I was wrong about long games being worth the time

For years I thought 4 hour board games were a waste of a Saturday. A guy named Mike at my local shop in Portland told me I just hadn't played the right one yet. He made me sit down for a game of Twilight Imperium with his group last month. I figured I'd hate it but I actually ended up having a great time. The negotiation and table talk made the time fly by. Six hours later I was already asking when we could play again. Has anyone else had a game flip their opinion on long play sessions?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_viola10d agoMost Upvoted

Jumped right into my first game of Eclipse thinking I'd hate it. Three hours later I was stunned when it ended because I was having so much fun. That's the thing about good negotiation games they just pull you in deep.

margaret_lane10d ago

Wait, six hours? You sat through a full game of Twilight Imperium in one go? That's wild. I've heard stories of those games taking eight or even ten hours with a full group. Honestly, the fact that you didn't walk away says a lot. Mike must be a really good teacher or your group had amazing energy. I have a buddy who swears by those marathon games but I always get restless around hour three. Maybe it's the negotiation part that makes it work. If everyone is just rolling dice and moving pieces for six hours, that sounds like a nightmare. But if people are actually talking and making deals, time probably does fly. Glad you found your long game. I still think most games over two hours are pushing it, but maybe I just need to meet my own Mike.