Summary
A game for 1 – 4 players
Play time is 45 to 75 minutes
Publisher is Devir
Introduction
Step into the magical world of the 3 Ring Circus! Released by Devir Games in 2023, this fascinating and richly themed board game takes you on an enchanting journey to the glory days of traveling circuses in late 19th century America. Players step into the shoes of ambitious circus directors seeking to take their company to unprecedented heights amid a world of competition, adventure and spectacle.
But can this game give the same excitement and wonder as a real circus performance? It’s time to find out!
Let’s get it on the table
In 3 Ring Circus you take charge of a small circus troupe and travel through different cities in America. The goal of the game is to have the most points by the end by giving successful performances and expanding your circus with impressive performers. The city you perform in and the type of performers you have determine how many points you earn.
Each player starts with a limited number of performers and a modest circus. The board shows a map of America, divided into small towns and large cities. Depending on the number of players, part of the board will be covered and thus unavailable to travel to.
During your turn, you can travel to a new town and make an appearance. Small towns give a small reward, but help you build your circus. In large cities, you can give larger, more lucrative gigs but you must have gathered enough performers to do so.
Hiring new performers is essential to make your performances more impressive. There are different types of performers, including jugglers, clowns, acrobats and animal acts, each of which bring unique skills and points. The bigger and more varied your circus, the more points you can score.
During the game, historical circus characters appear. If you reach a city where they are present at the right time, you get bonuses and benefits that can help you win the game.
The game ends once all major cities have been visited and the famous circus figures have seen their performances. The player with the most points (based on their performances, performers and collected bonuses) wins the game.
Each turn, you choose from a variety of actions to perform.
At the heart of the game is the decision-making around traveling, putting on shows, and hiring performers. Each turn, you can choose to take one of these key actions:
Action 1 Engage an Artists
To expand your circus and put on more impressive shows, you’ll need to hire new performers. Performers are available on cards drawn from an open display. At the beginning of your turn, you can choose to purchase performer cards. Each performer has a specific cost in coins that you must pay to add them to your circus. A nice feature is that if you’re upgrading to a more expensive performer, you only need to pay the difference between the previous card and the new one.
Each player starts with a certain amount of coins, and you earn more by putting on performances. These coins are used to buy performer cards, and the cost of each performer is clearly indicated on the card.
Different performers offer various benefits. Some will provide you with points during performances, while others grant special abilities, such as additional movement or bonuses for specific types of shows.
Action 2 Performing a Show
Follow these 3 steps to put on a performance:
Step 1: Move to a New City
You can choose to move your circus to another city on the board. This is crucial because you can only perform in cities where your circus is physically present. You may move as many spaces as you want on your turn, but no more than the number of movement icons displayed on your player board. You must skip over any cities that already have a circus token, and you are allowed to pass through cities occupied by another player’s caravan.
Step 2: Perform a Show
- Small Towns: In these locations, you can quickly put on a performance for a small reward. After your performance, place one of your circus tokens on the town. No other player can perform here once the token is placed.
- Medium Cities: In medium cities, the goal is to maximize the number of pedestal icons. Each medium city has a preferred type of performer. Place one of your circus tokens on an available slot in the city that shows a number of pedestals equal to or less than the number your performance provides. Afterward, you’ll receive the bonus shown on the city.
- Large Cities: Large cities demand bigger, more diverse performances. The audience in these bustling metropolises expects nothing less than a spectacular show! Each city has a designated card displaying the type of performers the audience wants to see. If you exceed their expectations by bringing more of the requested performers, you’ll earn even more points. Place your circus marker on one of the available slots to perform.
Step 3: Move the Barnum Caravan
Immediately after each performance, move the Barnum caravan one step counterclockwise along the outer route of the board, skipping any towns that already have a circus token. When the caravan enters one of the major cities, it stops, and the player holding the Barnum tile flips it to show the Popcorn side. This triggers a scoring phase for the region where the caravan has stopped. After scoring, the Barnum tile passes to the next player counterclockwise.
Game End
The game ends once the Barnum Caravan has completed a full round and returns to the city where it started. At this point, a final scoring takes place, where each player count up their fame points from all end-game effects on ticket cards and end-game scoring cards on their circus board.
The player with the most points is declared the greatest circusmaster of the 19th century and wins the game!
Conclusion & final score
Difficulty: 1.50/ 5
Re-playability: 8
Our score: 7 out of 10 dice
The gameplay of 3 Ring Circus offers a good balance between strategic planning and thematic choices. It’s not just about collecting performers – every move requires thoughtful decisions. Who will you bring into your circus? When do you plan a splashy performance? And what route do you follow across the board? Each city has unique requirements, which means that as a player you always have to respond flexibly to the situation and your opponents’ plans.
The player interaction is delightfully spicy in the process. With limited space for performances in each city, an exciting race ensues: first come, first served. Competing for the best performers and the most lucrative cities creates rivalries and keeps the tension high. Every turn there is that tantalizing pressure to strike at the right time.
Yet the game remains accessible. The rules are clear, well structured and after a few rounds the flow of the game feels natural. With the ever-changing composition of artist cards and different order of cities, each game remains surprising and fresh, making for high replayability.
The feeling of a traveling circus comes completely alive, not only through the game mechanics but also through the beautiful artwork. There are plenty of ways to score points and you have plenty of room to determine your strategy. Competition for cities and artists makes every turn an exciting moment full of surprises and tactical choices.
With more players, the pace of play can slow down a bit, especially when everyone plans their moves extensively. Sometimes your strategy depends on which artists are available, which adds a touch of luck to the game.
If you’re looking for a game that immerses you in the enchanting atmosphere of a classic circus, 3 Ring Circus is definitely recommended!
Thanks to Devir Games for this review copy and the opportunity to write about it.
