I avoided making a rankings page for three-player board games for a while because in my experience most co-ops are best at two, four, or larger groups. This was a much tougher list to put together than the Top Two-Player Board Games and the Best Board Games for Five or More Players, that’s for sure!
The truth is that most of the games on the Best Cooperative Board Games page play well (or even great) at three, but not all of them are best at three.
For this list, I leaned heavily on my top three-player sessions, focusing on board and card games that gave us consistently memorable experiences and allowed all three players to have an equal say in each game’s outcome.
Okay, let’s get to it! Below are some of the best cooperative three-player board games!
10. The A.R.T. Project
Players: 1-6 | Ages: 12+
In The A.R.T. Project, you and your team play as art recovery specialists, tracking down stolen art pieces. You must manage your resources wisely by collecting gas to move around, recruiting allies, and fighting enemies as you work together to reclaim the stolen treasures.
There’s a lot to like about A.R.T. Project as a three-player game or at pretty much any other player count. I’m a huge fan of its variable turn order, the different maps you can play, and how much cooperation it takes to pull off the wins.
If you’re a fan of Pandemic-style board games, there’s a good chance you’ll like The A.R.T. Project.
Read our The A.R.T. Project review
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9. Back to the Future: Back in Time
Players: 2-4 | Ages: 10+
In Back to the Future: Back in Time, you travel back to 1955 to help Marty and Doc get the DeLorean up to speed while dealing with classic obstacles like avoiding Biff and ensuring Marty’s parents fall in love. The game features Yahtzee-style dice play and each player uses their character’s abilities to advance through iconic scenes and challenges from the first Back to the Future film.
I didn’t have super-high expectations when I first got Back to the Future: Back in Time, but it ended up being one of my favorite games from 2021. The designers nailed the theme, creating a high-tension experience that’s thrilling but never frustrating. It’s still one of my go-to family-weight games.
Back to the Future: Back in Time is one of the better inexpensive board games you can get and, in my opinion, it’s better at three players than a lot of co-op games that cost five times as much.
Read our Back to the Future: Back in Time review
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8. Cthulhu: Death May Die
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 14+
Cthulhu: Death May Die pulls you straight into Lovecraftian horror with an action-packed, dice-rolling experience. Each player controls an investigator with unique skills, and together you’ll face off against Elder Ones in a series of modular episodes.
To me, the coolest thing about this game is that it feels like a big-time experience without being too rules-heavy like most other Cthulhu games. You just choose your investigators, the boss, and the scenario, and jump straight into the action. I’m not even a huge fan of this theme, but Cthulhu: Death May Die is still one of my favorite horror board games because it’s so solid mechanically.
If you want a dungeon crawler that plays well at three players, Cthulhu: Death May Die is a great one to get.
Read our Cthulhu: Death May Die review
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7. King of Monster Island
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 10+
In King of Monster Island, you and your teammates play as classic monsters defending against a giant boss on Monster Island. This is a cooperative dice-rolling game in which you work together to upgrade your monsters’ abilities, fight off minions, and attempt to take down the boss before it’s too late.
I like King of Monster Island best as a three-player board game because it seems to have the best flow at that player count, though it plays well all the way up to five. Regardless of player count, I like that it requires good communication and uses cool yet straightforward cooperative mechanics. Also, the fantastic artwork and the volcano dice tower give the game an awesome table presence.
If you’re a fan of King of Tokyo and love co-op games, I’d say there’s a 99% chance you’ll be a fan of King of Monster Island. I’d also recommend it to anyone looking for cooperative family games.
Read our King of Monster Island review
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6. Defenders of the Wild
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Defenders of the Wild is a co-op area control game in which you and your teammates play as animal factions defending their habitats from a machine army. To win, you need to build your camps and work together to stop the machines from spreading pollution and destruction.
There’s a lot to like about Defenders of the Wild, including its theme, the unique factions you control, and the way the machines constantly force you to adjust your strategy. This is currently in my regular rotation when my main three-player group gets together, so it could end up being higher on this list in the future.
I think most co-op fans will get a kick out of Defenders of the Wild, but I definitely recommend it if you like area control games and/or the animals vs. machines theme.
Read our Defenders of the Wild review
Get your copy of Defenders of the Wild
Check out our Top 5 Limited Communication Games!
5. Dungeons & Dragons Board Games
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 12+
The Dungeons & Dragons board games, such as Castle Ravenloft and Wrath of Ashardalon, bring the RPG experience into a streamlined board game format. Each game allows you to explore dungeons, battle monsters, and experience classic D&D storytelling with simple, accessible rules. In Castle Ravenloft, my group’s favorite of the bunch, you team up to navigate the haunted castle, uncovering traps and monsters along the way in classic dungeon crawler style.
I’ve had some of my best three-player board gaming experiences while playing these games. Sometimes it’s just a lot of fun to set up a dungeon, roll dice, and fight some monsters with your unique characters, and that’s exactly what these games consistently deliver.
These games are fantastic for anyone looking to dive into the D&D universe without the time commitment of a full role-playing session. They’re also great for anyone looking for lighter dungeon crawlers to play.
Read our Castle Ravenloft review
Get your copy of Castle Ravenloft
4. Burgle Bros.
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 12+
Burgle Bros. is a co-op heist game where players work together to break into a building, dodge guards, clear the safes, and try to escape. Each burglar has a unique ability that you’ll need to use strategically to help yourselves and your teammates.
I’m a huge fan of the way Burgle Bros. creates a cinematic heist feel, which is why it’s been on the Best Co-op Board Games page for a while now. The randomized layout of each floor and the unpredictable guard movements keep the game feeling fresh, even after many plays.
I always tell people that if they want an Ocean’s 11 experience in board game form, they should get this game.
Read our Burgle Bros. review
3. Black Orchestra
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 14+
Black Orchestra is a game set during World War II in which you and your fellow conspirators work together to try to assassinate Hitler. It’s a pick-up and deliver game with some push-your-luck dice play and you’re trying to keep your suspicion low while you gather the items you need to complete your mission.
Black Orchestra has been one of my group’s favorite three-player games for a long time now because the theme/story comes through in just about everything you do, and the tension at the table during most dice rolls is super-high.
If you enjoy historical games and are open to a bit of push-your-luck gameplay, I highly recommend giving Black Orchestra a try.
Read our Black Orchestra review
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2. Legendary Encounters
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 17+
The Legendary Encounters games bring popular franchises into a cooperative deck building format where you go up against tougher and tougher challenges. Each game in the Legendary Encounters line—including Alien, Firefly, The Matrix, and The X-Files—comes with a unique spin, allowing you to play through scenarios inspired by these classic shows and movies.
I’m a big fan of this system because it captures the themes of the stories just like the movies or shows they’re based on. Plus, the cooperative gameplay is really cool; you have to stay aware of what others are doing so you can help them out when you can and get the assistance you need in return.
I recommend Legendary Encounters to people all the time because they’re a great introduction to deck building and challenging enough to keep experienced gamers satisfied through many playthroughs. So, regardless of whether you’ve played zero or a bunch of deck building games, I highly recommend this system if you’re looking for an awesome three-player card game experience.
Read our Legendary Encounters: Alien review
Get a copy of Legendary Encounters
1. Endangered
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 10+
Endangered is a cooperative environmental game where players work to save endangered species, with each conservationist bringing different abilities to the team. You need to manage resources, communicate well, and adapt to changing circumstances to save wildlife from extinction.
I ranked Endangered at the top of this list because it’s not only a fantastic game, but I’ve also played it at the three-player count over 20 times, and each experience with different groups was a great one. The theme is pretty much universally liked and everyone seems to enjoy being a unique conservationist with their own abilities.
Endangered is a game I can recommend to anyone looking for a great three-player board game. It helps if you’re a big-time animal lover, but I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t enjoy playing this one.
Read our Endangered review
What are your favorite cooperative three-player board games? Any that didn’t make this list?
Be sure to also take a look at our Top Cooperative Board Games list and our other board game rankings.
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