Best Board Games For 3 Players

Highlights

• Some board games are specifically designed to shine with three players, offering a unique and engaging experience.
• Popular games like Catan and Wingspan can be played with three players, providing beautiful designs and fun gameplay.
• Options like Gloomhaven, My City, and Tiny Towns are great choices for three-player board game nights, offering challenging and enjoyable gameplay.

Playing a board game with 3 players may sound a little lackluster or weird to some, as most tabletop experiences are either strictly for 2 players or support 4 and beyond. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as some board games shine at the 3-player count.

It can be somewhat difficult to discern which games play best at 3 players, given that there aren’t many titles out there that are distinctly marketed for that number of participants. It’s possible to get creative with certain games to accommodate three, and for those looking for viable three-person options, there are plenty of suitable board games available.

Updated February 15, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: Board game lovers can have some truly enjoyable experiences when playing these creative and engaging board games and can feel as if they’re on an epic adventure if they play their cards right. These board games are not only fun for kids but also adults, and they’re a great choice for older players who want a challenging yet unforgettable time. There are plenty of 3-player board games out there, and some even come with beautiful designs and fun miniatures to further enhance the overall experience on offer.

15 Catan

Number of Players: 3-6 with Extensions

• Release date: 1995, First Edition
• Creator: Catan Studio
• Genre: Strategy, tile game

Also known as Settlers of Catan, this popular game has its roots in Europe, specifically Germany. Aficiandos of the game can find a whole culture devoted to Catan, complete with conventions, tournaments, and plenty of venues to meet fellow players.

The original game required at least three players, so even if gamers have the earliest version of the classic game that was released in the 1990s, they can still make it work. The global fanbase is also substantial, and there’s a digital version of the game that can be used for co-op and online play.

14 Gloomhaven

Number of Players: 1-4

• Release date: 2017
• Creator: Cephalofair Games
• Genre: Strategy

Gloomhaven is an exciting strategy board game that transports players into a dark fantasy realm. It’s one of the most beautiful board games for 3 players, with stunning miniatures and a fun story. During the gameplay, players get to fight against and vanquish monsters as they step into the shoes of powerful adventurers of this dark realm.

Players will have their own special set of skills as well as a unique backstory and motivations that encourage them to travel around this dangerous land. As gamers explore the magical and spooky locations on offer, they’ll also be able to increase their abilities and their chances of winning.

13 Wingspan

Number of Players: 1-5

• Release date: 2019
• Creator: Stonemaier Games
• Genre: Engine-building

Wingspan is a beautiful educational board game for 3 players that’s also a great choice for family game nights. This strategy board game helps players learn more about the planet’s fascinating birds as well as a little bit about how wildlife preserves work.

Even though Wingspan is a competitive board game, it’s also quite relaxing, and players will be able to learn about over 170 birds along the way. Players will be able to become curious bird enthusiasts who will have to discover and attract the best types of birds to make their wildlife preserve a success, and they can do so with up to four other participants.

12 My City

Number of Players: 2-4

• Release date: 2020
• Creator: KOSMOS
• Genre: Tile, legacy game

My City is one of the greatest competitive games for 3 players that’ll entertain younger and older gamers as well. This family-friendly strategy board game is a great choice for those who love unique city-building and legacy games.

Gamers will get a chance to build their own city through the ages and will have to make smart choices from the start if they want to make sure that their city succeeds in the long run. It’s a colorful and engaging 3-player board game that’ll encourage players to work on their critical thinking skills and plan better for the future.

11 Tiny Towns

Number of Players: 1-6

• Release date: 2019
• Creator: Alderac Entertainment Group
• Genre: Strategy, grid-fill

Tiny Towns is a charming family-friendly board game for 3 players with a vibrant and fun world. Players will get to become mayors of a tiny town in the middle of a forest and will have to grow their city by constructing one building at a time.

Since the resources are scarce, players have to plan wisely and use all the building materials that are available to them to make sure their town is thriving. Tiny Towns is a simple yet fun board game that’s a great choice for families with smaller kids.

10 Tales Of The Arabian Nights

Number of Players: 1-6

• Release date: 2009
• Creator: Z-Man Games
• Genre: RPG, narrative

Tales Of The Arabian Nights is a choose-your-own-adventure style board game where 1-6 players travel throughout a world inspired by tales and legends from the book, One Thousand and One Nights. Players can become iconic heroes such as Aladdin, Scheherazade, and Sinbad, traveling the world in search of adventure and glory.

Though up to 6 players can play simultaneously, the game is meant for 3. During 1 player’s turn, 2 additional players will be involved, either reading from the book of tales or observing the reaction matrice. In other words, someone is always involved in the game at the 3-player count. It’s perfect for gamers who enjoy reading and having random, hilarious encounters.

9 Azul

Number of Players: 2-4

• Release date: 2017
• Creator: Next Move Games
• Genre: Puzzle, abstract strategy

The medieval art of azulejos, or blue and white tiles, has a modern legacy in the form of this board game, Azul. Legend has it that the Portuguese King Manuel I was enchanted by the Moorish tiles when he saw them in southern Spain and decided that he wanted his own palace to be adorned with the same decor.

This forms the basis of the gameplay. The player is the designer and artist that the King has commissioned to renovate his palace. Points are tallied at the end of every round, and certain patterns and sequences are more valuable than others.

8 Santorini

Number of Players: 2-4

• Release date: 2016
• Creator: Roxley
• Genre: Team-based, abstract strategy

An abstract strategy game that supports 2-4 players, Santorini is a gorgeous and simple game that involves constructing buildings and using the powers of Greek Gods. To win, players must use their worker(s) and get them to the top of a 3rd story building. It sounds easy, but players can easily block and prevent one another from winning.

At the 3-player mark, the game becomes a sort of 3-way chess as players keep one another in check whilst attempting to maneuver themselves toward victory. Players will also use their special god abilities to traverse the board faster, build more frequently, and sabotage their rivals. Quick, easy to learn, yet deeply strategic, Santorini is a must-play for any gang of 3.

7 Clank! In! Space!: A Deck-Building Adventure

Number of Players: 2-4

• Release date: 2017
• Creator: Dire Wolf
• Genre: RPG, resource collection

Clank! In! Space! Is a game where players become thieves and must loot the spoils from the evil tyrant, Lord Eradikus. Slipping aboard his flagship, players must sneak their way through, hack modules, and get that sweet loot.

However, if players are too noisy, they will draw the ire and rage of Lord Eradikus, which results in a very painful death. A game that involves pushing one’s luck to get just a bit more, Clank! In! Space! is great fun and incredibly intense. A perfect game for 3, this board game beats out its cousin, Clank!, as it fixes several issues with the predecessor.

6 Pax Renaissance

Number of Players: 2-4

• Release date: 2016
• Creator: Sierra Madre Games
• Genre: Battle simulation, strategy

As bankers during the Renaissance, players will get to carry out various actions that will determine the future of Europe. These actions will either bring the continent into enlightenment or allow it to rot in the dark ages.

In Pax Renaissance, players will acquire cards to create their tableau, allowing them to select from a pool of actions. These actions can vary from discovering new trade routes to financing different sides in warfare and will determine how Europe moves forward and is influenced. Suitable for 3 players, this game is perfect for those who enjoy historical themes and living out their inner Rothschild. This game is also quite complex and may require several plays (or a good teacher) to master.

5 Food Chain Magnate

Number of Players: 2-5

• Release date: 2015
• Creator: Lucky Duck Games
• Genre: Management sim, strategy

On the surface, Food Chain Magnate is about building the greatest fast-food chain ever. Players will experience a card-driven human resource management system whereby they will hire individuals and carry out actions to make their fast-food chain run smoothly like a kitten purring.

Players will compete against each other in a variable city via marketing, purchasing, sales, and acquiring the right people for the job. It’s a serious game for serious gamers. Food Chain Magnate itself is quite complex and will take 2-4 hours to complete. However, once players get it, the game can be a deeply satisfying experience.

4 Fury Of Dracula 3rd/4th Edition

Number of Players: 2-5

• Release date: 2015
• Creator: Fantasy Flight Games
• Genre: Horror, RPG, narrative-based

A game in which up to 4 players team up to defeat 1 of their own, Fury Of Dracula is an epic hidden movement game in which vampire hunters arm themselves to the teeth and journey across Europe to take down Dracula himself before he sires more pale brethren.

Acting as a sort of sequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the first player takes on the character of Dracula. They must secretly move throughout Europe, setting traps or misdirections whilst simultaneously creating more vampires to win using Dracula’s little minimap that other players can’t see. To oppose this, the other players must travel from city to city, acquiring weapons and using their special abilities to search for and eventually fight Dracula. As the game will always play with 4 hunters tracking down Dracula, Fury of Dracula works extremely well with 3 players, 1 as the lord of darkness himself against 2 players, each taking 2 vampire hunters.

3 Terraforming Mars

Number of Players: 1-5

• Release date: 2016
• Creator: Arclight Games
• Genre: Economic, Exploration

One of the most popular games ever made, Terraforming Mars has players become rival CEOs seeking to make Mars habitable whilst building their corporate empires in the process. Players will finance various projects, drop oceans, and lightly sabotage one another to get the upper hand.

The game supports up to 5 players but works better at 3 as the gaming experience is more streamlined, and there is less waiting around. Fans of engine building and sci-fi will find this game right up their alley.

2 Betrayal At House On The Hill

Number of Players: 3-6

• Release date: 2004
• Creator: Wizards Of The Coast
• Genre: Horror, RPG

Betrayal At House On The Hill is a classic example of a board game that combines the role-playing and character-building of a typical TTRPG with a horror narrative. It requires at least three people to play but can accommodate as many as 6.

The mansion in the game is a procedurally generated one of the players’ own designs. Each participant takes on a premade character, and one of them acts as a traitor who plans to turn on the rest of the group. For non-traitorous players, the challenge is to discover the traitor in time, but for the traitor themselves, the goal is to keep their nefarious plans secret long enough to fool everyone else.

1 Anachrony

Number of Players: 1-4

• Release date: 2017
• Creator: Mindclash Games
• Genre: Economic, strategy

Anachrony is a worker placement game involving time travel to prevent an upcoming apocalypse. Involving strategy and foresight, players must gather vital resources, acquire various specialists, and procure exo-suits to protect said specialists, which are in very short supply.

Fans of sci-fi may find this game appealing, as Anachrony also provides a sort of asymmetrical experience with the player’s ‘paths.’ The game asks players to curate how they want to best leverage their unique asymmetries to achieve victory. It’s a heavy sci-fi experience that is perfect for a group of 3.