WBG Score: 8/10
Player Count: 2-8
Published by: Weird City Games
Designed by: Tim Eisner
This is a free review copy. See our review policy here.
Sometimes, a party game explodes onto the scene, causing a huge stir, and quickly becomes everyone's favourite game to play in a large group of friends. They play for weeks, multiple times, but then grow tired of it. It is funny how we can binge party games like we might a Netflix show, far more than we can most other types of games. Simply because they generally play very quickly and work well with repeat plays in each session as players get into the flow of the game. Just One, So Clover, and Codenames are all great examples of this. This issue with repeat plays like this is that the game quickly becomes old. The solution? Get a new game every few weeks! No, that's excessive. How about having a few on the shelf to keep your options fresh? Both work for me! But finding the next great party game can be hard. Maybe this review will help? So, with that in mind, let's get 3 of a kind to the table and see how it plays.
How To Set Up 3 of a Kind
Give each player a pen and pad and shuffle up the two decks, the category cards and adjective cards. Then place both face down into a central area. Get comfy, pour a drink, and get ready to argue.. sorry I mean have some fun!
How To Play 3 of a Kind
One player now draws two category cards and chooses one they like and places this down face up for all to see. Discard the other. The next three players now draw two adjective cards, again choosing one they like and placing this face up for all to see and discarding the other card. There will now be one category card and three adjective cards face up ready for that round. All players now must think of an answer for that rounds category that fits the three face up adjectives. Writing their answers into their score pad. You will want to match your answers with other players, so think universally. Laterally. Try not to be too obscure, unless that is what floats the rest of your groups boat of course! You need to have unique answers for each question, no repetition.
This is sometimes easy. Quickest green thing. A Frog? A Jaguar XJS in British racing green? other times it can be baffling! The craftiest Animal noise? Errr... how about a Cow mooing? That could be crafty? Oh, I don't know. I just review games. I am not good at them. Just ask the people who play with me!
When everyone has written their three answers down, players now reveal their answers. One by one, or shouting them out. However you fancy. If you match an answer with another player you score a point. If you match with multiple people you score multiple points. Mark this off in your player pad. The person who chose the category will always reward one bonus point for their favourite answer. Repeat this either for six rounds or until someone fills in all their score pad. Or just play for fun. Whatever works for you. It's a party game remember.
Is It Fun? 3 of a Kind Party Game Review
You can play this game in several ways. Seriously, trying your best to match with other people. Or play a bit like Cards Against Humanity, and simply aim to get the biggest laugh each round! Both work, and you won't annoy other people if you play different ways as this is an individual game. However, some players may bank on you saying X when you say Y, and maybe you would normally say X; it was just that Y was funnier! That could cause some frustration! But you cannot take this game too seriously, and arguments over answers really are a big part of this game.
If that all sounds like fun to you, you will have a blast with this game! If that sounds a bit too random, lacking in strategy, and perhaps a bit chaotic and stressful, I would urge you to try a different game. This may not be for you. But you can, of course, all agree to play a bit more seriously, and genuinely try to match each other's answers. Learning from each other's previous answers and guessing based on their personalities. But then it just becomes the inverse of Just One, and I would rather play Just One in this situation.
Player count is crucial for this game. Considering this is all about matching answers, the more the merrier. I would say four minimum, but ideally more. It does work with fewer, it's just not as fun. However, I have tried it with two, in a more intimate "genuinely trying to guess each other's answers and get a match" type style, and it was fun! Strategic even. Certainly a very different experience. Not funny. Not really a party game. More of a personality match test for couples! But interesting nonetheless.
For a game that can be learned in minutes, taught in even less time, and played in any environment, with pretty much any type of person, this is a great addition to any collection. Only you know how much game time it will get, and if it will add to your own collection of party games. For me, I am currently obsessed with it, cannot stop playing with anyone I get the chance to do so, and have loved every second with this game. Just don't take it too seriously!