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!
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- A card game for three players. Enjoy mind games and psychological battles!
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- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
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Classic Board, Card, and Video Games (1–10)
Catan
Catan is a board game released in Germany in 1995 and is indispensable when talking about the subsequent board game boom.
The rule is that the player who develops an uninhabited island and makes it the most prosperous wins, so deciding how to act is crucial.
To score higher, you need to anticipate your opponents’ moves as you proceed, and that back-and-forth makes the game more exciting.
Since dice introduce an element of luck, it’s a game where it’s important to build your strategy with that in mind as well.
Classic Board, Card, and Video Games (11–20)
Doubt
Because it’s a game for a small number of players, you can clearly see each other’s faces, so having elements of bluffing in the rules makes it even more exciting.
This is a card game using a standard deck where reading expressions and minds is a crucial key.
Players take turns counting numbers upward using their dealt cards, and the declared number doesn’t have to match the actual card played.
You read whether the declaration truly matches the card; if you correctly call a bluff, you collect the cards on the table, and the more your bluffs are caught, the further you get from victory.
It’s a game where the balance of when to play a genuine card and what your opponent is thinking is essential.
SEQUENCE
The board game SEQUENCE is hugely popular in the United States.
It’s a board game that uses playing cards and is somewhat similar to Japan’s gomoku (five-in-a-row).
To play, you place a chip on the space that shows the same card as one in your hand, and the first player to line up five chips wins.
With its simple rules and flexibility for anywhere from 2 to 12 players, it’s an easy, casual game you can enjoy anytime with anyone.
Azul: Summer Pavilion
Azul: Summer Pavilion, which won the Game of the Year grand prize in Germany, is a game where you take colorful tiles and place them on your own board.
First, you select the tiles you want from the dishes or from those scattered outside the dishes.
Then you place them in designated spots for your team, and you score points when you successfully place them.
Once all players pass on placing tiles, the game moves to the next turn.
After six rounds, the player who has filled their board the most and has the highest total score from their placements wins.
It uses cute tiles, but don’t be fooled—the gameplay is surprisingly challenging and really makes you think!
MINECRAFT
Minecraft, also famous as “the best-selling game in the world.” It’s a sandbox game where you survive in a blocky world! Build houses, travel in search of new scenery, head out to slay a dragon—there are countless ways to play depending on your imagination.
And of course, since we’re introducing it here, it supports multiplayer.
Play with friends and both your efficiency and fun will multiply.
Try finding an obstacle-course (parkour) server, log in together, and compete in character control—it’s a blast!
karuta (traditional Japanese playing cards)
Karuta is a traditional Japanese game that’s strongly associated with New Year’s.
The rules involve listening to the reader’s words and quickly grabbing the corresponding card.
The phrases that are read aloud vary depending on the set being used, so your ability to clearly catch the words is put to the test.
Many sets have picture-only grabbing cards as well, so it’s important to use your imagination to visualize the situation from the words.
The combinations of phrases and cards also help build excitement, so be particular about which karuta set you choose to use.
Pig’s tail
Playing cards are perfect for killing a bit of time, aren’t they? Games like Old Maid end quickly with three players, so many people may be looking for card games you can play longer.
For you, we recommend “Pig’s Tail.” In this game, you spread the cards face down in a circle and draw one at a time, placing it in the center.
If the suit matches the previous card, you take the pile in the center, and in the end, the player with the fewest cards in hand wins.
Splash
If you want to play UNO but only have a standard deck of cards, I recommend “Dobon,” a UNO-like game played with playing cards.
Just like UNO, you keep playing cards that match the number or suit of the card on the pile, and the first person to run out of cards wins! Aces, 2s, 8s, Jacks, and Queens have special effects similar to UNO’s Skip or Reverse.
A unique rule in Dobon is that if the total of the number on the current card and a card in your hand matches a certain condition, you can shout “Dobon,” play all your matching cards at once, and go out in a flash! Once you learn the rules, it might get even more exciting than UNO!
Angry old man
It’s an app game called “Angry Old Man.” You know the classic suspense game “Pop-up Pirate,” right? It’s like an old-man version of that.
You pick the old men one by one and take them out of the box, but among them there’s an angry old man mixed in.
If you happen to pick the angry one, you’re out—that’s the game.
You can also play it so that the person who picks the angry old man wins.
Eraser Drop
What I’m introducing here isn’t the old-school “Eraser Drop” game we used to play at school, but the app version of it.
The rules are the same as in the classic game: just flick your opponent’s eraser off the desk! There are over 100 types of erasers to use, and up to four players can battle.
You can also enjoy solo play, facing enemies in different areas! You can even compete online against players across the country.
The rules are simple, which makes the matches heat up more and more as you progress.
