Tripartite Conflict

Overview

A tripartite conflict, or three-way conflict, is a war or battle between three distinct factions. Though each faction desires victory, sometimes alliances between two factions may form to cooperate in battle against the third faction out of a mutual desire.

Examples of Games with Tripartite Conflicts

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms series of strategy games, based on the historical novel, is set against the backdrop of a period of Chinese history in which the country was split into three; Wei, Wu, and Shu. Each nation desired to control the lands of the others, leading to a series of battles, alliances, truces, and betrayals that spanned decades. The Three Kingdoms era eventually came to an end when forces within Wei overthrew the established ruler and then eventually conquered Shu and Wu.

StarCraft

StarCraft is a real-time strategy game set in a science-fiction setting that pits three factions against each other, the Terrans, or humans, the hive-minded Zerg, and the psionic Protoss race. The three factions favor completely different technologies, unit types, philosophies, and strategies.

Aliens vs. Predator

Aliens vs. Predator is a crossover franchise that matches the xenomorphs of the Alien franchise against the Predators of the Predator franchise, with a third faction of human space marines fighting both.

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Although not specifically about a tripartite conflict, Kid Icarus: Uprising prominently features one during the course of its storyline that pits the forces of the goddess of light Palutena, the goddess of nature Viridi, and the god of the underworld Hades against each other. The three-way conflict is brought to an end when their world is attacked by an alien race known as the Aurum, and the deities team their forces against the invaders.