If I told you I’m thinking of the fastest animal, could you match my answer? … Cheetah! Nice job. Now, how about the most graceful vegetable? Ah, not so easy, is it? (I would have said “turnip,” just for the record) Your goal in 3 of a Kind is to match answers with as many players as you can to some interesting combinations of categories and adjectives. Let’s check it out!

What Is It?

A party game where players put out a category and 3 adjectives each round, and secretly write 3 answers to fit those combos (i.e. category: candy bars; adjectives: smallest, scariest, most boring). Then, players compare their answers and score points based on how many total players wrote the same answer. A “style point” is awarded if there are no marches for an adjective. After 6 rounds, the player with the most points wins.

Who Is It For?

  • 2 to 8 Players – The 2-player game is a cooperative variant. It’s not bad, but I actually found it much harder, and I prefer the multiplayer game. I think 5+ is really where it shines because there’s more opportunity for matches
  • Ages 12 & Up / Family and Party Game Fans – Wide range of categories and adjectives so it’s good for a wide audience
  • Fans of word association
  • Fans of games like Just One or Scattergories – particularly those who seem to always get caught with matching answers!

Variants

2 Players – The same basic gameplay, but played cooperatively. Players are trying to make as many matches as possible and get 3 points per match. After 6 rounds they compare their score to a chart in the rulebook. – This mode is a fine option if you want to try it out and just see how many matches you can get, but I definitely prefer the 3+ player games. I personally wouldn’t recommend it at only 2.

PROS

  • Aesthetics – Love a blue and orange color scheme
  • Components – The answer/score pads are cute and I like that they are dual purpose
  • I appreciate the leniency of what counts as matching (i.e. “Shakespeare” and “The person who wrote Macbeth“), and that it is clearly defined
  • Short teach/smooth gameplay
  • Rules are well-written
  • I like the style points so that someone is still getting points every round
  • Great variety of categories and adjectives

CONS

  • Some categories and adjectives are are a little vague or obscure, particularly when paired up, so it can be hard at times to think of answers, let along make any matches, which may be disappointing

Final Thoughts

I really don’t have much negative to say about this game – it’s rad! I do usually enjoy word association type party games, and this is another hit. There’s a lot of similar style games that “punish” players for matching, so I really like this kind of twist on that where you earn points for matching. It can be tricky at times, but ultimately it is a little bit silly, a lot of fun, and great for a wide audience, which is always a plus!

Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 7/10

Designer – Tim Eisner
Publisher – Weird City Games
MSRP – $20.00
Website

*I was provided a copy of this game to do this review*

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