This list contains games that play best with 4, sometimes 5 players.
Magic Labyrinth (my kids are slowly growing out of this one but it is an awesome game)
Ticket to Ride (2-5 players, best with 4, 30-60 min)
7 Wonders (3-7, best with 4 or 5 players, 30 min)
Splendor (up to 4 players, 30 min)
Tokaido (2-5 players, best with 4, 45 min)
Love Letter (20 min)
Istanbul (2-5 players, best with 4, 40-60 min)
Lords of WaterDeep (2-5, best with 3-4 players, 60 – 120 min)
Coup (3-6 players, best with 5 players, 15 min). You can also buy the expansion (Coup Reformation) of the game, which lets you play with up to 10 people.
Catan (3-4 players, best with 4, 60-120 min)
If you have younger kids, the junior version (Catan Jr.) is excellent. It plays in about 30 min.
Zooloretto (3-5 players, best with 4, 45 min)
Chateau Roquefort or under the title we own it: Burg Appenzell (2-4 players, 30 min)
San Juan (2-4 players, best with 3, 45 – 60 min)
Machi Koro (2-4, best with 4 players, 30 min)
Camel Up (3-8 players, best with 4-5, 30 min)
Five Tribes (2-4 players, 40 – 80 min)
Sheriff of Nottingham (3-5, best with 5 players, 60 min)
Colt Express (3-6 players, best with 5-6, 40 min)
Small World (3-5 players, best with 4, 40-80 min)
El Dorado (2-4 players, 30-60 min)
Karuba (2-4 players, best with 4, 30 – 40 min)
Jamaica (3-6 players, best with 6, 30-60 min)
Imhotep (2-4 players, 40 min)
Stone Age (2-4 players, best with 4, 60-90 min)
Peloponnes Card Game (2-5 players, 25-40 min)
Cockroach Poker (3-6 players, best with 4-5 players, 20-30 min)
Coup (3-6 players, best with 5 players, 15 min). You can also buy the extension (Coup Reformation) of the game, which lets you play with up to 10 people.
Citadels (up to 7 players, best with 5, 20-60 min) — new, cheaper version here.
Doodle Dice (2-6 players, best with 4, relaxed and laid-back game, when you want to chat)
King of Tokyo (3-6 players, best with 4-5, 30 min)
Beasty Bar (2-4 players, 20-30 min)
Lost Cities (2-4 players, 30-60 min)
Bohnanza (3-7 players, best with 5, 45 min)
Clue (3-6, best with 4-5 players, 45 min)
Tsuro: The Game of the Path (2-8 players, best with 4 or 6, 20 min) My daughter dislikes this game for some reason but it provides a nice, quiet break from heavier games.
Rummikub (60 min)
Dominion (up to 4, best with 3 players, 30 min)
Rat-A-Tat-Cat (2-6 players, best with 4, 10-15 min)
Loot (3-4, or 6,8 players, 30 min)
Port Royal (2-5, best 3-4 players, 20-50 min)
Kanagawa (2-4 players, best with 4, 45 min)
Guillotine (2-5 players, best with 4, 30 min)
Johari (2-4 players, 60-90 min)
Sushi Go! (2-5 players, best with 4, 15 min)
Gubs (2-6 players, best with 3-4, 20-30 min)
Five Crowns (3-7 players, best with 4, 30 min)
The Wizard (3-6 players, best 4-5, 45 min)
Grandpa Beck’s Cover Your Assets (3-6, best 4-5 players, 30 min)
Codenames (teams, 4-8+, best with 6 or 8)
Taboo (4-10 players, best with 6 or 8 players)
Spyfall (4-8 players, best with 6, 20 min)
Grandpa Beck’s Skull King (3-6, best 4-6 players, 30 min)
Exploding Kittens (3-5, best 4-5 players, 15 min)
Tales Of The Arabian Nights (2-4 players, best with 3 players, 120 min)
Modern Art (3-5, best 4-5 players, 45 min)
Century Spice Road (2-5, best 3-4 players, 30-45 min)
Century Golem (2-5, best 3-4 players, 30-45 min)
Legends of Andor (1-4, best with 4 players, 60-90 min)
Azul (2-4, best with 2 players, 30-45 min)
Survive (2-4 players, best with 4, 45-60 min)
Samurai (2-4 players, best with 3, 30-60 min)
Battle Sheep (2-4 players, best with 4, 15 min)
Mafia City (3-5 players, best with 4, 60 min)
Terra Mystica (2-5, best with 4, 30 min per player, so about 120 min for 4 players)
Lanterns (2-4 players, best with 4, 30 min)
Scythe (1-5 players, best with 4, 90-120 min)
Castles of Mad King Ludwig (2-4 players, best with 4, 90 min)
Near and Far (2-4, best 3 players, 60-120 min)
Above and Below (2-4 players, best with 3, 90 min)
Photosynthesis (2-4 players, best with 3, 30 -60 min)
New York 1901 (2-4 players, best with 4, 30-60 min)
Biblios (2-4 players, best with 3, 30 min)
Samurai Spirit (1-7 players, 30 minutes)
Eight-minute Empire Legends (1-4 players, best with 4, 18 – 32 min)
Mint Works (1 – 4 players, no difference, plays well with all numbers, 10-20 min)
Timeline Diversity (2-8 players, best with 4 players, 15 min)
Werewords (4-10 players, best with 6 – 7 players, 10 min)
Latice (2 – 4 players, 10-30 min)
Jungle Speed (3-8, best with 5-6 players, 10 min or more). We also have the expansion with more cards.
Welcome to the Dungeon (2-4 players, best with 3, 30 min)
Architects of the West Kingdom (1 – 5 players, best with 4, 60-80 min)
The Quacks of Quedlinburg (2-4 players, best with 4, 45 min)
Cartographers (1 to 9 players, best with 3-4, 30-45 min)
Ohanami (1-4 players, best with 3, 20 min)
Cascadia (1-4 players, best with 2-3, 30-45 min)
Stella – Dixit (3-6 players, best 4-5, 30 min)
Sagrada (1-4 players, best with 2, 30 – 45 min)
The Crew (3-5 players, best with 4, 20 min)
Calico (1-4 players, best with 2, 30-45 min)
Mystic Market (2-4 players, best with 3-4, 30-45 min)
Silver (2-4 players, best with 2 and 4, 30-60 min)
Res Arcana (2-4 players, best with 2, 30 – 60 min)
Gloom (2- 4 players, best with 4, 60 min)
Charterstone (1-6 players, best with 6, 45-75 min)
Rise of Augustus (2-6 players, best with 3-4, 30 min)
Descent Journeys in the Dark (2-5 players, best with 5, 120 min)
On My Wish List
Alhambra (2-5 players, best with 3, 45-60 min) or you can get a big box with all the extensions on Amazon here. After watching a few videos, I would go for the big box with all expansions. The best expansion is #2 but it is not available separately anymore. You will get all expansions in the Big Box.
Takenoko (2-4 players, best with 3, 45 min)
Pulsar 2849 (2-4 players, best with 4, 60-90 min)
Roll for the Galaxy (2-5, best 3-4 players, 45 min)