3 days, 2 nights

I vote for Bruges as your base camp. Then, I'd go to Ghent first then to Antwerp.
Have a fantastic Adventure!

Ditto to Olga's recommendation. Bruges is special in the evening after the tourists have gone.

Everybody likes Bruges. I haven't been to Ghent (although I feel like I should have). I liked Antwerp. The railway station is a sight onto itself. The zoo, right next to the station, is good. I also like the Red Star Line Museum, the Plantin-Moretus Museum (book printing and art), and Ruben's house. With the time you have, you'll need to be selective.

If you are claiming 3 days to go with 2 nights you must be arriving at the first town at breakfast, have all day, sleep, have all day, sleep, and have all day, leaving after dinner on the third day - so you must be both coming from somewhere very near and continuing on to somewhere very near.

If so, where are you coming from and going to? Surely that would help pick the location for the overnights.

Usually, most travelers get one day out of two nights. They arrive in the afternoon from the previous stop, and after setting up can usually get in a bit of sightseeing before dinner. On the last day most folk have breakfast and pack, check out, and more to the next place. So you only get one full day of sightseeing.

Antwerpen, Brugge and Gent are all full of sufficient attractions that they each warrant at least a day.

Can I suggest that you pick one, and if you are bored the other two are both so close that you could then decide to hop on a train and take a few hours in another?

Definitely answer Nigel's questions about your actual time frame to get more realistic and appropriate answers.

If you really have close to 3 full days, then I would stay in Bruges, explore the first day (or part of day), then the next day take an early train to Antwerp and explore for a few hours, then take the train to Ghent for a few hours, then back to Bruges for the night and any part of the next day that you have. That way you can see all three, see the main sights and get a taste for their individuality. I think it's enough though it's not like getting an in-depth visit to any of them. I did the same while staying in Brussels - one day Brussels, one day Bruges, the other day I did both Ghent and Antwerp - I ended up wanting to spend more time in each but was happy with the 'taste' of Belgium I got.

Make Ghent your home base, it's midway between the other 2. You failed to mention where you are travelling from, and then on to.
Day 1 - To Ghent (as early as possible)
Day 2 - Visit Bruges
Day 3 - To Antwerp (with onward connections)

Good advice from Nigel: it really depends where you're coming from, how early, and where your next destination is after Belgium. We liked all three for different reasons but off top of my head - without knowing some of the critical info - I'd vote for making Brugge the base and do Gent as a day trip.

It may also depend how into nightlife you are? That's not high on our list so Brugge rolling up a bit early - it IS lovely to walk at night and in the early mornings - didn't bother us in the least. Other travelers may want a bit more going on.

I see from a previous post that you're going in Nov./December? I haven't been to any of them during the winter, and I might guess that Brugge and Gent might be just a tad prettier that time of year than Antwerp BUT I may also be wrong.