Summary
- The greatest board games challenge players strategically, requiring meaningful choices to improve critical thinking skills and engage them in adventurous stories.
- Inventive and complex board games offer hours of mental and physical challenge, forcing players to rely on their skills over luck and make tough decisions.
- From war strategies to survival scenarios, complex board games immerse players in dark, fascinating worlds where success demands strategy and teamwork.
The greatest board games not only have interactivity and imaginative stories, but they also challenge the players to make meaningful choices and improve their critical thinking and strategic skills. Board game fans can choose from a wide variety of impressive and complex mysteries, thrillers, and of course, from some of the best WW2 board games and other spy and war board games.
21 Best Board Games For 5 Players
Board games that can incorporate at least five players can be a lot of fun. As such, players can't go wrong with these choices.
These inventive and difficult board games push their players mentally and even physically since they often require many long hours to complete. There are even fun, banned board games that change how people view these experiences. These board games force players to depend on their skills over blind luck and learn how to handle losing and act and make the right choices under stressful circumstances.
Updated May 29, 2024, by Alexandra O'Leary: While board games are one of the more accessible types of gaming available, not all players want lighthearted, harmless fun. Some board game enthusiasts want stakes, intensity, and multi-session experiences. Luckily, there truly are an endless number of board games on the market and there's sure to be one to suit everyone. While these tabletop games are not always for the faint of heart, they should hit the mark with people who adore rules and love to invest in challenging gameplay. From war strategies to species creation to world colonization, some of the most complicated games in existence can still prove to be immensely fun.
On Mars
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 4.67
- Creator: Vital Lacerda
On Mars delivers exactly what it advertises: a venture to Mars to establish an efficient and long-lasting colony where humanity can survive. Players will have to consider the various important components of a sustainable colony, including resources, construction, and - of course - oxygen.
There are two main phases to this game, the Colonization phase and the Shuttle phase. During the former, players decide to take various actions either on Mars' surface or on the space station orbiting around it. During the latter, once the colony is established, players can move between the station and the colony, making a multitude of important decisions. Players will want to contribute to the colony substantially while trying to complete three missions – a task that is far easier said than done.
A World at War: Second World War in Europe and the Pacific
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 4.85
- Creator: Bruce Harper
As in real life, war-based board games often prove to be the most complicated, and A World at War: Second World War in Europe and the Pacific is no exception. This immensely complex title sports a massive 4.85 rating for difficulty on BoardGameGeek, which is a number not to be sneered at.
In essence, it requires players to consider the vast and complicated strategies of World War 2. Players choose what to build, where to deploy their troops, and what events they set in motion. From researching the atomic bomb to moving the battle to the sea, players will have endless important choices to make and a real chance to write a new story. This game is not for the faint of heart, and will likely take several sessions to even get started.
Betrayal Legacy
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 2.88
- Creators: Daryl Andrews and Stephanie Straw
While Betrayal Legacy doesn't rate too high on the complexity scale, it's safe to say that this multi-session board game can be relatively difficult to grasp. Players each establish their own esteemed family and follow them through various eras as they explore a spooky house full of various ghosts, demons, and supernatural entities.
The Bleak Journal will provide various storylines for each player throughout the campaign, and different events will trigger unique routes. One of the more unique aspects of this tabletop game is that it can only be played once, and players will be required to destroy certain cards at various points. New rules get introduced as the game progresses, and keeping track of all that has taken place can become very complex for even the most experienced of players.
Dominant Species
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 4.04
- Creator: Chad Jensen
Dominant Species is a board game that very much says what it is in the name. In this tile placement game, players each take the role of a species in 90,000 BC - shortly before the Ice Age. Whether players are in charge of mammals or birds, their goal is to move around the earth, plan how they will survive above all others, and then execute their plans perfectly.
While it may sound simple, there are a lot of different elements at play in Dominant Species. Although players are trying to plot their victory, they are also trying to prevent the other players from winning. Additionally, the tile placement nature of the game means the map will be random each time. There's also a selection of actions players can take to strategically secure the win - all of this means that although it's incredibly fun, Dominant Species is not for the faint of heart.
Oath: Chronicles Of Empire And Exile
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 4.10
- Creator: Cole Wehrle
Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile is a legacy-style game in that every time it is played, the outcome will influence the next game - however, it doesn't require the same set of players each time like most legacy games, thus the "chronicle" part of the title. Because of this, the actual gameplay shifts each time players begin a new game, adding further complication to an already complicated experience.
When playing Oath for the first time, players will assume a role that either asks them to maintain their already-gained power or plot to overthrow another player in pursuit of said power. The standard setup includes 4 players, with one as the Chancellor and 3 as Exiles, but this can change as more games are played. Play begins with the Chancellor, and moves in clockwise order, where a player will wake up, take an action, and then rest, all before play moves to the next person.
There are many different actions available, and there's a limited economy to consider that largely influences what players can do. Not to mention how roles and objectives will change depending on how many games have been played, and who won those games. Overall, everyone is in pursuit of power, but like most legacy-style games, there's a lot more going on than meets the eye.
Sword & Sorcery
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 4.11
- Creators: Simone Romano & Nunzio Surace
Sword & Sorcery is a fantasy board game that relies on cooperative play against the game system itself, rather than PvP. Like all epic fantasy, players must assume the roles of heroes who are fighting to build their strength to take down an ancient and evil power. If there was ever a board game that replicated a high-fantasy RPG or MMORPG, Sword & Sorcery is it.
In terms of play, it's a dungeon-crawler-style game with a scenario system that will help players level up their character. There are multiple decks to pull from that will dictate enemy encounters as well as other events. As they move around the board, players may discover different story points that they can then refer to the manual to learn more about.
Sword & Sorcery takes some dedication to learn, although, like most board games, it's easier to understand once one player knows what they're doing. It's a great choice for D&D players, or those with some understanding of the dimensions of dungeon crawling.
Tak
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 2.46
- Creators: James Ernest and Patrick Rothfuss
Tak is one of the most challenging abstract strategy games that was inspired by the world of Patrick Rothfuss's novel, The Wise Man’s Fear. While this board game might be fairly simple to pick up, it's also very complex and players will have to make their decisions wisely as they can easily lead to catastrophic failure.
Tak's difficulty lies in its open-ended strategy, requiring players to think several moves ahead and anticipate their opponent's intentions. It's a great choice for players who love beautiful board games with great stories that'll still challenge them.
Captain Sonar
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 2.19
- Creators: Roberto Fraga and Yohan Lemonnier
Thanks to Captain Sonar, players can dive deep into aquatic warfare. This thrilling board game lets players engage in epic submarine battles as they take on a variety of roles, including Captain, First Mate, Engineer, and Radio Operator. They must try to work together to locate the enemy sub while also evading detection.
The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (January 2026)
Xbox Game Pass is unquestionably worth the subscription fee, but which of the available games are the best use of your hard drive space?
Captain Sonar's challenge is multi-faceted since players will have to make decisions in real-time while efficiently communicating with their team, as well as deducing enemy locations while being under the pressure of potential deep-sea destruction.
Innovation
BoardGameGeek Complexity Rating: 2.76
- Creator: Carl Chudyk
Innovation is perfect for those board game fans who love challenging but fun educational games. This fascinating game transports players back in time to then take them on an epic adventure and teach them about human history. Players will start their journeys as cavemen and will have to lead civilization into the tech-savvy future.
During their journey, players will have to juggle evolving tech cards, and unlock cool achievements, while also trying to get used to the ever-changing strategies. Players will not only learn about history but can even reshape it to their liking.