20 Best 3 Player Board Games

Looking for the best 3-player board games? We've got them right here.

From quick family favorites like Happy Little Dinosaurs and Reef to more competitive games like Dominion and Legendary, this guide covers the best board games where three is the magic number of players.

Ready to find your new favorite game? Let's go!

20 of the Best 3 Player Board Games

Here's a roundup of the best board games for three players, with options that work for kids, families, and serious gamers:

1. Wizardry to the Power of Three

• Ages: 6+

• Time: 20-30 minutes

Follow "The Lumies" (magical glowing creatures) on an enchanting forest adventure as you race to return to the wizard's school before Willy the Warden Ghost catches you! Players must stick together, memorize three tiles, and use magic powers, potions, and clever dice combinations to make it back in time.

2. Happy Little Dinosaurs

• Ages: 8+

• Time: 30-60 minutes

This type of board game is perfect for kids, teens, and adults, plus it's super easy for beginners to pick up. It's all about survival and sabotage! Dodge falling meteors, sidestep pits of lava, and even get ghosted on a dino date. The catch? Stay positive, because the dinosaur that survives the mayhem wins the game!

3. Reef

• Ages: 8+

• Time: 30-45 minutes

Reef is an abstract strategy game, perfect for players aged eight and up. In this game, you take on the role of a coral reef, carefully growing and expanding your underwater home by choosing colors and patterns from the deck of cards. When all the reef pieces are placed (or when the cards run out), the player with the most points wins.

4. Karuba

• Ages: 8+

• Time: 30-40 minutes

Ready to play as a party of three? Race to build paths through the dense jungle and reach ancient temples before other players beat you there. In this tile-laying adventure, players forge footpaths on their own boards, hunting for valuable treasures, golden nuggets, and hidden gems. But beware: many paths have dead ends. Will you reach the temple in time, or will you have to backtrack and race against the clock?

5. Suburbia

• Ages: 8+

• Time: 60-90 minutes

If The Sims and Monopoly had to collide, you’d get Suburbia. Using hexagon-shaped tiles, build residential, commercial, civic, and industrial zones across your town. Grow your population, become self-sufficient, and use profits to upgrade your city with airports, high-rise offices, and more. The player with the largest empire is dubbed the winner!

6. Alhambra

• Ages: 8+

• Time: 45-60 minutes

Step into the Spanish Middle Ages and build the most beautiful Alhambra complex using four different currencies to purchase building tiles. Construct towers, gardens, pavilions, and arcades with the help of the best master builders, stonemasons, and horticulturists. Earn points for having the most buildings in each of the six building types and claim victory as the player with the highest score!

7. Carpe Diem

• Ages: 10+

• Time: 45-75 minutes

Carpe Diem is a real brain teaser, with benefits that improve memory, strategy, and problem-solving skills for adults and kids alike. Step into the shoes of rich patricians in ancient Rome and build the most lucrative city district. Build luxurious villas, cultivate lavish gardens, and produce gold and bread to increase your city's wealth.

8. Splendor

• Ages: 10+

• Time: 30 minutes

This chip-collecting, poker-style card game has a simple goal: become the most successful jewel merchant of the Renaissance. Through various actions, grab gems, acquire property, and collect 15 prestige points before your opponents do to be crowned the winner.

9. Guildhall

• Ages: 10+

• Time: 30-40 minutes

Guildhall is a fantastic game for three players, loved for its tactical decision-making and strategic depth. Set in the Dark Ages, you recruit like-minded professionals from all over Europe to advance the future of humanity. Each profession grants special abilities to help you achieve your goals. Complete your quests and claim victory points (VP); the first player to reach 20 VP wins!

10. Love Letter

• Ages: 10+

• Time: 20 minutes

This three-player game is all about risk, deduction, and luck. Princess Annette has locked herself in the palace, and you need to get your romantic love letters delivered to her. From a deck of only 16 cards, each player draws one and plays one. The goal? Use your cards to defend yourself and knock out other players so your letter is the first to reach the beautiful princess.

11. Through the Desert

• Ages: 10+

• Time: 45 minutes

Here's a new game to try, filled with strategy, patience, and some very cool camels! Lead your camel caravan across the sun-baked sands of the Sahara in search of food, water, and open space to score points. This unique game is simple to learn and is sure to entertain everyone at game night!

12. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

• Ages: 10+

• Time: 20 minutes

This cooperative card game plunges you into the hidden depths as you search for the lost continent of Mu. Unlock various puzzles across 32 oceanic missions through trick-taking and unexpected twists of fate. The pressure increases as the game progresses, perfect for players of all skill levels.

13. Race for the Galaxy

• Ages: 12+

• Time: 30-60 minutes

Build intergalactic civilizations by developing worlds and technologies in this fast-paced card game. Players simultaneously choose roles that determine which actions everyone can take, creating tough decisions and friendly rivalry. Packed with strategy, competition, and multiple rounds of sci-fi fun, it's a three-player game that everyone enjoys playing.

14. Thunderstone

• Ages: 12+

• Time: 60 minutes

Venture into the monster-filled dungeons to claim the legendary Thunderstone in this fantasy deck-building game. Players recruit heroes and purchase equipment, building powerful combinations to defeat the dangerous demons. The player with the most victory points at the end of gameplay wins.

15. The A.R.T. Project

• Ages: 12+

• Time: 40 minutes

Join the art rescue team! Travel from Japan to Rio de Janeiro to recover stolen artworks taken by "The White Hand", a notorious organization behind priceless art heists across the globe. Players work together, racing against the clock to recover all seven artifacts before the mission deck ends.

16. Dominion

• Ages: 13+

• Time: 30 minutes

Ideal for 2-4 players, Dominion is a game of building civilization in lands ruled by petty warlords and on the brink of chaos. Recruit minions, construct buildings, and fill your coffers with treasure as you plan the most efficient path to claim victory points. Players start with identical decks and purchase kingdom cards to create unique strategies and powerful combos. With countless expansions, no two games are the same!

17. Defenders of the Wild

• Ages: 14+

• Time: 60-90 minutes

Animals unite! This cooperative adventure game blends tactical area control with fantasy, where animals protect their precious habitats from a machine invasion. Assemble your four-legged crew of defenders to clear toxic pollution, breach walls, build camps, and rewild factories before the machines completely take over Commonwood.

18. Robinson Crusoe: Adventures of the Cursed Island

• Ages: 14+

• Time: 30 minutes +

Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island is a co-op board game where players try to survive as castaways on a deserted island. Work together to collect resources, build shelter, find food, and protect yourself against the elements. The twist? The cards you draw ultimately determine your fate.

19. Legendary

• Ages: 14+

• Time: 30-60 minutes

Assemble teams of Marvel heroes like Spider-Man, Hulk, and Wolverine to take down villainous masterminds threatening the world in this cooperative deck-building adventure. Use your hero's unique powers to outsmart villains and stop their evil schemes before it's too late. It's the closest you'll get to stepping right into a Marvel Comic (or movie)!

20. Scythe

• Ages: 14+

• Time: 90-115 minutes

Scythe is set in war-torn 1920s Europe, where nothing is what it was before. Each player commands one of five factions, forging their own path to power and prosperity around the mysterious "Factory". Conquer territories, recruit soldiers, gather resources, and activate monstrous mechs to keep rivals at bay. This engine-building game includes different maps, is filled with strategic depth, and creates an unforgettable gaming experience for all.

The Best Games Table for 3 Player Setups

Having the perfect three-player setup starts with having the right game table.

To take your gaming sessions up a notch (or three), check out our fantastic range of handmade, premium hardwood tables below. Each is ready to transform ordinary game evenings into unforgettable experiences!

• The Mimosa: Designed with three-player games in mind, this table balances comfort with convenience and suits a variety of play styles. It converts easily from a cozy dining table to a compact gaming station, making it popular with modern homeowners.

• The Firefly: Bring form and function to your living room with this convertible coffee table. Featuring two spacious drawers, multiple cup holders, and an upholstered floor, the Firefly is perfect for card games, three-to-five-player board games, and other tabletop adventures.

• The Dresden: Convert your dining space into a world-class gaming destination. With custom cup holders, dice bins, and built-in storage, this large, hardwood design is perfect for everything from family suppers and casual play to all-night gaming marathons for three players and more!

Check out our website for more game room ideas and table comparisons.

FAQs

What board games can I play with three players?

There are many board games you can play with three players, such as:

• Terraforming Mars

• Wingspan

• Le Havre

• 30 Seconds

• Dungeons & Dragons

Which three-player games are good for kids?

Kids love playing these three-player board games:

• King of Monster Island

• Ticket to Ride

• Candy Land

• Endangered

• Catan

Can I play Citadels with three people?

Absolutely! Citadels is a popular board game for 2-8 players.

What are the best cooperative, three-player board games?

Here are a few of the best cooperative board games for three players:

• The Captain is Dead

• The Grizzled

• Champions of Hara

• Resident Evil 2

Final Thoughts

Planning a game night with three players? Problem solved.

No more staring at your shelf, wondering what to play. We've collected the best 3-player board games so you can spend more time playing and less time choosing.

Whether you're in the mood for quick family fun like Wizardry to the Power of Three, Reef, or Karuba, or more strategy-filled options like Thunderstone, Dominion, and Scythe, you'll find plenty of games on our list to keep everyone entertained.

And if you're in the market for new custom-built gaming furniture, check out Bandpass Design to make game nights even better.