The Best 3 Player Board Games

There’s nothing quite like a game night for building relationships, camaraderie, and fun. But if you’ve only got three players, a lot of games are knocked out of the running. Thankfully, there are loads of fantastic games that cater specifically to three players or are best played with that number, including card games and competitive board games.

From deck building to tile laying games, word games to trading games, this selection of the ten best 3 player board games will do the trick, whatever style you and yours prefer. They’re each great for three players, as well as kids as young as eight, and all involve game mechanics that your little crowd will appreciate. Explore historical themes, farming, trading, National Parks, zoos, or strikingly unique gameplay through these visually stimulating, engaging, and fun for the whole family games.

This is part of our series on board games by player count. Check out the full article for more recommendations.

What Are The Ten Best 3 Player Board Games?

Above and Below

Age: 10+ Players: 2-4 Time: 90-120 minutes

In Above and Below, one of our top picks for games for three players, participants take on the role of the head of a small village that’s being rebuilt after vicious attacks that destroyed their town. During the game, players raise crops, trade, build, and explore the terrain, particularly that of the massive network of caverns below land. Each villager the players recruit has their own unique skill set and talents, ranging from highly useful skills like farming or building to creativity and intellect that help villagers navigate other aspects of the game. These unique skill sets contribute to each villager’s play style, adding depth and variety to the gameplay.

Over the 90 to 120 minutes of playtime in Above and Below, you could find treasure, resources, and maybe some danger below ground. For these explorations, fellow players read scenarios while explorers choose their next actions. These scenarios build and run along to their conclusions. Be sure to choose your explorers carefully, though, as their skill sets come into play while they explore the tunnels below the village.

Above ground, players compete to rebuild their town into the best village possible, harvesting crops, constructing new homes and shops, trading for cash, and more. The most prized strengths of Above and Below include the writing for the gameplay scenarios, the gorgeous artwork, the personalities for the villagers, and the storytelling exploration. Every game is different with the mix of outcomes and villagers impacting it all.

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Churchill: A Worker Placement Game

Ages: 14+ Players: 1-3 Time: 1-5 hours

Churchill technically works for solo and dual gameplay, but community reviews say it’s at its absolute best as a three-player game. We concur and think this is one of the best choices for a strategy board game for three players.

Churchill combines aspects of Risk, Axis and Allies, and the party game of Mafia. Players choose between role-playing the United States, as represented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, England as Prime Minister Winston Churchill, or the Soviet Union as dictator Joseph Stalin. Churchill is all about negotiations, tough decisions, and bluffing. The highly interactive game can go any direction as you play. So, if you love a good negotiation, you’re in for a real treat with this one.

Lead your faction, play your Staff Cards, do some lobbying, and bluff your way through conferences with world leaders, trying to mitigate the war with your allies. Think about the game as less a strategic war game and more a struggle to broker peace through cards and interactions with other players.

Thankfully, even if you don’t know much about this period in history, you’re solid. The rulebook gives you all you need to build strategies within the conflict. Plus, every game plays dramatically differently from the last, heavily dependent on who’s playing and how they change up their tactics each go around.

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Trekking the National Parks

Ages: 10+ Players: 2-6 Time: 30-60 minutes

Animal and outdoors lovers will love Trekking the National Parks. The game is fun due to its strategic balance, consistent play times, and satisfying interaction. Two National Park lovers birthed this delightful game after traveling to every National Park in the USA. They worked with their son to develop this attractive educational and entertaining game for practically all ages. This Mensa and Parent’s Choice Award-winning game is perfect for families with kids or adults looking to indulge in some nature-themed playtime.

During gameplay, each player’s goal is to visit as many National Parks as possible, earning victory points. (In real life, it’s getting that stamp from the Visitor’s Center!) Draw cards and discard them to move, collect stones, send other players back to the beginning, claim park cards, and occupy major parks by matching icons. Get those tents out – because they’re how you stake your claim! The winner of Trekking the National Parks must claim 6 park cards or have the most victory points when all the stones are claimed from the board, signifying the end of the game.

The game offers both beautiful images and fun facts about the parks as you go around the board. Trekking the National Parks is ultimately an easy-to-learn game and that only enhances the fun of playing it with kids or adults.

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Century Spice Road 

Ages: 8+ Players: 2-5 Time: 45-60 minutes

The deck-building game Century Spice Road is frequently described as a great game – there’s a solid reason for that. It’s quick, fun, energetic, and easy to play. The gist of it is that you’re racing against other players to collect the right spices needed to swap for your points and an ultimate win. Build your deck by trading, drawing, and playing – and be the first to collect five-to-six point cards to win.

You can keep playing the game over and over as-is or opt for expansion packs if you play frequently and want to expand your paprika-hued horizons. Dig into the strategy as you build your decks, playing off each other to trade the right cards in and out to gain the ultimate dish.

Century Spice Road works best with 3 players or more and winds up as the perfect quick game night adventure for small to medium families or friend groups. This addictive, fun strategy game provides intriguing decision-making opportunities from the first turn, all the way through as you negotiate your options to turn your spice cubes into victory in this beautifully crafted game.

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So Clover!

Ages: 10+ Players: 3-6 Time: 20-30 minutes

Looking for a cooperative game instead of intense competition? So Clover!, a popular game, could be your winner. One of the most fun quick games for 3 players, ages 10 and up, works as a collaborative wordplay challenge that helps keep the mind sharp while entertaining the players.

Each player receives a clover board with four raised squares, while a keyword deck gets shuffled. Everyone draws four keywords and arranges them on their hidden clover. From here, players work together to work out the secret keywords through clues tricks, and strategies – and almost anything is permitted to get you there.

The easy-to-learn, fun-to-play game is great for families, friend groups, or icebreakers. Even folks who aren’t big on board games come to love So Clover! as they play together to win together. It’s the ideal no-tension game for any level of player.

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Talat

Ages: 8+ Players: 3 Time: 30-35 minutes

Designed specifically as a competitive board game for 3 players, Talat offers abstract strategy gameplay to challenge the mind while having fun. Players must each pay attention to different gaming scenarios that run simultaneously, with the aim of capturing an opponent’s pieces and ultimately stalemating into the win.

Talat players use nine towers at three different heights and shapes to play, moving the towers around the board in straight or diagonal patterns, one space at a time. The rulebook presents exceptions to various actions available to each tower, so the more players take on this game, the more creative and intriguing the play becomes.

Vigilance, thought, and careful planning are required for a successful game of Talat, so be sure to break this one out when players are ready for an intense, energetic game of wits.

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Juicy Fruits

Ages: 8+ Players: 1-4 Time: 30 minutes

Head to a tropical paradise in the fast-paced Juicy Fruits. Supply ships with fruit while getting around other players to win the job. Each turn of the game, players slide a fruit collector token into unblocked spaces and work to collect fruits of the token type (bananas, oranges, pomegranates, mangosteens, and limes) – then, fulfill an order or claim a business to proceed. Players will lose points if they fail to fulfill orders, adding a layer of strategy to the game.

Juicy Fruits uses lovely fruit-shaped playing pieces, a shared display, a board, and other elements to keep the game going. There’s fierce competition in this fruity game, with opponents fighting their way to the best deals on the island. The quick, simple mechanics make it easy for anyone to play, meaning it’s a great one for families with kids or grown-up game time any day of the week. Be sure to explore the various play modes, including an advanced gameplay mode for when everyone’s really got the hang of it.

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Inis

Ages: 14+ Players: 2-4 Time: 60-90 minutes

Uniquely shaped tiles, plastic miniatures, and a deck make up the most notable components of the Celtic kingmaker strategy board game Inis. This fun game features stunning artwork on the cards for a pleasing visual experience to accompany the unique gameplay mechanics.

The gist of Inis is that it’s an area-control game without the sweeping territorial overthrows like that of Risk. Instead, you’ll strategize your way through unique card-drafting efforts to win without obvious conflict. You might even win without outnumbering any given opponent in a territory. The focus in this game tends to be early strategy plays that lead to ultimate victory.

The best part is that while you’ve got to play strategically, the game is best enjoyed through the interactions with the other players. Form coalitions and alliances, sneak past other opponents without showing your hand – it’s all about collaboration if you want to win.

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Mini Express

Ages: 8+ Players: 3-5 Time: 45 minutes

Likened to both Ticket to Ride and Mini Rails in theme and a little crossover in gameplay, Mini Express invites three players to enjoy gameplay as railroad magnates. It is a worker placement game where players strategically place workers to perform specific actions. The strategies and mechanics are a bit more complicated, so players will enjoy digging a little deeper into this game than some other railroad-themed options.

In Mini Express, you’ll work to expand your railway westward in the 19th Century as you vie against the others doing the same. Each turn presents players with two choices: lay track to expand or take stock from a company. Tracks are laid on hex tiles, and players seek to gain influence amongst traders while helping to grow the city and their own wealth along the way. Players must strategize and calculate to determine their best path to success.

When all the shares for companies are claimed or no train pieces remain for westward expansion, the game ends and players compare stocks and points to determine the winner.

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Ark Nova

Ages: 14+ Players: 1-4 Time: 90-150 minutes

If you’ve ever wanted to own your own zoo but didn’t want the hassle of cleaning up (and, well, you know, those pesky finances and certifications), Ark Nova’s the perfect game for you. It’s literally about creating the best zoo possible, with conservation projects, animal releases, and learning about critters all rolled into gameplay.

During the game, players will spend game currency to build their zoos with animal cards, enclosure tiles, and sponsor cards. Each component of Ark Nova – including the Association Board, separate Zoo Boards, and massive Zoo Cards deck – keeps the gameplay intriguing and energized without getting overly complicated. It takes a little while to learn (you won’t start playing in 5 minutes!) but it’s well worth it as you race against your opponents to create that dream zoo.

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Conclusion

Games that play best with three players come aplenty, with animals, history, railways, and many other themes intermingled in a variety of gameplay types. Many are great for adults only or kids 8+, making them perfect for a small family or adult game night with a few friends.

Choose your games for 3 players based on the interests of the whole group, skill types for all ages, and the kind of mood you’re in, whether competitive, collaborative, silly, or strategic. Each session offers unique challenges and experiences, making it feel like one game. Our collection of the best ten games for three players will help you find the perfect one for your plans. Happy gaming!

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