What are some excellent games that remain excellent for a group of three?
So many multiplayer game lists include games that are only playable for 2 players (eg, It takes 2, portal 2). Best I could figure out in steam store search was to look for multiplayer games that aren't co-op, but this seems to remove many games that support 3 players.
Unreal Tournament 2004, with few players it turns its normal frantic and fast paced gameplay into a suspensfull slower experience which is awesome.
I think you can get it on the internet archive as it stopped being sold on gog and steam this spring.
OpenRA - Do you remember the old classic series Command & Conquer ?
OpenRA takes the old original game, updates the controls to modern RTS controls, add new ai to play against, add support for modern resolutions and adds a good internet multiplayer system, all of this for free!
Nobody mentioned the finals. Free to play fps competitive shooter with teams of 3. It's been crazy addictive for my friends and I. If you like fast paced hectic fps games it's loads of fun.
-Super Mecha Champions (It's like Apex but with bots and the real players aren't as good so we don't get absolutely crushed every time we play which is nice)
does that mean a relationship between three people? that's interesting. mind me asking if that was something everyone already knew they were open to? or was it kind of like, two were together then they decided they were open to a third?
Yeah! For us it was me (male) and my girlfriend who have been together 5ish years at the time and we met a girl who we really meshed with and became good friends with. Our friends joked around that we should just all date each other since we hung out so much. One day we got drunk and admitted we'd be open to it so we asked each other out and have been a throuple since!
Most of our friend group is very accepting. Our families, however, are not lol.
Both actually! Two different groups of 3. Offline bunch has ended up doing baba is you for the last year or so (not coop, but puzzles are pretty easy to backseat game).
Streets of Rogue and Vagante are challenging roguelikes that scale effortlessly for co-op of various numbers of players. There's also Mercenary Kings, which I admit I enjoyed more than most, but it's like the cross section of Mega Man action with Monster Hunter structure. Much more recently, Baldur's Gate 3 probably hits its sweet spot at 3 human players, since you want to have an NPC slot around in your party of 4 for the story quests that are relevant to that NPC.
If y’all have PS3, Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Specifically a 3 player co-op game. Like actually 3 player, not 4 player where you don’t need a 4th. I enjoyed it and have good memories playing with friends, it’s really fun and silly and the servers are still up.
Also since you did not mention playing remotely or not (although there are ways around that: parsec, steam remote play together...) almost any couch coop game: overcooked, moving out, unrailed...
Edit: all of those I cited have a online multiplayer mode I think, for overcooked the AYCE edition contains all of the first edition content but brings online MP amongst other things
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance. A very complex RTS with a pretty steep learning curve and advanced strategy. Awesome game but not casual.
Alien vs predator games are specifically 3 player (marine, alien , predator). Not sure if there is a modern version. Interesting because each of the 3 play differently.
Elden Ring with the seamless COOP mod has been very fun for my two friends and me.
The experience isn’t 100% perfect (some bugs) but exploring the Lands Between with buddies and fighting the bosses together has easily been in my top 3 COOP experiences up until now.
I'd just like to provide extra emphasis on Towerfall. One of the GOAT local multiplayer games and only gets better with a third, much like Smash Brothers, Power Stone, etc.
Stellaris allows many players if you like those types of games. Only the host needs dlc if you want to pool your cash and buy some. But yeah it can be expensive.
Since you mention Paradox titles, I'd add Crusader Kings III, Europa Universalis IV, and/or Hearts of Iron 4. Same rules apply for those games' DLC, as well.