Flip the Blanket
4–8 players 15–20 min Minimal materials
Have teams each stand on their own blanket. Teams must work together to flip over the blanket without having any team member touch the floor. If they touch the floor, the team m…
286 games
Games for 6 People
Six is the largest group where one conversation still works. Nobody has to be split into teams, nobody can hide at the back, and a game that depends on every player contributing will actually get every player contributing. That is rarer than it sounds — most published group games assume enough bodies that a few can coast.
The trade-off is that six is too few for anything built on crowd noise or on teams large enough to sub players in and out. Relay races finish before they get interesting. Elimination games end with two people and a long wait for everyone else.
What works instead: deduction and bluffing games, where six is close to the ideal count; games with simultaneous play rather than turn-taking; and anything where the fun comes from watching one person attempt something rather than from mass participation.
The games below are ordered so the ones genuinely designed for a group this size come first, rather than the ones that merely tolerate it.
Last reviewed:
Kan Jam
4–8 players 40–60 min Minimal materials
A team sport played with a frisbee and two cans, where players try to throw the frisbee into the opposing team's can to score points.
Cheat
3–8 players 15–30 min Deck of cards
Deal the whole deck out. Players take turns discarding cards face down while announcing them in rising order: "two threes," "one four," "three fives." The catch — you may lie. A…
Ghost
3–8 players 10–20 min No equipment needed
Players build a word one letter at a time around the circle — with one rule: never be the player who completes a real word of four or more letters. Each added letter must still…
Monkey in the Middle
3–8 players 10–15 min Ball
Two or more players pass a ball to each other while the "monkey" in the middle tries to intercept it. If the monkey touches the ball — in the air or on a bounce — the player who…
The Chameleon Game
3–6 players 50–60 min Minimal materials
The Chameleon Game is a social deduction game where players must figure out who the "chameleon" is based on their answers to a series of questions. Players sit in a circle or ar…
The resort
3–8 players 5–10 min Minimal materials
Two people put an elastic band between their ankles, leaving a space between them. The rest jump on and off the elastic, following one of the numerous variations and songs that…
Around the World
2–8 players 15–25 min Basketball, Hoop
Mark five to nine shooting spots in an arc around the key, from one baseline to the other. Players must sink a shot from each spot in order to travel "around the world." Make it…
Avalon
5–10 players 15–20 min Minimal materials
Discover Avalon, an immersive social deduction game set in Arthurian legend. Use strategy and deception as loyal servants of Arthur or minions of Mordred to complete quests and…
Axe Throwing
2–10 players 5–10 min Minimal materials
Players take turns throwing a hatchet at a wooden target, scoring points for how close to the bull's-eye it sticks. Run it in rounds — three throws per turn — and total the scor…
Blackjack
2–7 players 10–30 min Minimal materials
Dealer vs Players. Deal cards and bet. Each player aims to beat the dealer by getting a hand total closer to 21 without exceeding it.
Bocce Ball
2–8 players 20–40 min Bocce ball set
One player throws the small target ball — the pallino — down the lawn. Teams then take turns rolling their larger bocce balls as close to the pallino as possible, knocking rival…
Chicken Fighting
2–10 players 5–20 min No equipment needed
All players have to hop on one leg while holding their other leg up behind their back. The goal is to knock over the other players. If you fall, you are out. Last player standin…
Countdown Guessing
5–10 players 10–20 min No equipment needed
The game host decides on a certain amount of time. Using a watch, they set a countdown for this time when they say "Go". Players cannot communicate with each other in any way. E…
Croquet
2–6 players 30–90 min Minimal materials
A lawn game where players use a mallet to hit wooden balls through a series of hoops (wickets) in a specific sequence and direction, ultimately aiming to be the first to complet…
Disc Golf
2–10 players 45–90 min Flying disc, Disc golf basket or targets
Golf, but throwing a frisbee. Play an official course with chain baskets, or invent your own: pick a target — a tree, a bin, a post — and count how many throws each player needs…
Hopscotch
2–8 players 10–20 min Sidewalk chalk, Small stone or beanbag marker
Draw the classic numbered court (1 to 10) with chalk. The first player tosses a marker — a flat stone or beanbag — onto square 1, then hops through the court skipping the marker…
HORSE
2–8 players 15–30 min Basketball, Hoop
The classic basketball shot-copying duel. The first player calls and attempts any shot — behind the back, eyes closed, from the bench. If it drops, every other player must copy…
I Declare War on
4–10 players 20–30 min Minimal materials
Draw a large circle in the dirt and divide it into as many spaces as there are players. This is the Earth. Each player chooses a country name. Players take turns throwing a ball…
If I Went to Mars
6–10 players 20–30 min No equipment needed
1. If I went to Mars is a fun memory game where the game starts by one person saying their name and the sentence 'If I go to Mars I would take a', and end the sentence with obje…
Keypad
4–10 players 10–20 min Minimal materials
Place pieces of paper at random around the playing area. Each paper has a number on it, from 1 until 21 (or more). The goal is for teams to work together to touch each paper in…
Marco Polo
3–10 players 15–30 min No equipment needed
The classic swimming pool chase. The player who is "it" closes their eyes and calls "Marco!"; all other players in the pool must immediately answer "Polo!" Using sound alone, "i…
Pogo
5–10 players 15–20 min Minimal materials
Four players at a time: ace, king, queen and jack. Each one is located in the corner of a square. The ace starts and needs to hit the ball with his open hand and must make the b…
Predict-a-Pal
2–6 players 5–10 min Printed photos of participants
Call up two people who are close friends. Give each a picture of themselves and their teammate. Ask questions like "who is more likely to...". Teams get points when they answer…
Sack Race
2–10 players 5–20 min Minimal materials
Mark a start and a finish line, and give every racer a burlap sack or a sturdy pillowcase. Players step both feet into their sack, hold the top at their waist, and hop for the f…
Seated Basketball
6–10 players 15–30 min Minimal materials
Make two teams. Everyone can place a chair somewhere on the basketball court and cannot move until the round is over. Play basketball, either into hoops or into a basket on the…
Sherlock
4–10 players 20–30 min No equipment needed
In the game "Sherlock," participants gather, and one person is chosen as the detective, called "Sherlock," for each round. The detective has 30 seconds to examine everyone befor…
Sitting Volleyball
4–10 players 15–30 min Minimal materials
String a net (or rope, fabric, etc) across 2 chairs to make a net. Mark boundaries with painters tape. Same rules as volleyball but everyone has to sit cross legged on the groun…
The Imposter Artist
4–10 players 5–20 min Minimal materials
The host chooses a word, writes it on paper and gives it to the participants. The twist is, one participant will get a paper that says imposter. Now, the host chooses one player…
The Resistance
5–10 players 40–60 min Minimal materials
A game of social deduction where players are divided into two teams, the Resistance and the Spies. The Resistance's goal is to complete missions, while the Spies' goal is to sab…