The circus has come to town! Under the big top, jugglers, clowns, magicians, strongmen, and wild beasts captivate the curiosity of a devoted audience that applauds endlessly. After each performance, your small troupe accumulates fame and may one day attract the attention of P.T. Barnum, the greatest circus magnate of all time.

In 3 Ring Circus, players take on the role of a circus manager touring the United States in the late 19th century. Your goal is to hire artists and offer shows in various towns and cities to gain fame. In small towns, operations are easy to manage and provide initial resources to upgrade your cast. Small cities are somewhat more demanding, but they allow you to connect with better artists. The audience in big cities is even more demanding and wants to see very specific acts, but performing there brings you much greater fame!

In turn, players can hire an artist or host a show. At the beginning of the game, each player's circus is empty, so you'll need to sign contracts to form your company. Artist cards provide more or fewer benefits depending on the order in which they act, so one of the keys to the game is scheduling the shows to be offered.

If they decide to act, players must move to an available space on the map. If it's a small town, they receive the most basic currency cards as a reward. In a small city, depending on the number of podiums you have in your company, you can claim more or fewer entrance cards (the second most valuable thing) or fame points. In big cities, you earn many fame points, but the audience always demands a specific type of artist.

While your small circus tries to survive, the grand and wonderful Barnum Circus travels across the country, and when it reaches a big city, scoring takes place in that area, and the circuses that have given the most performances there will earn even more fame.