3 Ring Circus

In 3 Ring Circus, you play as an ambitious circus director in late‑19th‑century America, striving to build a traveling show that rivals the legendary Barnum Circus. Each turn, you make a critical choice: hire a performer (jugglers, clowns, magicians, strongmen, wild beasts, etc.) or put on a show in one of the towns or cities on your tour.

When you hire an artist, you pay with money or tickets, and you place their card into one of the three “rings” (rows) on your circus board. The order in which performers appear in each ring matters: stronger or more complex acts require more planning and give bigger benefits.

To perform, you move your caravan across a map of the United States. Depending on where you perform:

• Small towns are easy to entertain, giving you basic currency as a reward. 

• Medium cities require “pedestals” (which you build over time), but give better rewards (fame or tickets). 

• Major cities demand very specific types of acts: if you meet these demands, you earn lots of fame, but casting the wrong show can cost you. 

Meanwhile, the mighty Barnum Circus (a neutral or shared caravan) travels on the map. When Barnum arrives in a big city, a majority scoring happens: players who have performed more in that region earn extra fame.

Artist cards also have special “instant effects” when you play them, like giving you more movement, more pedestals, or immediate fame. Official Game Rules Over the course of the game, you build your circus board by filling slots in each of the three rings, optimizing both cost and payoff. 

The game ends after Barnum completes a full tour (depending on region count), and then you get final fame from your end‑game scoring cards, plus any bonuses from your artist cards or tickets. 

There’s also a solo mode called “The Spectacular Automaton Show”: here, you compete against an automaton circus that builds its own board and performs according to fixed rules. 

Why it's compelling:

• It’s strategic, but not overly heavy — you must balance hiring vs performing.

• Hand‑management and timing matter a lot, because when and who you hire affects future performances.

• There’s a nice tension: performing in big cities gets you fame, but you need the right artists and enough pedestals.

• The majority scoring mechanic (for when Barnum arrives) adds a fun race / competition element.

• The theme is vivid: the art evokes vintage circus posters, and the idea of building your troupe over a tour is very immersive. 

• Replay value is good, thanks to different end-game cards and planning strategies.