How many players do I need for a good party game?

Most of the titles here hit their sweet spot at 5–8 players. Herd Mentality and Wavelength scale highest (specialist-community posts mention groups of 16+ for Wavelength), while Codenames: Duet is specifically built for two. If your group is usually 3–4, Wavelength and Blank Slate are more flexible than Codenames, which mainstream reviewers say is best at 6+.