Just realized my buddy's advice about game group size was totally backwards

Back in 2018, my friend Mark told me to never bring more than 4 people to a board game night or it'd be chaos. I trusted him for like 5 years, kept my groups small and missed out on so much. Last month I tried a 6 player game of Cosmic Encounter at a local shop in Portland and it was the best session I've ever had. Has anyone else gotten stubborn advice from a vet that just didn't hold up over time?

3 comments

3 Comments

moore.beth1mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man, same thing happened to me with Catan! I always played with 3 or 4 people but then tried a 5 player game and it was way more fun with all the trading and backstabbing.

rileygarcia1mo ago

Agree with you there. 5 player Catan totally changes the vibe, way more chaos and deals flying around.

nelson.vera1mo ago

Chaos and deals flying around" - that's exactly it. More players mean more moving parts. It's like cooking for a crowd versus just yourself. You gotta think ahead, adapt on the fly, keep the whole thing balanced. Same principle applies to a lot of stuff. My crew's poker nights went from boring to wild when we added two more guys. More people forces you to be smarter, not just faster. That's the real trick to pulling off something complicated.