If you like playing board games, you might be wondering what the best game is for a crowd. If you’ve got 10 or more people, you’ll need the right party game to entertain everyone. The best board games can take a social gathering from, “meh,” to “YEAH!”
But which game is right for you? In this article, you’ll find the best board games for larger groups. Find the age range, style of play, as well as the pros and cons.
Grab nine of your closest friends and break out the snacks for these 10-player board games!
Contents
- 1 10-Player Party Game: At a Glance
- 2 10-Player Board Game Reviews
- 2.1 Wavelength: Best Overall 10-Player Board Game
- 2.2 One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Best App-Driven Game
- 2.3 The Resistance: Avalon: Best Social Deduction Board Game
- 2.4 Formula D Board Game: Best Racing Game
- 2.5 Tell Me Without Telling Me: Best for Card Game for Adults
- 2.6 Pictionary: Best for Families
- 2.7 Double Ditto: Best for Kids
- 2.8 Confident?: Best for Large Groups
- 2.9 Speed Charades: Best Guessing Game
- 2.10 The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow: Best Card Game
- 3 10+ Player Games: A Buying Guide
- 4 Best Board Games for 10+: Final Verdict
10-Player Party Game: At a Glance
If you’re searching for the best party game, you probably have certain characteristics you’re looking for. To help you out, I’ve summarized some of my top recommendations, according to the features and style of play.
If you’re playing with kids, I recommend Double Ditto. It’s easy to understand and is suitable for kids as young as eight. It’s also fun to play as a family game. Other good family games include Pictionary and Speed Charades.
Do you enjoy social deduction games? I’d go with The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow. It’s super simple and so much fun. Other games in this category are The Resistance: Avalon and One Night Ultimate Werewolf.
If guessing games are your thing, I recommend Wavelength. It puts a unique twist on the genre while still being simple to learn and play. Other guessing games are Speed Charades, Confident? and Tell Me Without Telling Me.
Lastly, if you enjoy dice rolls, check out Formula D. It’s a racing game that has plenty of action and excitement.
10-Player Board Game Reviews
Wavelength: Best Overall 10-Player Board Game
Number of Players: 2-12
Playing Time: 30-45 minutes
Age: 14+
Publisher: CMYK Games
The creators of Monikers have teamed up with Wolfgang Warsch to create a new mind-reading game, Wavelength. Wavelength is one of those party games where everyone goes away talking about the experience. There will be plenty of thinking and talking and laughing–perfect for a party game!
In this mind-reading board game, two teams compete to guess where a hidden target is located on a spectrum. Here’s how it works. There’s a plastic wheel that you sit upright. When you spin the wheel, the target lands on a random spot that is hidden to view.
Think of it like a range of 1-10. When you spin the wheel, the bullseye might stop on a 3 or it might stop on a 7. Only the clue giver can look at where the bullseye lands.
Next, the clue giver pulls a card that gives two extremes at opposite ends of the spectrum. For instance, they might pull a card that shows “hot/cold.” The far left of the wheel represents the hottest, and the far right of the wheel represents the coldest.
The clue giver now has to think of a clue that fits where the target is. In our example, if the bullseye landed to the left, the player would need to think of something that’s hot. They might say, “coffee.” The other players have to turn the red dial on the wheel to where they think the bullseye is. The closer the other players guess to the target’s center, the more points their team scores.
Wavelength most closely resembles Codenames, the popular word-guessing party game of recent years. Both board games have players trying to match their thinking with that of their teammates. Players try to get on the same wavelength as their team (thus, the name).
But here’s where it differs. Wavelength is more subjective in regard to the clues. Back to our example, coffee can be hot OR cold. Or yes, coffee is hot, but it’s not as hot as the sun! You see where players might diverge in their thinking, which could lead to trickier rounds!
Wavelength is loads of fun, and it’s a great game for large groups of players. But here’s the major flaw: there’s a lot of downtime. One player is trying to think of a clue that matches the given target, all while the other players are sitting there, twiddling their thumbs. It could be a while, depending on the clue giver.
Wavelength is a great party game for those who want to test their communication skills!
Pros
- Easy to learn
- Leads to great conversation
- Great for larger groups
- Guessing game
Cons
- Has a lot of downtime
One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Best App-Driven Game
Number of Players: 3-10
Playing Time: 10 minutes
Age: 8+
Publisher: Bézier Games
There’s a werewolf among us! This game is perfect for you if you enjoy sussing out bad guys… or if you can play the bad guy. One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a fast-paced social deduction game for 3-10 players.
At the start of the game, each player receives a secret role. This role gives that player special abilities to help either the Villagers or the Werewolf team. The game takes place over two phases: the night phase and the next morning.
The free app walks your group through the night phase. During the morning phase, the players have time to discuss what happened at night and discover who the werewolves are.
This game is ideal for large groups because it moves quickly and has a lot of interaction between players. The app narrates the game, which means you don’t have to remember the complex script and changing roles; just follow the app’s instructions.
The cards and game components are high-quality. That’s a good thing, too, because a bent or messed up card will give away a player’s secret role.
This game isn’t as fun with smaller groups, and it’s not for those who struggle with deception. A good poker face comes in handy when playing this game. However, if you enjoy social deduction games, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is the best party game for you.
Pros
- Great hidden traitor game
- Fast-paced
- App-driven
- Great player interaction
- High-quality components
Cons
- Not as fun for smaller groups
Number of Players: 5-10
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Age: 10+
Publisher: Indie Boards and Cards
The Resistance has been among the most popular social deduction games since its debut in 2010. The Resistance: Avalon is a stand-alone version that pits the forces of good and evil in a war over Camelot.
Players are brave knights who are loyal to King Arthur, the future of Britain. He promises prosperity and honor, but hidden among the brave warriors are evil players who serve Mordred.
The nefarious minions know who the others are. Merlin, Arthur’s servant, also knows their identity. But there’s a catch to his unique power. Merlin can only speak in riddles.
As the brave knights complete quests with teams, the minions attempt to sabotage their efforts. The kingdom will be lost if the bad guys can discover Merlin’s true identity. However, the Knights of the Round Table can use quests, secret votes, and subversion to reveal the traitors.
The Resistance: Avalon is a great game for large groups. There’s plenty of excitement as players try to figure out who the traitors are. Each game only takes 30 minutes, so you can play it multiple times in a single game night. There’s also a decent amount of strategy without being too heavy.
It’s difficult for the good guys to win this board game. Modred and his minions seem to have a clearer pathway to victory. But the challenge is part of the fun!
The Resistance: Avalon can be played solo, or you can combine it with The Resistance: Dystopian Universe to create a unique game experience!
Pros
- High level of player interaction
- Moves quickly
- Requires strategy
- High replay value
Cons
- A little skewed toward the evil side
Formula D Board Game: Best Racing Game
Number of Players: 2-10
Playing Time: 60 minutes
Age: 14+
Publisher: Zygomatic Games
Formula D is a racing game that takes players into the world of Formula 1. It’s an exciting and high-stakes remake of the classic French game Formula De.
In this racing board game, players race simulated cars. The goal? Be the first one to cross the finish line, of course! Players have to use strategic planning, along with a fair bit of luck, to get ahead. Here’s how the gameplay works:
The game is played in rounds. Each round ends when all the cars go around the track one time. The game ends when all the players cross the finish line. Cars move along the track via dice rolls, but this is way more than a simple roll-and-move board game. Players must make decisions quickly as they seek to avoid collisions and move ahead.
Do you switch gears to roll a higher-numbered dice but risk putting wear on your car? Do you brake behind the car in front of you or do you pass them, only to have a longer distance to cover in the outside lane? Each decision you make has its own risks and rewards.
The box says the game is appropriate for ages 14 and up, but many reviewers were able to play the game with children younger than that. I would recommend 10 years and up.
One unique feature of this board game is that you can choose between basic or advanced rules to customize the game to your group’s skill level. The alternate version allows illegal racing on the streets of the big cities, customized cards, skidding in roundabouts, nitro fuel injection, and underhanded tricks. If your group isn’t super competitive, I would stick to the regular version!
There’s more luck involved than some would prefer, but there are still ways to use strategy to your advantage. Nonetheless, dice rolling does play a big role in the gameplay.
One other thing to consider is that this game might be a little tight with 10 players. You can definitely play it with a large group of 9-10 players, but it might work more seamlessly with 5-8 players.
Pros
- High on strategy (for a dice game)
- Supports large groups
- Choose between basic or advanced rules
- Colorful, quality components
- Exciting and competitive
Cons
- Heavy on dice rolling
- Might get tight with 10 players
Tell Me Without Telling Me: Best for Card Game for Adults
Number of Players: 4+
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Age: 18+
Publisher: Spin Master Games
Tell Me Without Telling Me was inspired by the TikTok trend of “tell me without telling me,” which is basically the social media version of charades. Tell Me Without Telling Me is a guessing party game for adults. It can be played in just half an hour and supports larger groups, making it ideal for game nights. This game comes with 400 cards, custom dice, and a sand timer.
There are three categories on the playing die: Show Don’t Tell, One Syllable, or Freestyle. The goal is to be the fastest team to guess the words on the cards.
In Show Don’t Tell, players aren’t allowed to use words, like charades. Players must give clues using only body language. In One Syllable, players can only use words with a single syllable. In Freestyle, players can use any words that aren’t on the card, but no gestures are allowed. Basically, Tell Me Without Telling Me is Taboo and Charades wrapped up into one box.
To play, split the players into two teams. Each group alternates rolling the die, then flip the timer to start each team’s turn. One player gives hints to the team. The other players on the team guess as many cards as possible before the timer runs out.
Each team has 60 seconds in each round to correctly guess the clue. Teams keep their cards to see who has the most at the end of the game.
The cards fall into one of several topic categories, including people, traits, things, places, and NSFW. If you’d rather skip the adult content, leave out the NSFW cards and stick to the other categories. But fair warning, this game is designed for adults.
If you enjoy card games and are planning an adults-only game night, you might consider Tell Me Without Telling Me. If you’re playing with all ages? Skip this one and grab a family-friendly game.
Pros
- Plenty of player conversation
- Fast-moving
- Easy to understand
- Three potential ways to give clues
Cons
- Not kid-friendly
Pictionary: Best for Families
Number of Players: 4+
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Age: 8+
Publisher: Mattel Games
Channel your inner artist with the 1985 classic board game Pictionary. It’s designed for kids and adults, alike, and can be played in just 30 minutes. This game is perfect for a larger group of 10 players or more.
Pictionary puts your drawing skills on the spot. Try to get your friends to guess what you’re illustrating before the one-minute timer runs out. The prompts could be simple, or they could be punishingly abstract. Your job remains the same–draw it so your teammates can guess the right answer!
The clue you draw is determined by the square you land on as you move across the game board. Each space has a different color that represents a category like “action” or “object.” If your group correctly guesses the prompt, you’ll roll a die and keep moving along the board, with a new illustrator taking the helm.
Some squares are all-plays, which allows both teams to work at the same time. These squares can make for an exciting and chaotic turn, with both sides wrestling for control.
Pictionary is so easy to play, you don’t really need to purchase a box set to play the game. You can play your own version at home with a dry-erase board or large notepad and use your phone as a timer. Having the boxed board game just helps keep everything in one place and gives you prompts to use.
This edition by Mattel includes two erasable markers, erasable boards for drawing, and 400 clues in different categories. Several customers complained about the messy board and markers, which left marker residue all over their hands. The game components could use an upgrade. Or better yet, just get your own supplies and use the game’s clue cards.
The good news? This game is quite inexpensive, so you could purchase extra dry-erase markers and still spend less than many board games.
Pros
- Great for all ages
- Easy to learn
- Easily supports 10 players
- High level of interaction
- Guessing drawing game
Cons
- Dry erase is quite messy
Double Ditto: Best for Kids
Number of Players: 4-20
Playing Time: 25-30 minutes
Age: 10+
Publisher: Inspiration Play
Double Ditto, published by Inspiration Play, is an award-winning board game for families and friends of all ages. It won “Game of the Year” for Creative Child Magazine in 2016. It supports up to 20 players, so this is a good board game for parties and family game nights.
This fast-paced family game can be played with kids and adults. The simple gameplay is easy to learn and moves along at a good pace. It comes with 400 category cards, a 15-second timer, score sheets, and an instruction card.
Players take turns drawing a card and reading it out loud. Everyone quickly writes down two answers they think the others will imagine. If your answer matches someone else’s, you score points (“ditto”). If both your answers find a match, you score a “double ditto.”
Once the Ditto Master has read their answers the player to their left then reads theirs and if anyone matches those, the yelling of “Ditto!” and “Double Ditto!” commences. This goes around the table until all players have read their answers and matched any possibilities.
Like Wavelength, this game is about trying to anticipate what others might think. Put your mind-reading skills and creativity to the test! The player who scores the most points wins the game.
Younger players who may not have the reading and writing skills to participate solo can partner with an older player to make the game accessible. The game doesn’t take long to play, so it works as a good time filler.
This board game is not challenging enough to have a super high replay value, but it’s nice to play when you have some spare time. I would recommend this for family vacations, car trips, or for classrooms (indoor recess games to the rescue).
Pros
- Fast-paced
- Fun game for kids and families
- Easy to learn
- Works for varying group sizes
- Expansions available
Cons
- Not very challenging
Confident?: Best for Large Groups
Number of Players: 2-30
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Age: 8+
Publisher: Confident Games
Confident? is one of the best 10-player board games for simultaneous play. This game brings plenty of laughing and talking along the way. This hit trivia game is perfect for large groups of friends. In Confident? players answer trivia questions with a numerical answer. But instead of giving a specific answer, players give a range of numbers.
You only need to get the right answer in your range to score points. But the smaller the range, the more points you score. You can play individually or split into groups that compete against each other. And since you can have up to 30 players, it’s a great choice for family reunions or as a team-building exercise for work.
Simply read the question, guess a range, and reveal your answers. You don’t have to be a trivia whiz, either. Anyone can participate and potentially win. Children as young as eight years old can play this game. They just need to be able to write numbers and make guesses.
Confident? is easy to learn, simple to play, and only takes half an hour to complete. This is one of those games you can just play until you feel like stopping. I wouldn’t build an entire party or game night around this one, but it’s a great game to have as one of several.
Even though this is a fun game, there is a limit to the replay value. There are 200 questions included, but once you get through all the cards, that’s it. You’ll be using the same cards over and over. Once everyone is familiar with the trivia questions, you’ll lose the element of surprise.
But like many card games, this one is very affordable, so you’ll get plenty of value out of it. If you want a light card game or trivia game, Confident? is it.
Pros
- Easy to learn
- Play individually or in groups
- Fast-paced
- Suited for up to 30 players
Cons
- Not as challenging
- Limited replay value
Speed Charades: Best Guessing Game
Number of Players: 6+
Playing Time: 25-30 minutes
Age: 13+
Publisher: The Game Chef
We all know charades, the game where one player acts out a clue that everyone else has to guess. This Speed Charades game puts a fun twist on the classic with a unique mechanic. Players compete head-to-head in a race to act out words for their group to guess. The first team to guess four of the five words on their card wins the round.
The side with the most points after the final round wins the game. This game is easy to learn and can be played in half an hour. It comes with literally hundreds of word clues on 280 cards, so you can play it over and over again.
Speed Charades requires a minimum of six players and works well with 10 players. You could theoretically have an unlimited number of people, although it could be chaotic after a point. The minimum recommended age is 13, but you can modify the rules and allow kids to pick two cards so they have options. Or they can partner with an older player when acting out the clues.
This game is so much fun, but it can get quite noisy. When both sides are calling out guesses, it raises the volume quickly. If any players struggle with sensory overload, this might not be their favorite game.
However, if you can handle the chaos, it’s a fun game that’s perfect for 10 players.
Pros
- Good for a party
- Gets people moving
- Scales well for more players
- Flexible game times
Cons
- It can get chaotic
The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow: Best Card Game
Number of Players: 8-18
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Age: 10+
Publisher: Zygomatic Games
Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow is a fantastic social deduction game that takes place in a small village where werewolves wreak havoc.
The game begins with players receiving a secret role: Werewolf, Townsfolk, Sheriff, Hunter, Witch, Little Girl, Fortune Teller, and so on. The moderator controls the flow of the game. Each role has special abilities that help them complete their mission.
The game has two phases, night and day. Gameplay alternates between the two. During the night phase, the werewolves secretly choose a villager to kill. The Fortune Teller and the Little Girl can peek for clues. When the game switches to the day phase, the Villager who was killed is revealed and is out of the game. Then, the questioning begins…
After deliberation, the players all vote on who they think is a werewolf – and dispatch them. Any character who is removed from the game is out until the next round.
Werewolf is a social game that requires no equipment to play and can accommodate almost any large group of players. Like most games with hidden traitors, however, it does require some bluffing skills. If you can’t keep a poker face, you might find this game challenging!
Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow is quick to play, with each game taking half an hour or less. It’s also easy to learn and suitable for anyone ages 10 and up. It’s one of the best games in terms of value on this list.
Pros
- Easy to learn
- Quick to play
- Social deduction
- Requires strategy and bluffing
Cons
- Not technically a board game
10+ Player Games: A Buying Guide
Party games can be highly entertaining, but what makes them so much fun might differ from your average board game. You might enjoy long, grueling turns with a lot of thought and high-stakes decision-making. But that game would be torture in a group of 10 players. If you want to play board games for a crowd, here are some things to look for:
High level of interaction among players– If you have a group of 10 or more players, you want plenty of conversation. The more players can participate, the more fun it is for everyone. After all, who enjoys sitting quietly for 30 minutes while waiting for another player to finally make a move? Games with plenty of interaction will allow players to participate and have chances to talk. Social deduction games typically have good interaction, as well as team-based games.
Easy to Learn Rules– Complicated games are fantastic, but it can be painful when you have a mixed gaming group. We’ve all been there. Half the table gets it and is ready to play, while the other half interrupts play every five seconds to ask another question. It’s not fun for anyone. A good party game needs to be easy to learn, so players at all skill levels can understand.
Fast pace– When you have a large group, board games can take longer. So it’s important to have a game that moves quickly. Look for party games with relatively short rounds to keep the fun going.
Playable in teams– When you have large groups of players, it’s easier if you can split up into teams. Look for games that have that built into the mechanics or can be modified.
Best Board Games for 10+: Final Verdict
Now that you’ve got the scoop on the best 10-player board games, which one will you choose for your next party? I gravitate toward the social deduction mechanic of Wavelength, but it really boils down to your personal preference.
Looking for other games to please a crowd? Check out my review of the best 8-player board games.