# Are there any games designed for EXACTLY three players? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 27, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135 "2016-08-27T14:32:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/21 "2016-08-29T02:05:11Z")
And a lot of other game shows, now that you mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/22 "2016-08-29T03:21:17Z")
Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes A puzzle/adventure for Nintendo DS designed to be played by 3 players simultaneously. The puzzles often require all three players to sync their actions to solve. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/23 "2016-08-29T10:37:20Z")
There are some board games that play exactly 3: > **[BoardGameGeek | Gaming Unplugged Since 2000](https://boardgamegeek.com/geeksearch.php?action=search&advsearch=1&objecttype=boardgame&q=&include%5Bdesignerid%5D=&geekitemname=&include%5Bpublisherid%5D=&geekitemname=&range%5Byearpublished%5D%5Bmin%5D=&range%5Byearpublished%5D%5Bmax%5D=&range%5Bminage%5D%5Bmax%5D=&floatrange%5Bavgrating%5D%5Bmin%5D=&floatrange%5Bavgrating%5D%5Bmax%5D=&range%5Bnumvoters%5D%5Bmin%5D=&floatrange%5Bavgweight%5D%5Bmin%5D=&floatrange%5Bavgweight%5D%5Bmax%5D=&range%5Bnumweights%5D%5Bmin%5D=&colfiltertype=&searchuser=N9IWP&range%5Bminplayers%5D%5Bmax%5D=3&range%5Bmaxplayers%5D%5Bmin%5D=3&playerrangetype=exclusive&range%5Bleastplaytime%5D%5Bmin%5D=&range%5Bplaytime%5D%5Bmax%5D=&B1=Submit)** The one with the highest BGG rank is [God’s Playground](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/38309/gods-playground) There are some games that are arguably best with 3, I’d nominate [Le Havre](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35677/le-havre) Brian ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/24 "2016-08-29T10:55:37Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > But isn’t one player the Dummy in each round, effectively making it three-handed play? Not really. The bidding phase is the game, which requires all four players, is critical to the game, and is what differentiates it from several similar trick-taking games. The bidding is also a significant fraction of the time you skene playing. Hearts plays best with the players, IMO, but can also be played with four. ---
**Author:** ![TheStake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@TheStake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheStake)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/25 "2016-08-29T12:26:09Z")
My wife is Filipino. A big game there is Tongits, it is like a asian gin rummy. It is very fun and you can google the rules, because it is not very hard to play. It is a lot of fun! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/26 "2016-08-29T13:00:51Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Hearts plays best with the players, IMO, but can also be played with four. It’s more like standard hearts is played with four, but can be adjusted for three (in various ways.) There’s a good number of card games where you can make adjustments like that, but the game was designed for four. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/27 "2016-08-29T13:08:20Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Yep, this Wikipedia list is three player cards games, some of which are designed only for three players. Ombre is another one that’s designed for three. > [Category:Three-player card games - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Three-player_card_games) This list [here is a bit more expansive](https://www.pagat.com/number/3_players.html), but does include games with variable number of players. It also includes the game [1000](https://www.pagat.com/marriage/1000.html#poland), which I mentioned but wasn’t on the Wikipedia list. We play it as the Polish game Tysiąc. In all the card games I personally mentioned, the 3 player types are alliance games, in which temporary alliances are formed as one bidder plays against two defenders. I also just remembered after looking at that page [99 is a good game for three](https://www.pagat.com/exact/99.html) and much easier to learn than the others I mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/28 "2016-08-29T16:00:57Z")
A three man scotch or nine point game game in golf. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/29 "2016-08-29T16:20:34Z")
Bottle Imp is a really interesting 3 player card game. It’s based on the Robert Louis Stevenson short story and is a trick taking (or not taking) game. (Although you can play with 4, it breaks the game and makes it far from interesting) ---
**Author:** ![Enlightening\_Meditation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@Enlightening\_Meditation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enlightening_Meditation)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/30 "2016-09-11T02:27:41Z")
Cutthroat pool is a 3-player game played on a billiard table. One player tries to sink balls 1 through 5, another player tries to sing balls 6 through 10, and the third player tries to sink balls 11 through 15. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/31 "2016-09-12T18:06:01Z")
In Canada, we play an excellent 3-player card game called [9-5-2 similar to Sergeant Major](https://www.pagat.com/whist/sergeant.html). I’ve also heard it called 3- player Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/32 "2016-09-12T18:10:18Z")
Cribbage is also a good 3-player game ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/33 "2016-09-12T18:18:59Z")
> [@Enlightening\_Meditation](#): > > Cutthroat pool is a 3-player game played on a billiard table. One player tries to sink balls 1 through 5, another player tries to sing balls 6 through 10, and the third player tries to sink balls 11 through 15. Oh, totally forgot about that one! We used to play it in high school and college. It actually is quite a fun variant of pool. Definitely enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/34 "2016-09-12T20:02:54Z")
> [@Enlightening\_Meditation](#): > > Cutthroat pool is a 3-player game played on a billiard table. One player tries to sink balls 1 through 5, another player tries to sing balls 6 through 10, and the third player tries to sink balls 11 through 15. I’m embarrassed to say, we had a pool table in our basement when I was growing up, and my dad and brother and I used to play this quite a bit. I can’t believe I forgot this one. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/35 "2016-09-13T01:22:41Z")
> [@Enlightening\_Meditation](#): > > Cutthroat pool is a 3-player game played on a billiard table. One player tries to sink balls 1 through 5, another player tries to sing balls 6 through 10, and the third player tries to sink balls 11 through 15. We played it where one person would be assigned 1-5, but try to knock in the other people’s assigned balls (6-10 or 11-15). The first person to hit in a ball got to choose their set. Second person to hit in a ball got to choose their set. Third person was screwed. When your balls were all sunk, you were out. Unless someone scratched, which brought you back to life with one ball spotted. Two players could team up and knock out a stronger player (hence, “cutthroat”). ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/36 "2016-09-13T02:38:12Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > (with the play passing counter-clockwise as is typical for games with more than two players) [You just blew my mind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_game#Direction_of_play). > [@](#): > > The game orientation or direction of play, which is only relevant for three or more players, can be either clockwise or counterclockwise. It is the direction in which various roles in the game proceed. Most regions have a traditional direction of play, such as: > > ``` > Counterclockwise in most of Asia and in Latin America. > Clockwise in North America and Australia. > > ``` > > Europe is roughly divided into a clockwise area in the north and a counterclockwise area in the south. The boundary runs between Ireland, Great Britain, Netherlands, Germany, Austria (mostly), Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia (clockwise) and France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey (counterclockwise). The very idea of play proceeding counter-clockwise makes my teeth itch, but at least I’m not violating local norms by having play go clockwise. [These cribbage rules suggest play should go clockwise](http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/cribbage-rules.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/37 "2016-09-13T18:01:23Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Right, which is why [three-handed bridge](http://learntoplaybridgeinaday.com/3-player-bridge) would be a good answer, so long as we’re considering it its own game separate from normal bridge (which I would). ``` Sure you could try to play Bridge like this but it's kind of ridiculous really. It takes everything that makes Bridge a great game and turn it into a game of whose got bigger balls. ``` ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/38 "2016-09-13T18:23:09Z")
The card game Tripoli/Tripoly/Tripoley _should_ be for three players, but isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/39 "2016-09-14T03:19:55Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > [You just blew my mind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_game#Direction_of_play). > > The very idea of play proceeding counter-clockwise makes my teeth itch, but at least I’m not violating local norms by having play go clockwise. [These cribbage rules suggest play should go clockwise](http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/cribbage-rules.htm). You’re right. I mistyped. Though, it blew your mind? Really? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135/40 "2016-09-14T19:39:54Z")
[Chess.](http://cheezburger.com/6214025472) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-games-designed-for-exactly-three-players/764135.md?page=3)