Read on if you are looking for the best 8 player board games because you have come to the right place. This is a big group, but lucky for you, there are many great options that will make you stop thinking I wish we were just two groups of 4 and 4. You are into party territory but there are many other strategic genres that you can be a part of as well. This is our list of the 20 best 8 player board games.
See Also:
20 BEST 1 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
20 BEST 2 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
20 BEST 3 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
20 BEST 4 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
20 BEST 5 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
20 BEST 6 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
20 BEST 7 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
20 BEST 9 PLAYER BOARD GAMES
#20 | PitchCar
PitchCar makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is the only dexterity game fit to put here and it is a ton of fun. Large, wooden, puzzle-like pieces are used to construct a race track that looks very similar to a slot car track when finished. But instead of using electrons, players use finger-flicks to send small pucks around the track, a la Carrom. For 2 – 8 players, games run about 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy PitchCar on Amazon
#19 | Elder Sign
Elder Sign makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is cooperative but separate enough to have enough for you to do with lots always going on to keep you intrigued. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient One. Armed with tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game. For 1 – 8 players and will last about 90 minutes per game.
FOR MORE: Elder Sign Page | Games Like Elder Sign | Buy Elder Sign on Amazon
#18 | Eldritch Horror
Eldritch makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is just that good of a game, and if you can accomplish the task of sitting down to play this one with that count, you have already won. This is a game of terror and adventure in which you and other players take the roles of globetrotting investigators working to solve mysteries, gather clues, and protect the world from an Ancient One. Mystery cards drive the story and will often inform both your travel plans and the dangers you confront, you can find adventure anywhere in the world. For 1 – 8 players, games last 2 – 4 hours each.
FOR MORE: Eldritch Horror Page | Games Like Eldritch Horror | Buy Eldritch Horror on Amazon
#17 | Decrypto
Decrypto makes the list of the best 8 player board games because this is a very interesting party game that works well at that count. Players compete in two teams in Decrypto, with each trying to correctly interpret the coded messages of their opponent before they do the same. On each team’s personal board, there are four cards tucked into the different screens (#’d 1 – 4). The team can see these words, the opponents cannot. Each round one team member per team is the decoder and draws a card with a series of numbers (relating to the 1 – 4). They have to get their team to guess this order by giving clues, but then you are also giving clues to your opponent. For 3 – 8 players, games run 15 – 45 minutes.
FOR MORE: Games Like Decrypto | Buy Decrypto on Amazon
#16 | Wits & Wagers
Wits & Wagers makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is a top trivia party game but has a very accessible gambling component that only gets better with more people. Players write a guess to a question such as “How many feet wide is an NFL football field?” and places it face-up on the betting mat. These will always be an amount based so there are high/low options. After answers are down you can bet on your own answer or someone else’s. The closest answer — without going over — pays out according to the odds on the betting mat. For 3 – 7 players, games run about 25 minutes.
FOR MORE: Wits & Wagers Page | How To Play Wits & Wagers | Games Like Wits & Wagers | Buy Wits & Wagers on Amazon
#15 | Citadels
Citadels makes the list of the best 8 player board games because in a great hidden role game with lots of characters to play, you want a big group Players start the game with a number of building cards in their hand. There are many characters and at the beginning of each round, starting with whoever was just the king, players choose a character from a stack and then pass them for other players to do the same. This lets you do something that turns that is going to help you build buildings depending on your building cards. For 2 – 8 players, games last about 30 – 60 minutes.
FOR MORE: Games Like Citadels | Buy Citadels on Amazon
#14 | Memoir ’44
Memoir ’44 makes the list of the best 8 player board games because this war miniatures game works really well at its full count. Players face-off in stylized battles of some of the most famous historic battles of World War II including Omaha Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Operation Cobra and the Ardennes. Each of the 15 scenarios mimics an event’s historical terrain, troop placements and objectives of each army for you to setup. You then deploy troops through Command and Tactic cards, applying the unique skills of his units to achieve your unique goal. For 2 – 8 players, games last about 30 – 60 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Memoir ’44 on Amazon
#13 | Tsuro
Tsuro makes the list of the best 8 player board games because this is a really fun one where there is lots happening at one time and there is room for a big group to get in on it. The goal is to keep your token on the board longer than anyone else’s, but as the board fills up this becomes harder because there are fewer empty spaces left… and another player’s tile may also extend your own path in a direction you’d rather not go. For 2 – 8 players, games last approximately 15 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Tsuro on Amazon
#12 | Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is a beloved party game that works with a high count given how much happens all at once. The game is like making a dirty mad lib. There are black question cards and white answer cards. Each turn a “card czar” flips over a black card and all other players submit a white card from their hand. The Czar judges based on what combo they like best and a point is awarded. Very much like Cards Against Humanity in gameplay and in the target audience. For 4 – 30 players, games run about 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Cards Against Humanity Page | How To Play Cards Against Humanity | Cards Against Humanity Review | Games Like Cards Against Humanity | Buy Cards Against Humanity on Amazon
#11 | Magic Maze
Magic Maze makes the list of the best 8 player board games because this is a great one for that size of group to work together in a high energy and fast paced challenge that comes with some communication hurdles Each player can control any hero in order to make that hero perform a very specific action, to which the other players do not have access: Move north, explore a new area, ride an escalator… However, you are allowed to communicate only for short periods during the game; the rest of the time, you must play without giving any visual or audio cues to each other. For 1 – 8 players, games run 15 minutes.
FOR MORE: Magic Maze Page | Games Like Magic Maze | Buy Magic Maze on Amazon
#10 | WWE Legends Royal Rumble
WWE Legends Royal Rumble makes the list of the best 8 player board games because the combination of quickfire action and simultaneous move selection, it was like this was built for a big group Enter the ring as a WWE Legend and face off against your rivals in the WWE Legends Royal Rumble Card Game. Use electrifying attacks and signature finishing maneuvers to eliminate your opponents. Each player starts with a randomly dealt Legend, their corresponding Signature card, and six Action cards. For 2 – 10 players, games run 30 – 45 minutes.
FOR MORE: WWE Legends Royal Rumble Page | How To Play WWE Legends Royal Rumble | WWE Legends Royal Rumble Review | Games Like WWE Legends Royal Rumble | Buy WWE Legends Royal Rumble on Amazon
#09 | One Night Ultimate Werewolf
One Night Ultimate Werewolf makes the list of the best 8 player board games because with a hidden role and deduction game like this, you can’t do it right unless you can take advantage of a larger count of characters. This is a fast game in which everyone gets a role: One of the dastardly Werewolves, the tricky Troublemaker, the helpful Seer, or one of a dozen different characters, each with a special ability. In the course of a single morning, your village will decide who is a werewolf… For 3 – 10 players, games are a quick 10 minutes.
FOR MORE: One Night Ultimate Werewolf Page | How To Play One Night Ultimate Werewolf | Games Like One Night Ultimate Werewolf | Buy One Night Ultimate Werewolf on Amazon
#08 | Formula D
Formula D makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is a racing game that still feels exciting and tight at this high of participant count. This is a high stakes game where the players race simulated cars with the hope of crossing the finish line first. Players have to use a significant amount of planning and rely on quite a bit of luck. Each player manages when to shift gears, with each gear providing a different speed, among other things. For 2 – 10 players, games run 60 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Formula D on Amazon
#07 | Incan Gold (aka Diamant)
Incan Gold makes the list of the best 8 player board games because this is a great push you luck game that sends you as deep into a mine as you are willing to risk going. There is plenty going on, but it is light and breezy enough to be a perfect board game for a big group. Incan Gold is a quick, game where players venture down mine shafts or explore paths in the jungle by turning up cards from a deck and distributing the gems you accumulate. Before the next card is revealed, you have the chance to leave the mine and stash your holdings, including any gems you get on the way out. For 3 – 8 players, games run 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Incan Gold on Amazon
#06 | Spyfall
Spyfall makes the list of the best 8 player board games because a high energy party game built for a more lively group. Spyfall goes multiple rounds. At the start of each round all players receive cards showing the same location — a casino, a traveling circus, a pirate ship, or even a space station — except that one player receives a card that says “Spy” instead of the location. Players then start asking each other questions — “Why are you dressed so strangely?” or “When was the last time we got a payday?” or anything else you can come up with — trying to guess who among them is the spy. For 3 – 8 players, games run about 15 minutes.
FOR MORE: Games Like Spyfall | Buy Spyfall on Amazon
#05 | Viva Java
Viva Java makes the list of the best 8 player board games because this game about finding the perfect brew has enough going on to always keep the whole group engaged. Players send their researchers to hot spots around the globe to gather the perfect bean. This may bring them into contact with other players who are also on the hunt, creating a crucial choice: Go it alone and continue to research, or join forces with that opponent, hoping to combine beans from both player’s bags and share the score with a super blend. Going it alone with research can often prove useful as players spend time in the lab developing abilities that grant them an advantage.
FOR MORE: Buy Viva Java on Amazon
#04 | Bang! The Dice Game
Bang! The Dice Game makes the list of the best 8 player board games because this is a fantastic quickfire deduction game. With the simultaneous action, lots is happening at once so having a big group does not slow you down. At the start of the game, players each take a role card that secretly places them on a team: the Sheriff and deputies, outlaws, and renegades. The Sheriff, deputies, outlaws, and renegades all want to be the last players alive in the game. On a turn, a player can roll the five dice up to three times, using the results of the dice to shoot neighboring players, increase the range of his shots, heal or do a few other things. For 3 – 8 players, games last around 15 minutes.
FOR MORE: Bang The Dice Game Page | How To Play Bang The Dice Game | Games Like Bang The Dice Game | Buy Bang The Dice Game on Amazon
#03 | Captain Sonar
Captain Sonar makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is a really interactive team game that only gets better at it’s higher player allowance. You and your teammates control a state-of-the-art submarine and are trying to locate an enemy submarine in order to blow it out of the water before they can do the same to you. Every role is important, and the confrontation is merciless. Be organized and communicate because a captain is nothing without his crew: the Chief Mate, the Radio Operator, and the Engineer. For 2 – 8 players, games last 45 – 60 minutes.
FOR MORE: Captain Sonar Page | Games Like Captain Sonar | Buy Captain Sonar on Amazon
#02 | Camel Up
Camel Up makes the list of the best 8 player board games because it is a lively racing game with tons of player interaction that works well at this count because of the quickfire gambling nature of the title. Everyone bets on five racing camels, trying to suss out which will place first and second in a quick race around a pyramid. The earlier you place your bet, the more you can win. Camels don’t run neatly, however, sometimes landing on top of another one and being carried toward the finish line. It all depends on how the dice come out of the pyramid dice shaker, releasing one die at a time. For 2 – 8 players, games last about 20 – 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Camel Up Page | Games Like Camel Up | Buy Camel Up on Amazon
#01 | Codenames: Pictures
Codenames: Pictures takes the top spot on the list of the best 8 player board games because it is the best party game around and having two teams of four players each makes it fantastic. It is all about who can pull their spy operatives out of the field first. There is always a 5×4 grid of cards in the middle with interesting pictures, like a monkey with a space helmet for example, that hide the locations of each team’s spies. Each round, one representative per team gets to see a decoder card with the locations and they need to give one-word clues to their team so they can find them. The key is you have to give clues that apply to many of your cards without being related to any of your opponents. For 4+ players, each round is about 15 minutes.
