Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Code 3 is a cooperative, story-driven, 80s-themed crime fighting game. Can you save your city from badly-named mob bosses, fear-inducing serial killers, a rising crime rate, and a police Chief that isn’t always your friend?
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Variable Player Powers
Each player has different abilities, restrictions, or strategic advantages.
Cooperative Game
Players coordinate their actions toward a shared objective and win or lose together.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Storytelling
Create or extend a narrative in response to prompts or game events.
Team-Based Game
Players compete in fixed teams and coordinate toward a shared team result.
Read the full game description
Code 3 is a cooperative, story-driven, 80s-themed crime fighting game. Can you save your city from badly-named mob bosses, fear-inducing serial killers, a rising crime rate, and a police Chief that isn’t always your friend? These officers may have 99 problems, but crime ain’t one. Code 3’s cooperative scenarios challenge players to complete goals and make choices before revealing the next part of a branching story arc. Of course, mob bosses aren’t the only thing hindering our officers, as 911 calls spread like wildfire about your city. If too many 911 calls go unanswered… the game is lost. Customize your crime fighting duo by selecting two officers (out of hundreds of officer combinations), each with their own unique deck, which are then shuffled together to create your “Beat Partners” deck. You can tailor your Beat Partners deck to answer 911 calls quickly, to investigate for witnesses and evidence, to complete scenario objectives, or even move your beat cops into position to help your allies. There are hundreds of character combinations that you can experiment with, and finding the best two cops (or canines!) is key to your team’s victory! Choices are everywhere! Most importantly, Code 3 gives players the opportunity to handle things by the book... or play just outside the rules. However, if players choose to step outside the Police Department’s Code of Conduct then the Internal Affairs Division starts investigating them. Players then shuffle "IA Heat" cards into their deck, and if two are ever drawn on the same turn, those players must immediately proceed to a contentious "Internal Affairs Interview." Unfortunately, this prevents players from hitting the street and handling those 911 calls. Your teammates can help you during the IA Interview by vouching for you... but at what cost? Are they willing to put their reputation on the line for you? Are they willing to risk their own IA Interview? Code-3 is a sand box of 80's cop action. Do you love rolling dice? Do you love pushing your luck? Do you love unraveling the story? The meta-game? Helping the team? Being in charge? And... do you do it by the book? Find out now! —descripton from the publisher