My favs at 3: 1. AuZtralia 2. Samurai 3. Viticulture 4. Glory to Rome 5. Cthulhu: Death May Die 6. Raiders of Scythia 7. Anno 1800 8. Lorenzo il Magnifico 9. Tiny Epic Galaxies 10. Beyond the Sun
My favorites with three players: 1. Firefly: The Game 2. Glory to Rome 3. Zombicide 4. Maria 5. Pax Renaissance: 2nd edition 6. Rallyman (GT, DIRT, RX, The Climb) 7. 51st State: Ultimate Edition 8. Pax Porfiriana 9. Pax Pamir: Second Edition 10. Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game 11. Neanderthal (Second Edition) 12. Bios: Genesis 13. Chronicles of Crime 14. Greenland (Third Edition) 15. Pax Emancipation
When I first started my group was almost exclusively three, and I felt there weren’t as many solid choices as there are nowadays. Now that group is almost always 5, which is infinitely harder to fulfill. Please make a top 10 list of Games Best with 5 players. 5 is always so hard to fill cause a four player game takes an hour and somehow bumping it up one player takes 6 hours
@@calebbarton5697 I would add Heat, Lancaster, Struggle of Empires if you have a long time, Power Grid, Endeavor and the GOAT El Grande. In general, Euro puzzles are not great at 5, but area control and more conflicty games are great at 5.
@@KissellMissile Heat is funny cause it's great at high player counts... and great at low player counts _because_ you have the dummy cars making it "high" again
Good choices ! :) The first that came to my mind was Cthulhu Death May Die, perfect for 3 players. Also: Kanban EV, The Crew, Terraforming Mars, Pax Pamir, Le Havre and Anachrony. For me, Ark Nova is perfect for 2 players.
Great list but as you guys said most games are best with 3 so I have shelves full of games that are great with 3. What we really need is an updated list of the best games to play with a group of 5.
There are a lot of 3 player only games I love like Three Kingdoms Redux, Maria, Triumph and Tragedy....Then there are some heavy euros that are too long with 4 but really shine with 3... As well as some other complex games like Pax Renaissance where the game state is too busy with 4 and it is maybe too chaotic and long. My Fathers Work is too long with 4 but shines with 3. Someone else mentioned The King is Dead which is one of my favourites. I think too many games are optimised for 4 and not adapted enough to bring out the best they have to offer at 3 - but it can be a really fun player count for games.
Chris - don't let them get in your head. Dune Imperium is a top 5 game for me, and when I read the video title Dune Imperium came to mind for me. It's wild how between 3 and 4 players there are no changes to the available worker placement places. With 4 players, if all get their swordsman, you have 12 workers in a round... that's a lot for this board. I also like the combat at 3 more as well, for the reasons you mentioned.
How is half the comment section not about "squirrelly durlies"? I have no idea how to even spell that, and google has ZERO results for it. Chris and Zee seem to just accept it after clarification of "durlies" versus "dirties." I thought I knew every nickname for a cockroach in existence but this is completely new to me.
I love Starcadia Quest. Last time I played with 3 though it didn’t go so well. The other 2 players would in every turn go for each other ignoring the objective. Game took forever just to loose at the end. 😔
Zee mentioned that area control games play better at 3 than 4... is it possible that area control games play an odd mumber of player better than an even number?
I always thought of San Marco as a game that is superior with 3 than any other player count. Very early and underrated design with the I pick-You choose mechanism.
I once played a 3 player game of Ark Nova that lasted 4 hours and made me drop my score on BGG by a full point, as my eyes were opened to the fact that while technically not an engine builder, you might end up building an engine and taking a ten minute turn to min max it. Still love the game, but….
Missed the live chat... Thank you, DT! Three can work very well! Extra variety compared to 2 and quicker than 4. Maybe not a Chuonky, 3-player game of 'War'. Chirs must have been playing a side quest of 'Through the Desert' while playing 'Through the Ages', we forgive him. Mt Fantastic... you wouldn't get fat, you would just get taller until you went on a diet.
7 wonders best with 3 and also one of my favorite board games. King of Tokyo works well with 3 too, very simple and fun game. Sequence with 3 works too.
Why does Tom like Starcadia quest and seas of havoc where you are actively attacking each other, but dislikes the attack cards of Ark nova and dominion? Especially dominion where the name signifies attacking and taking over the world.
While I would not play Biblios with 4, it's a good 2-player game. You're pretty much going for three suits and you're going to have to win one of them with a very low number. And I find the dice mitigation cards way more important.
The moment I saw this I was like, Dune Imperium has got to be on someone's list. I 100% agree with Chris that it really shines at 3, you get a more tactical experience of conflict with less downtime. It trumps 2, where you have to man the automa, and it's spicier (eheh) than 4. Ark Nova, also a very solid pick. Haven't tried it at 4 with the latest expansion yet, though.
The 20th anniversary edition of Amun-Re by Ally Cat games is fantastic at 3. It has a new variant that make it must more interesting at three than the original game.
Spirit Island is great at 3. I know a lot of people prefer it at 2 but I prefer 3 because it opens up more interesting spirit combos. There's some spirits which are really hard to justify pairing up or even playing at 2
It's hard to believe that none of them have played The King is Dead. On the other hand, it's even harder to believe that if they have played it, it didn't make on this list. Ultimate 3 player game for me.
@@aggrowall4234 yup, forgot about that review. Weird. I usually feel as these lists are just for the show, and then I realize that they are 😂 For instance, top 10 game designers, 3 of them, no Felds 😆
10 - 12 Chip Trick / Everdell / Suburbia 9- Empire's End / Cascadia / On The Underground 8- Manhattan / Parks / The Great Wall 7- Escape Plan / Marvel United / The Bottle Imp 6- Tribes of the Wind / Paleo / Ticket to Ride (Japan) 5- Through the Desert / Deus / Seas of Havoc 4- Couture / Rising Sun / Starcadia Quest 3- Pumafiosi / San Juan / Marvel United 2- Destinies / Viceroy / Gloomhaven 1- Dune Imperium / Biblios / Ark Nova Also, I would like to remember that Heat and Earth now exist, so this list has been outdated
I own both Biblios and San Juan as games I bought early on ehike discovering the hobby. They were both first in mind for this list. And I agree 3p is pretty much the best player count. A lot of games don't scale well for 2p and are too long at 4p.
Ark Nova can definitely have those super thinky turns where it takes longer. But 2 player is still better balance imo. Worse case, you take a little longer on a turn or two, or you make a slightly less optimal turn.
Everdell farshore totally replaces the original. Suburbia setup is so painful that I culled it from my collection. On the Underground didn’t jive with us either.
I’ve always loved Smash Up at three players. Four-player games just take too much time, and with so many cards on the table it’s really hard to keep all the rules straight,
The King is dead at three is the only configuration that i want to play that game. Lignum is great at three, all the lacerda that I have played are great at three too. However i strongly disagree with Tom on Ark Nova, definitely a two players game ! And Dune Imperium is better at four, cause there more tension.
43:29 Chris (sorry if already commented but I didn’t see it) there’s a revolving tri-cannon in a movie, I think in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise
My issue with this list is that a lot of it seemed to be an exercise in "what works best at 3 players and not in other player counts". But...I want a list of games that work well at 3 *and* are also good. Seeing as 3 is basically the "best" player count (as said at the start of the video) - this list should really all be top 100 games. Especially for Chris that's clearly not the case.
I picked games I'm most excited about to play at 3 players, that's about all. Some are great at other player counts and some aren't, but that's all. -Chris
Interesting that Chris said that a main accusation of Lacerda games is the flimsy thematics. I understand theme is a weakness in general for heavy euros, but one of the main praises I see of Lacerda games and the reason people love his designs so much is his ability to mix theme into the mechanics. I'm assuming Chris was just making a flippant retort to Zee's remark.
Yes, I was just making a silly response to Zee because I find most Lacerda designs to be thematic! We were then derailed by Tom giggling at silly things in the chat 🙂
Actually i think Escape Plan is the least thematic game of Vital. Who’s going pick up money throughout the city after robbing something?? Doesn’t make much sense. However it’s still thematic.
I always view the game as "I stashed away my earnings in different places to keep people off my trail. I didn't expect the police to close in so quick so I had to grab what I could and skip town."
Cutthroat games do not work at three. They always devolve into two against one, then the two fight it out after the one has been functionally eliminated.
I just bought Ark Nova and am currently reading the rulebook. It will most likely just be my wife and I playing. Are we going to be able to fully enjoy it?
Ark Nova is best at 2. Totally disagree with Tom on this. It's more competitive at 2, you have more control. The game is very skill intensive, meaning the better player typically wins. Ark Nova is strongly better at 2.
dune is my fav game and I hate paying it at 3 , alliances claiming is easier blocking is harder and fighting at 3 feels like al someone is dragged to fight at 4 almost always 2 people want to fight which makes fighting more competitive and flows better
Interesting! Different experiences for different groups maybe. I still really enjoy it at 4 of course, but I find myself more willing to jump into a game at 3. Battles almost always seem tense between two people. -Chris
Don't agree with Dune Inperium either. There are more people willing to fight at 4 players bc of the 3rd place reward from over 200 games of experience. A consistent cheeky 3rd place rewards have people so man games in the long run especially early on
I'll admit I haven't played it 200 times! I just happen to enjoy the feel of the game at three and would sooner get it to the table with 3 than with 4. -Chris
Three Kingdom Redux is a phenomenal game. If you ever get a chance Chris to give it a go, highly recommended.
Spitting facts!
I often play games with my two parents, so I appreciate this list!
I only watch top 10 from Dice Tower. they brighten my day every time I watch them. The guys are funny. I love them.
Zombicide is best at 3 due to the dividing the 6 characters into a pair for each player
My favs at 3:
1. AuZtralia
2. Samurai
3. Viticulture
4. Glory to Rome
5. Cthulhu: Death May Die
6. Raiders of Scythia
7. Anno 1800
8. Lorenzo il Magnifico
9. Tiny Epic Galaxies
10. Beyond the Sun
My favorites with three players:
1. Firefly: The Game
2. Glory to Rome
3. Zombicide
4. Maria
5. Pax Renaissance: 2nd edition
6. Rallyman (GT, DIRT, RX, The Climb)
7. 51st State: Ultimate Edition
8. Pax Porfiriana
9. Pax Pamir: Second Edition
10. Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game
11. Neanderthal (Second Edition)
12. Bios: Genesis
13. Chronicles of Crime
14. Greenland (Third Edition)
15. Pax Emancipation
I freaking love Zee....love your humor sir. And the chemistry between the three of you is great.
Also I think Wingspan at 3 is pretty solid
When I first started my group was almost exclusively three, and I felt there weren’t as many solid choices as there are nowadays. Now that group is almost always 5, which is infinitely harder to fulfill.
Please make a top 10 list of Games Best with 5 players. 5 is always so hard to fill cause a four player game takes an hour and somehow bumping it up one player takes 6 hours
Scythe, Caverna, hansa Teutonica, space base, mission red planet, architects of the west kingdom
@@calebbarton5697 I would add Heat, Lancaster, Struggle of Empires if you have a long time, Power Grid, Endeavor and the GOAT El Grande. In general, Euro puzzles are not great at 5, but area control and more conflicty games are great at 5.
@@KissellMissile really want to try out lancaster
Smartphone inc
@@KissellMissile Heat is funny cause it's great at high player counts... and great at low player counts _because_ you have the dummy cars making it "high" again
Bring me my tools! Lol. Zee's picks rarely align with my taste, but he's awesome.
Definitely agree with Chris on dune. So often my four player games just go too long. Like it both ways but three is my favorite.
This episode had some great laughs! Thank you!
Yes yes yes Thank you guys! I have been waiting for this one.
Biblios! Yes!!!! Such a fantastic game and would be on my list for best 3 player games as well.
Xia: Legends of a Drift System (with the expansion). Absolutely brilliant at three.
Good choices ! :) The first that came to my mind was Cthulhu Death May Die, perfect for 3 players. Also: Kanban EV, The Crew, Terraforming Mars, Pax Pamir, Le Havre and Anachrony.
For me, Ark Nova is perfect for 2 players.
Great Western Trail would be my pick!
Great list but as you guys said most games are best with 3 so I have shelves full of games that are great with 3. What we really need is an updated list of the best games to play with a group of 5.
Seconded, I'd love to hear games that are good at 5 - a lot of games cap at 4 or only include 5 as an expansion afterthought.
There are a lot of 3 player only games I love like Three Kingdoms Redux, Maria, Triumph and Tragedy....Then there are some heavy euros that are too long with 4 but really shine with 3... As well as some other complex games like Pax Renaissance where the game state is too busy with 4 and it is maybe too chaotic and long. My Fathers Work is too long with 4 but shines with 3.
Someone else mentioned The King is Dead which is one of my favourites.
I think too many games are optimised for 4 and not adapted enough to bring out the best they have to offer at 3 - but it can be a really fun player count for games.
Maria is just a beautiful and brilliant game! Such a gem
Chris - don't let them get in your head. Dune Imperium is a top 5 game for me, and when I read the video title Dune Imperium came to mind for me. It's wild how between 3 and 4 players there are no changes to the available worker placement places. With 4 players, if all get their swordsman, you have 12 workers in a round... that's a lot for this board. I also like the combat at 3 more as well, for the reasons you mentioned.
How is half the comment section not about "squirrelly durlies"? I have no idea how to even spell that, and google has ZERO results for it. Chris and Zee seem to just accept it after clarification of "durlies" versus "dirties." I thought I knew every nickname for a cockroach in existence but this is completely new to me.
You're right, Tom, three players seems to be the magic number for most games.
Through the Ages would definitely be near the top of my list though...
Now I want a top 10 at all player counts
They have a 2, 5?, 6 and for 1 you can watch mikes top 10 solo
@@Sgrand80 I meant top games that play well with any combination of players, not an individual top 10 per player count
@@WeAreIndividuals gotchya
Top 10 10 player games, lol
They did one years ago. Look for „Top 10 games that scale well“.
I love Starcadia Quest. Last time I played with 3 though it didn’t go so well. The other 2 players would in every turn go for each other ignoring the objective. Game took forever just to loose at the end. 😔
Tom is so right about Ark Nova. Two player is the worst count. Three or four are the best.
Zee mentioned that area control games play better at 3 than 4... is it possible that area control games play an odd mumber of player better than an even number?
Zee’s picks are 🔥 Cascadia and Parks are both tonnes of fun
One negative w three players is that it can increase the risk of king-making. Especially in area control games.
I always thought of San Marco as a game that is superior with 3 than any other player count. Very early and underrated design with the I pick-You choose mechanism.
I once played a 3 player game of Ark Nova that lasted 4 hours and made me drop my score on BGG by a full point, as my eyes were opened to the fact that while technically not an engine builder, you might end up building an engine and taking a ten minute turn to min max it. Still love the game, but….
This one of the most amusing tops you all have made.
Three Kingdoms Redux is the best 3p game!
Rising sun best at 3 is SO wild that kinda makes sense 😂 Zee is such a legend.
As Blind Melon said, Three is a magic number :)
Oooo 12 chip and bottle imp!!
Nice picks y'all!! I echo the robotrick mention by Mike!
Missed the live chat... Thank you, DT! Three can work very well! Extra variety compared to 2 and quicker than 4.
Maybe not a Chuonky, 3-player game of 'War'.
Chirs must have been playing a side quest of 'Through the Desert' while playing 'Through the Ages', we forgive him.
Mt Fantastic... you wouldn't get fat, you would just get taller until you went on a diet.
7 wonders best with 3 and also one of my favorite board games. King of Tokyo works well with 3 too, very simple and fun game. Sequence with 3 works too.
Joey at the controls playing 'em off like Keyboard Cat.
Why does Tom like Starcadia quest and seas of havoc where you are actively attacking each other, but dislikes the attack cards of Ark nova and dominion? Especially dominion where the name signifies attacking and taking over the world.
The King is Dead, to me is so glaringly #1
You three have such great chemistry, great segment 👍
While I would not play Biblios with 4, it's a good 2-player game. You're pretty much going for three suits and you're going to have to win one of them with a very low number. And I find the dice mitigation cards way more important.
I'm more excited to hear the top 10 four player games
I think with this group it might be better to do a top 10 games that say they work with 3 but actually dont.
12 Chip Trick! Preach it Chris!! And get Tom and Zee to play this one, it’s great!
Three amigos is life!
The moment I saw this I was like, Dune Imperium has got to be on someone's list. I 100% agree with Chris that it really shines at 3, you get a more tactical experience of conflict with less downtime. It trumps 2, where you have to man the automa, and it's spicier (eheh) than 4.
Ark Nova, also a very solid pick. Haven't tried it at 4 with the latest expansion yet, though.
The 20th anniversary edition of Amun-Re by Ally Cat games is fantastic at 3. It has a new variant that make it must more interesting at three than the original game.
zee always picks games i never even heard of
Wholeheartedly agree with Gloomhaven and Dune: Imperium being best at 3. 4 is way too crowded for those games.
Spirit Island is great at 3. I know a lot of people prefer it at 2 but I prefer 3 because it opens up more interesting spirit combos. There's some spirits which are really hard to justify pairing up or even playing at 2
Seasons (by Libellud) is a great 3 player.
Spirit island is a no brainer 3 player game
Was disappointed Mike wasn’t here until I remember he only plays games by himself lol!
I feel like Tom says "Fire" in every other Top 10 video lol
I suggest Samarkand: Routes to Riches and Brian Boru, High King of Ireland.
Lost Ruins of Arnak didn’t work for any of them?
I agree with Tom on Ark Nova since many of the cards activate better with 3-4ppl playing
It's hard to believe that none of them have played The King is Dead. On the other hand, it's even harder to believe that if they have played it, it didn't make on this list.
Ultimate 3 player game for me.
I forgot about this one. Probably my #2!
Lol, Zee has a review of it, so I guess you're on that other hand. 😂
@@aggrowall4234 yup, forgot about that review. Weird. I usually feel as these lists are just for the show, and then I realize that they are 😂
For instance, top 10 game designers, 3 of them, no Felds 😆
Ironically I think 3 is much harder than 2 or 4.
10 - 12 Chip Trick / Everdell / Suburbia
9- Empire's End / Cascadia / On The Underground
8- Manhattan / Parks / The Great Wall
7- Escape Plan / Marvel United / The Bottle Imp
6- Tribes of the Wind / Paleo / Ticket to Ride (Japan)
5- Through the Desert / Deus / Seas of Havoc
4- Couture / Rising Sun / Starcadia Quest
3- Pumafiosi / San Juan / Marvel United
2- Destinies / Viceroy / Gloomhaven
1- Dune Imperium / Biblios / Ark Nova
Also, I would like to remember that Heat and Earth now exist, so this list has been outdated
Commenting on the opening - I think the 'best' player count for games is four.
The list at the end shows Tom's #9 to be Divinity Original Sin, but that's not what was recorded. Did he call an audible or is the list just wrong?
I own both Biblios and San Juan as games I bought early on ehike discovering the hobby. They were both first in mind for this list.
And I agree 3p is pretty much the best player count. A lot of games don't scale well for 2p and are too long at 4p.
100% Dune Imperium... I couldn't agree more!
Would definitely suggest Maria too! Have you guys ever tried playing Maria before? 😁
Why did number 6 cut off Tom? lol
With Mr Fantastic, he is also able to stretch his brain power, so I feel like that adds to his abilities
Ark Nova can definitely have those super thinky turns where it takes longer. But 2 player is still better balance imo. Worse case, you take a little longer on a turn or two, or you make a slightly less optimal turn.
Everdell farshore totally replaces the original. Suburbia setup is so painful that I culled it from my collection.
On the Underground didn’t jive with us either.
7:00 “They’re hiding their shame!” 😂🤣
I’ve always loved Smash Up at three players. Four-player games just take too much time, and with so many cards on the table it’s really hard to keep all the rules straight,
That's a great pick. I didn't choose it because I'd prefer to play all my other games, but no doubt 3p is the best player count! -Chris
The King is dead at three is the only configuration that i want to play that game. Lignum is great at three, all the lacerda that I have played are great at three too.
However i strongly disagree with Tom on Ark Nova, definitely a two players game !
And Dune Imperium is better at four, cause there more tension.
It was hilarious how apathetic or even adverse the responses were to everyone’s number one pick. No one was impressed or in agreement 😂
It's sad that the political atmosphere in the U.S. is so tense, that even mentioning one of the parties shuts everyone up.
Great list !
Bunny Kingdom
Best 3 player game (and also thr ebst board game in existence) is Mission Red Planet.
The game, complexity and some other aspects affect the “right” player count but I think my general game player count tier list
4, 3, 5, 6, 2, 1
44 Magnum is a revolver canon
43:29 Chris (sorry if already commented but I didn’t see it) there’s a revolving tri-cannon in a movie, I think in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise
I wish they still mentioned how they ranked their lists individually.
My issue with this list is that a lot of it seemed to be an exercise in "what works best at 3 players and not in other player counts".
But...I want a list of games that work well at 3 *and* are also good. Seeing as 3 is basically the "best" player count (as said at the start of the video) - this list should really all be top 100 games.
Especially for Chris that's clearly not the case.
I picked games I'm most excited about to play at 3 players, that's about all. Some are great at other player counts and some aren't, but that's all. -Chris
Interesting that Chris said that a main accusation of Lacerda games is the flimsy thematics. I understand theme is a weakness in general for heavy euros, but one of the main praises I see of Lacerda games and the reason people love his designs so much is his ability to mix theme into the mechanics. I'm assuming Chris was just making a flippant retort to Zee's remark.
Yes, I was just making a silly response to Zee because I find most Lacerda designs to be thematic! We were then derailed by Tom giggling at silly things in the chat 🙂
Actually i think Escape Plan is the least thematic game of Vital. Who’s going pick up money throughout the city after robbing something?? Doesn’t make much sense. However it’s still thematic.
I always view the game as "I stashed away my earnings in different places to keep people off my trail. I didn't expect the police to close in so quick so I had to grab what I could and skip town."
I spent this entire video unboxing and sorting a feast for odin, thanks!
No way you did that in an hour! 😂
What a task! Glad we kept you company during this trying time.
Arc Nova at 3 is perfect.
Sam, almost tempted to spend a day on planes.
Bastille. It only plays at 3 or 4, and both are good, but I think it’s best at 3.
Cutthroat games do not work at three. They always devolve into two against one, then the two fight it out after the one has been functionally eliminated.
i would say viticulture is best at 3...enough to get the bonus and still have room to place stuff.
Tidal Blades
In Too Deep
since almost all games can be played at 3 this is just a top 10 games list :)
I hope "the King is Dead" is on the list. it says 2 or 4 can play, but OMG is it best with 3
Ticket to Ride is best at 4 players. Worst at 3.
I believe The Witcher Old World is a great 3 player game
I just bought Ark Nova and am currently reading the rulebook. It will most likely just be my wife and I playing. Are we going to be able to fully enjoy it?
69,4% says yes on BGG. So no worries 😊
I’ve only played at 2 with my husband and we love it
I play it at both 2 and 3 players and had an equal amount of fun at both player counts!
Thanks for the feedback! We're playing it tomorrow for the first time
Ark Nova is best at 2. Totally disagree with Tom on this. It's more competitive at 2, you have more control. The game is very skill intensive, meaning the better player typically wins. Ark Nova is strongly better at 2.
dune is my fav game and I hate paying it at 3 , alliances claiming is easier blocking is harder and fighting at 3 feels like al someone is dragged to fight at 4 almost always 2 people want to fight which makes fighting more competitive and flows better
Interesting! Different experiences for different groups maybe. I still really enjoy it at 4 of course, but I find myself more willing to jump into a game at 3. Battles almost always seem tense between two people. -Chris
So Tom did not put Le Havre on this list? The game he always says is best at 3? Or Al Hambra? Earth shattering.
How is La Havre not on this?
Don't agree with Dune Inperium either. There are more people willing to fight at 4 players bc of the 3rd place reward from over 200 games of experience. A consistent cheeky 3rd place rewards have people so man games in the long run especially early on
I'll admit I haven't played it 200 times! I just happen to enjoy the feel of the game at three and would sooner get it to the table with 3 than with 4. -Chris
26:46 agree that it is best with 3 people
Soooo cool my friend ✅✌🏼