I highly recommend checking out EXEMPLARS & EIDOLONS
It's written by Kevin Crawford of Stars Without Number.
And it's built to run OSR modules for 1-3 players. And its free.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/144651/Exemplars--Eidolons

If you have 3 players, I'd also just have them run 2 characters each.

I don't know what that's uncommon these days. Back in the ancient times, we regularly had 2 PCs each, even with 6 players at the table.

Quote from: Spinachcat on April 10, 2022, 02:28:35 AM
If you have 3 players, I'd also just have them run 2 characters each.

I don't know what that's uncommon these days. Back in the ancient times, we regularly had 2 PCs each, even with 6 players at the table.

In our ancient times the chance of character death was greater because the characters went on adventures instead of trying to run the local magic college's Starbucks franchise.

Quote from: Jam The MF on April 08, 2022, 12:01:55 AM

Quote from: weirdguy564 on April 07, 2022, 09:24:08 PM
Two characters per player is one way. 

I don't mean hirelings or NPCs.  Full characters.  Rules lite games are great for this.

1 Martial character, and 1 Caster per player.  2 full characters.

In my DCC game I will allow a player who is playing a Wizard to also play a non-caster PC-type (e.g., Warrior, Thief, Dwarf, Halfling).

Quote from: Ocule on April 07, 2022, 08:10:03 PM
Any tips for running OSR games like becmi with very small parties of 2-3 players? Considering padding with hirelings but I don't want to put them in no win scenarios

  I tend to play GURPS (which is similar to OSR where balance and numbers matter) and Savage worlds (where numbers and balance can wildly swing encounters as well) so I can give some advice I have from these sorts of scenarios.   I go either with hirelings if it is a more generic pre written style adventure, or tailor the adventure to the character's strengths (if they are competent warriors but lack magic, the spaces they have encounters in will allow for taking on enemies fewer at a time for example) and that being the reason the characters (not necessarily the players) would be drawn to that endeavor. 

   Hirelings IMO can possibly help with the killing and fighting, but in my experience they allow the hits to be spread around, or drag a downed PC from battle to get medical attention.  This seems like a small thing, but if decent armed and armored, even if low level/skill hirelings can be extremely useful to a small party.   Many of the OSR material, especially with GG, assumed medium to large numbers of hirelings or henchmen being with the party.  That I think can spread the danger around enough that you do not ensure a party wipe from a few bad die rolls.  Also in my experience, a few bad die rolls can roll into a TPK very fast with a party of 2-3.  The hirelings will not solve every problem, but it does tend to prevent what should be a medium level combat encounter turning into a wipe (both of which can happen fast with GURPS and SW due to crits/exploding dice).

Check out O2 Blade of Vengeance.  It's a great B/X module designed for just one player. 

Quote from: Ocule on April 07, 2022, 08:10:03 PM
Any tips for running OSR games like becmi with very small parties of 2-3 players? Considering padding with hirelings but I don't want to put them in no win scenarios

My default when only 2 players show up...

Call of Cthulhu.

It shines brightest in small groups, or individual play.

I usually have my players run 2 characters, as i'm too much of a luddite for online play, and our group isn't
terribly large (2-3 players most of the time), and they're getting leveled up enough that they can spring for
hirelings as needed.  Which it only is if i'm running a module, when i'm planning my own encounters i can
scale it as needed to the number in the group pretty easily.

Currently running them through B2, and going in without hirelings saw them limping back to the keep in
short order.