Perfect for killing time! A roundup of games for three people to enjoy
What kinds of games can you play when there are three people—like a close-knit trio, three siblings, or a family of three? Some games are easier with an even number, but once it’s an odd number, certain games get harder to play, right? In this article, we’ll introduce games you can play with your body or hands that work for three people.
We’ve gathered games you can use in various situations: to get some exercise, to burn off extra energy, or to kill time when you have a free moment.
Spend a fun time moving your body and hands together with your children or friends!
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- A card game for three players. Enjoy mind games and psychological battles!
- Fun activities for junior high school students. Recreation games.
- Brain-teasing game roundup
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- Kill time while waiting or stuck in traffic! A roundup of games four people can play
- Perfect for killing time! Fun games you can easily play on LINE
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
- Recreation Ideas That Truly Excite High School Students! A Fun Collection of Activities
Psychological Warfare & Deduction Party Game (1–10)
Personality test
Don’t you sometimes find yourself desperately answering when a TV show briefly introduces a personality quiz? How about diving into a bunch of those quizzes as a way to kill time? There are ones about romance as well as ones that reveal your personality and even your subconscious, and sometimes the results can really surprise you.
These days there are tons of videos too, so they’re perfect for passing the time!
Word Wolf
This game is a hidden-role game inspired by Werewolf.
There are Citizens and Werewolves, and only the Werewolves receive a different prompt.
The Werewolves must keep the conversation going without being found out, while everyone else tries to guess who the Werewolves are.
However, the Werewolves do not know they are Werewolves at the start of the game.
If you notice that your conversation seems off compared to others, quietly infer the Citizens’ prompt and adjust your talk to match it.
When playing with three people, it becomes two Citizens and one Werewolf, which might make it more challenging.
Bamboo shoot nyokki
The game “Takenoko Nyokki,” which became famous after originating on a TV show.
At the call of “Takenoko takenoko nyokki-kki!” everyone puts their hands together in front of their chest.
In turn, players thrust their clasped hands upward while saying “One nyokki,” “Two nyokki,” and so on.
There’s no set order, so anyone can raise their hands whenever they like.
You win if you successfully go out, but you lose if you collide with someone (say the same number at the same time) or if you fail to go out by the end.
Telepathy
Telepathy is a game where each player has one of their senses—seeing, hearing, or speaking—taken away while they play.
In this game, players must arrive at a single word together despite being deprived of senses they normally rely on for communication and gathering information.
That word is the one shared in common by the different prompts dealt to each player at the start.
Even just thinking of that is difficult, and on top of that, you have to figure out the answer using an unusual form of communication! It’s a play experience that lets you develop a new sense you could never encounter in everyday life.
The “Haa” game
“Haa” Game is a card game where players say a single line to match a given situation.
You draw a prompt card with a word like “haa” or “mm,” then use an Act Card to assign each player a specific situation to perform.
Players say the prompt word in a way that fits their assigned situation, and everyone guesses which situation that person is expressing.
If you guess correctly, both the guesser and the speaker earn points, and the player with the most points at the end wins.
It’s a game that puts everyone’s acting skills to the test!
Sea turtle soup
Umigame no Soup is a genre also known as a lateral thinking quiz, where your ability to organize conditions is put to the test.
You ask the quizmaster questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no,” and use those hints to arrive at the correct answer.
You keep asking questions to get closer to the solution, but there’s also an element of strategy since someone else might beat you to it.
It’s a game where people’s strengths vary greatly, so for the person posing the puzzle, how they provide hints can be crucial.
NG word game
This is the “NG Word Game,” a lively game for three or more players.
All you need is paper and a pen, which makes it easy to set up.
Each person writes a word on a piece of paper.
Then everyone draws one paper and holds it up to their forehead so they can’t see their own word, but everyone else can.
The unseen word on your card is your NG (forbidden) word, and anyone who says their own NG word loses.
The fun comes from steering the conversation to make others say their NG words while avoiding your own.