of their positive traits to put together the perfect date for the single person.
Then, once they’ve laid down their three cards, everyone chooses a negative trait and puts it on the trait cards belonging to the person on their left. You effectively sabotage someone’s carefully crafted dream date. The single person for the round then tries to pick which made-up person is the least horrible.
We’ve played this one ourselves a few times, and we can say it leads to some really fun conversations. If anyone in your friend group gets embarrassed easily, though, some of the cards in this game might make them red-faced.
Pros:
- Incredibly easy to play.
- Will undoubtedly make your group laugh over and over again.
- Results in utterly zany conversations.
- Great for bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Cons:
- Like many of the other games on this list, this one is for adults only.
Superfight
Imagine that, instead of making the perfect date, you’re trying to craft the perfect superhero. Superfight has all the same side-splitting gameplay qualities that Red Flags has, but you’re trying to create a superhero instead.
Each round, two superheroes will fight. Whoever created them must argue why their superhero would win, and the other players vote on who emerges victorious. The winner of the fight stands as champion until a turn comes along where someone else’s hero beats theirs.
This game will lead to absolutely ridiculous conversations. This is another one we’ve got on our shelf, and it’s one we’d love to take down and play with people more often.
Pros:
- Will make you have discussions you would have never thought possible.
- Everyone around the table will undoubtedly laugh as you create utterly bizarre heroes.
- You can play with as many people at the table as you’d like.
- Easy-to-understand rules.
- You can play with the whole family, as the recommended age is at least eight.
Cons:
- You’ll need to add your own house rules to balance the game; we had a problem where we would choose gods whenever we could, so it would be too hard to beat some heroes.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
To play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, you just need to know pretty much one rule: the name of the game. Yes, the seemingly random name of the game is the main rule.
Players take turns laying a card down on the table and saying one of the words in the game’s name in order. If the card they lay down on the table matches the word they’ve said (such as laying down a taco card and saying, “taco), the game becomes an adrenaline-pumping race.
All players must then slap their hands down on the pile of cards in the middle. The last one to slap their hand down has to take all the cards in the middle. Your objective is to try and empty your hand of your cards.
Pros:
- Can learn to play it in minutes.
- The entire family can safely play.
- No awkward cards that will make anyone blush.
- Each card has fun, adorable artwork on it.
Cons:
- May be difficult for anyone with slower reflexes.
- Your hand may get slapped, scratched, or nicked while playing.
Cards Against Humanity
What self-respecting list of card games for multiple players wouldn’t include the king of them all, Cards Against Humanity? We almost left this one off simply because it seems almost cliché to include it.
After some thought, though, we decided we had to add it because it’s a classic by this point. The premise is simple: all players get cards with random words or phrases on them.
On every turn, one player becomes the judge and draws a card with a prompt that has a blank spot in it somewhere. The other players lay down cards whose words they think fit in the blank nicely. Then the judge must read them all and decide which is best.
This game has been a raunchy staple at parties all over the world. If you don’t have it, you should definitely consider adding it to your collection. It’s a good gateway card game for new players, or a great game for those who normally don’t like card games.
Pros:
- Super easy to play.
- Will undoubtedly make everyone at the table laugh.
- There are so many combinations to make, that you can play this over and over again.
- You can play it with as many people as you’d like.
Cons:
- Not suitable for children.
Citadels
Although it may not be as well-known as some of the others here, Citadels simply had to go on our list. The goal of each player is to build a lucrative and beautiful city.
Every turn, they do two things to help them achieve this goal: building a district and taking two gold. However, things get interesting when you factor in their roles.
The core of the game revolves around several different roles you can play, such as Assassin or Thief. The available roles vary depending on the number of players at the table, so be sure to check the rules.
At the beginning of a round, the first player gets to choose a role, then pass the remaining ones to the left. From then on, each other player chooses from the narrowing selection of roles, until the final player gets to choose from two, discarding the remaining one.
Because each role has different abilities, this game will leave everyone guessing until the roles are revealed. It might sound kind of complicated initially, but it’s surprisingly simple. No one will have any issues grasping it after the first couple rounds.
Pros:
- Has beautiful artwork on the cards.
- You get to play a different role with different abilities each round – so you don’t get stuck with one role you didn’t want.
- Easy to learn.
- Because there are so many roles to experience, this game is highly replayable.
Cons:
- Compared with the high-quality of all the other pieces, the gold coins look a little uninspiring, as they are just featureless tokens.
Things to Consider When Buying a Card Game for More than 4 Players
Duration
If you’ve gathered four or more people together, chances are, you have plans for the night. (Or you might literally be getting together for no reason – that’s fine, too.) In that case, there may be things you want to do aside from playing a single card game, like eating or going out for drinks.
Maybe you’re even playing the card game as you wait at a bar or restaurant. Regardless, how long the game will take to play matters.
You can always find the duration on the box for the game. This will help you choose whether you’re looking for something to play all evening, or if you want something quick to fill a little time.
Theme
One thing that always catches our eye when we’re looking at card games is the theme. There are countless options out there, so no matter what you’re into, you can find a game that mirrors that.
Whether it’s horror, fantasy, sci-fi, or family-oriented themes, there’s a card game out there for you. So as you look at games, stop a moment to think about what kinds of things you’re interested in it.
Determining what your interests are will help you narrow down the options a little bit.
See Also: Top 5 Best Horror Themed Card Games for Adults
Age Range
Next, take a mental tally of all the people who will be playing with you. If you’re buying the game well ahead of time to keep around, and don’t know who you’ll play it with next, think about who you’ll play it with most often.
Are they all adults? Then the sky’s the limit, and you can choose anything you want.
But if you have some kids in your group, you might want to pick something a little more child-friendly. You can easily tell if a game is okay for children based on the recommended age on the box.
Cost
Finally, the price matters. You can sometimes end up paying a surprising amount of money for a single card game.
It’s generally not going to be as much as a board game, of course, but they can still get a little costly. Because of this, it’s always worth deciding what your ideal price range is.
Remember, you’ve got tons of options. You can tweak any of your requirements, and you’re still likely to find a card game that’s perfect for you no matter your budget.
Wrap Up
Like we’ve said a few times throughout this post, there are tons of options out there for you when it comes to card games. There are even quite a few on this list alone.
It can easily get confusing when you’re confronted with so many choices. If you had to pick only one from this entire list, we’d suggest you try out Citadels, although Superfight is a close second.
Both of them are underrated and both have amazing replayability. Go with Citadels if you’re looking for something with more depth and strategy, but go with Superfight if you’re looking for laughs.