Games for 5 players
These are the games on this site that 5 people can play, card games first. A few need more than one deck at 5, and each page says so.
Card games for 5 players
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Go Fish
A simple card game for 2 to 6 players that young children often play.
Hand and Foot
A rummy game for partners, played with several decks and plenty of wild cards.
Written for 4. A version on its page plays 3 or 5.
Crazy Eights
A card game for 2 to 8 players with a standard deck.
Kings in the Corner
A card game for 2 to 4 players who all play onto the same piles in the middle of the table.
Usually 2 to 4. A version on its page plays 5 or 6.
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Old Maid
A card game for 2 or more players that young children can play.
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Slapjack
A card game for 2 or more players that young children can play.
BS (Cheat)
A bluffing card game for 2 to 10 players, also called Cheat and I Doubt It.
31
A quick draw-and-discard card game for 2 or more players.
Card games for 5 with their own cards or tiles
Uno
A fast card game for 2 to 10 players with its own deck of colored number cards, action cards and wild cards.
Phase 10
A rummy-style card game for 2 to 6 players with its own 108-card deck.
Skip-Bo
A card game for 2 to 6 players with its own deck of cards numbered 1 to 12 and wild SKIP-BO cards.
A version on its page deals 20-card stockpiles for 5 or 6.
Rummikub
A rummy game played with numbered tiles for 2 to 4 players.
The standard set plays 2 to 4. A version on its page plays 5 or 6 with a larger set.
Dice, domino and board games for 5 players
Dominoes
A tile-matching game for 2 to 4 players.
Usually 2 to 4. A version on its page plays 5 or more with a bigger set.
Mexican Train
A dominoes game for a double-12 set and a big table of players.
Bunco
A dice party game, usually played by 12 people at 3 tables of 4, in teams of 2.
Usually 12 players. A boxed set has table plans for 5 to 10, described on its page.
Left Right Center
A dice game of pure luck for 3 or more players.
Shut the Box
A dice game played with a tray of tiles numbered 1 to 9.
Backgammon
A race for two players.
Written for 2. A team form on its page, the chouette, plays 3 or more.
Choosing a game for 5
- Go Fish, Rummy 500 and Slapjack list 5 among their best player counts.
- Hearts, Hand and Foot, Rummy, Kings in the Corner, Skip-Bo and Rummikub each describe how to play with 5. Rummikub needs the larger 160-tile set for 5 or 6.
- At 5, Golf and Rummy 500 use two decks shuffled together, Trash uses three decks, and Hand and Foot uses 6 decks.
- Dominoes uses a bigger set for 5 or more players. Backgammon has a team form for 3 or more, the chouette.
- One deck is enough at 5 for Crazy Eights (up to 5 players), Old Maid (up to 6), Rummy and Go Fish.
- By stated playing time, Crazy Eights takes 5 to 10 minutes a hand, Old Maid about 10 minutes, Uno about 10 minutes a round (a game to 500 takes much longer) and Go Fish and Slapjack about 15.
Questions
What card games can 5 people play?
Go Fish, Rummy 500 and Slapjack list 5 among their best player counts. Rummy, Hearts, Crazy Eights, Old Maid, BS (Cheat), Uno and Phase 10 also work for 5. Hand and Foot has a version for 3 or 5 players.
Can 5 people play Dominoes?
Yes, with a bigger set. A double-nine set has 55 tiles and a double-twelve set has 91. The rules do not change, but the sources checked leave the hand size to the players, so agree on one before the first round.
Can you play Hearts with 5 players?
Yes. Hearts is for 3 to 10 players and is best with 4. For 5, take out the 2 of clubs and the 2 of diamonds and deal 10 cards each. The player holding the 3 of clubs leads it to the first trick.
Can you play Rummy with 5 players?
Yes. Rummy is for 2 to 6 players with one deck, and is best with 2 to 4. With 5 or 6 players, deal 6 cards each. Each player plays alone.
Which games need more than one deck for 5?
Golf and Rummy 500 use two decks shuffled together for 5 or more players. Trash uses three decks for 5 or 6. Hand and Foot uses 6 decks for 5 players. Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Go Fish and Rummy get by with one.
Can you play Kings in the Corner with 5 players?
Yes, though the game is usually played by 2 to 4. Deal 7 cards each and turn up 4 as usual. The stock is only 13 cards with 5 players, so it runs out early, and after that everyone plays on without drawing.
What dice games work for 5 players?
Yahtzee and Shut the Box are for 1 or more players, Farkle for 2 or more and Left Right Center for 3 or more. Bunco is usually played by 12, and one boxed set has table plans for 5 to 10.