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Experts Tell Us the Best 3 Player Board Games

This article showcases our top picks for the Best 3 Player Board Games. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below). We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.

Last Night on Earth

This product was recommended by Robert Banks from MrStocks

This is a one versus all zombie game. I love their character cards; they are photo realistic which really does add to the game’s theme. This is a scenario based game. You have to pick a scenario out of the book then one player is going to be playing the zombies and the other players will be taking the role of the survivors trying to fulfill the objectives of the scenario. The game can drag on if you play it with loads of players so we like to play it with three. You’ll love it.

7 Wonders Board Game

This product was recommended by Derek Hales from NapLab

Whether you have just 3 players or the game’s maximum 7 players, 7 Wonders is an absolute gem. Each player takes command of a major city in antiquity. You are tasked with guiding your city through the ages. From building your city’s ancient wonder to trade, war, scientific research, economy, and more. The game is simultaneously incredibly deep, while being easy for newcomers. With 3 players the dynamic of the game becomes one of intricate plays and counter plays. Each game is a unique experience and each player must consider their strategy in the context of all players, but especially the player immediately to their left and right. Even with dozens of plays under my belt I still find 7 Wonders to be interesting, challenging, and fun for players of all skill and competitive levels.

Czech Games Galaxy Trucker

This product was recommended by Derek Hales from NapLab

Designed for up to 4 players, Galaxy Trucker is really at its best with 3 players. While a 4 player is possible, it puts an incredible strain on players and ups the difficulty tremendously. 3 players is a perfect balance for this strategic spaceship journey. In Galaxy Trucker players build a spaceship using interchangeable parts. From shields to engines, lasers and crew quarters, you’ll need to carefully craft your ship to survive the dangers of space. Once the ship building phase is complete players take off on a journey. The card pile dictates the dangers and rewards, from visiting planets to fighting pirates, smugglers, asteroid fields, and more. Galaxy Trucker offers a beautiful balance of strategic play under the pressures of time, while the randomized card encounters, individual player counterplay, and flight day mechanics create a dynamic and engaging experience for players. It’s not enough to just survive the flight, you’ll need to thrive if you want to come out on top.

Pandemic Board Game

This product was recommended by Stephen Curry from CocoSign

Pandemic is one of the best three-player board games you can play with friends and family above eight years old. It is the best cooperative game involving fighting as a team of crack specialists race against the clock to get rid of a virus. Each player will have extraordinary power and a role on the team. You can become the scientist who builds a research center or the pilot traveling the world. There are many interconnected cities as spaces in the game board, and when the virus spreads to new nodes, you have to take various actions to contain them and lose once it gets too out of control. It is a great game and worth it for anyone looking for an option with the three players working together.

Chess Armory Chess Set

This product was recommended by Archaic Clay from Rank Chess

Chess Grandmasters work through three decisions with 8 potential counter-moves every time they touch a Chessboard. Chess is a great three-player board game because even though there are only two sides to the game, the potential for a third player to provide thoughtful advice as an accessory to one or both sides comes naturally. Additionally, Chess is the most popular board game in human history with more than 70 trillion potential games. This means that with three players, there are plenty of opportunities for conversation around each move.

SEQUENCE- Original SEQUENCE Game

This product was recommended by Tara Orcutt from Veggieslicious

This is a fun activity for groups of friends or families that enjoy playing strategy games. It includes a foldable gaming board, two (2) decks of Sequence playing cards, 135 playing chips, and a detailed instruction manual. The game is won by the team or player who completes the required number of five-card sequences first. Sequence is a game that combines the elements of a board game and a card game. The board is made up of two decks of cards placed out in a 1010 pattern, with the exception of the eight jacks, which play a crucial role and will be discussed later. There are four empty corners that the players can use as open spaces. For their games, the players are handed cards. They choose one of these cards to indicate the location of their chip on the board. The purpose of the game is to complete five-sequence rows, columns, or diagonals until the required score is reached. Sequence can be played by two to twelve individual players, but only two to three teams can compete. This means that if there are more than three players, they may be separated into groups, making this the ideal game for three players or three teams!

Ticket to Ride Board Game

This product was recommended by Jonathan Tian from Mobitrix

Ticket to Ride: Ticket to Ride is the perfect board game for people who enjoy adventures and excursions. The purpose is to gather train cards that match and then claim railway routes that connect North American cities. You get points for each way you take an assignment you accomplish, which can help you enhance your chances of winning. The set includes a board map of North American railway routes, 240 colored train cars, 110 train car cards, 30 destination tickets, five wooden scoring markers, 1 Day of Wonder Online access number, and a rulebook. It’s meant to be played by two to five players, all of whom must be at least eight years old. Depending on each player’s strategy and technique, the game can last 30 to 60 minutes.

Azul Board Game

This product was recommended by Jonathan Tian from Mobitrix

Azul: Azul is a tile-laying game for fans of mosaics and crafts. By claiming tiles and artfully arranging them to create the most attractive creations. The game is meant to put your strategic skills and aesthetic sensibility to the test. Players must take turns when it comes to adding titles, so your opponent may obtain the tiles you want before you do. It would help if you played in such a way that the odds are to your advantage. The person who has the most points at the end of the game wins. Azul can be played by two to four players and is appropriate for anyone aged eight and up. Because the game lasts about 30 to 45 minutes, it’s an excellent choice for you and your family if you have a lot of free time.

Catan Board Game

This product was recommended by Henry Davis from Adept Golf

Catan board game is one of the best 3 player board games I know. I’ve been playing this game ever since I went to elementary school. This is a strategic game that helps you become a good negotiator as you get resources like wood brick, sheep, or wheat and you trade it with other players to somewhat build your empire. This game is very interesting and you will definitely get hooked. It’s fun but stimulates your brain so you also learn to be good at handling business. This game is a game where it’s like you are selling and buying things. I highly recommend this game since it’s fun, interesting, and stimulating at the same time

Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization

This product was recommended by Shiv Gupta from Incrementors

Through the Ages is a civilization-building game that uses drafting and auction-style bidding elements to keep things moving. You try to develop the best civilization possible by carefully managing resources, discovering new technologies, electing the proper leaders, constructing wonders, and keeping a strong military. The game takes place across history, beginning in antiquity and concluding in the contemporary era. This game works best with three players. Three players are enough to make the challenge and opponents varied enough so it isn’t a duel, but not too many to slow down an already lengthy game.

Stone Age

This product was recommended by Shiv Gupta from Incrementors

Travel back in time and take command of one of the early human tribes. Life is difficult but serene. To thrive, tribes will need to feed all of their members and trade with neighbouring communities. Step back in time and lead your tribe to glory. It’s an excellent worker placement board game. It’s extremely well-balanced, with a plethora of strategies and rule modifications tailored exclusively for three players. It is one of the games we grab from the shelf the most frequently for newcomers, and it is always a hit.

Wingspan

This product was recommended by Eden Cheng from PeopleFinderFree

Wingspan is an amazing 3 player strategy board game that places players in a bird sanctuary, where they are meant to grow and discover the hundreds of available birds. In each turn, players are only given three things to choose from; lay eggs, get food, or draw bird cards. And with these few available options, players are tasked with building up the best and largest fleet of exotic birds. It is also for the reason that this is such a great three-player board game, as with numerous paths available to victory yet a simple panel of choices, the competition can often be just as challenging as it is exciting.

Agricola

This product was recommended by Matthew Paxton from Hypernia

Agricola is one of the board games that we usually play. This game is for folks who enjoy board games, have 3 or 4 people to play with, and three hours to devote to it. The game ebbs and flows with worry and exhilaration as your plans are thwarted in some ways but fulfilled in others. As you compete with other players to gain the resources you need to make your farm thrive, the cards add a little randomness and ingenuity to your plans.

3 Man Chess

This product was recommended by Nikki Webster from Brit on the Move

Everyone’s familiar with regular chess; heck there are chess associations and national competitions. However, traditional chess is a two-player game. 3 Man chess is a twist where three play together with the same rules as the two-player version. The main difference here is that you have to follow new protocols to maintain order where the teams border each other.

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Written by Zak Parker

Journalist, writer, musician, professional procrastinator. I'll add more here later.

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