Many tabletop games take a short amount of time. Small card games, simpler games, and ones that use real-time action can take less than thirty minutes. Most gamers consider 30-60 minutes to be the average length of a game. Some games, however, go well above that time frame.

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Board games that have a long playtime often provide rich strategies and engaging themes that hold the players' attention. Some hobby gamers consider long games to be the most immersive and rewarding experiences that gaming has to offer. Some games can hold players' attention for the better part of a day.

Updated 26th of January by Isaac Williams: Board games can fit almost any length of time a group has available, from a few minutes to a few days. Nonetheless, some long games can outstay their welcome. This list has been updated with even more games, from a variety of genres, that can make hours pass by in minutes.

15 Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game Runs Through All Of History

Playtime: 120-240 Minutes

The cover art for Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game

Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game is based on the strategy video game of the same name. The Civilization games are infamous for their long playtimes and addictive nature. Civilization: The Board Game doesn't quite take a full day like they can. Nonetheless, it's still over two hours at its shortest.

However, the game lets players simulate a historical civilization from its earliest beginnings to its future. Fitting that into a handful of hours is quite a feat. Civilization: The Board Game also has four ways to win and constant competition over resources. It's a very rewarding experience over the hours of play.

14 Eldritch Horror Spreads Lovecraftian Monsters Across The World

Playtime: 120-240 Minutes

Investigators spread out across the world in Eldritch horror board game.

Eldritch Horror draws on the older Arkham Horror board game. However, it both expands on that game and streamlines its rules. It takes the action from the town of Arkham and instead spreads it across the entire world. Players have further to go and more to do. However, the rules have been made quicker and easier.

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Even so, Eldritch Horror will easily take a group at least two hours. Those two hours will be crammed full of action and mystery, however. Players have to battle monsters, close gates, and do whatever they can to stop an Ancient One approaching. It's a tense race right up until its final moments.

13 Mansions Of Madness Combines Technology And Board Games

Playtime: 120-180 Minutes

Mansions Of Madness Second Edition Board Game Components And Box

In Mansions Of Madness' first edition, most players take on the role of characters adventuring into a haunted mansion. Another player controls the game's eldritch horror monsters. Mansions of Madness Second Edition changes this. It's a board game that uses an app to run scenarios rather than a player.

The use of an app speeds up most parts of play. However, it also allows for Mansions of Madness to explore longer and more intricate scenarios. Exactly how long a game takes varies from scenario to scenario. However, most come in at two or three hours of excellent horror gaming.

12 Nemesis Pits Players Against Spine-Tingling Horror

Playtime: 90-180 Mins

Nemesis board game and its expansion Nemesis: Lockdown

Nemesis draws heavily on sci-fi horror. It will likely remind players of films like Alien or video games like Dead Space. The players control the unlucky crew of a ship that has come under assault from aliens. Players have to complete a handful of objectives and then escape the ship alive. None of this is easy.

There are countless dangers between the players and their goals. They have to rely on other players and their unique capabilities to succeed. However, players can also have their own hidden agendas that put their allies at risk. Nemesis can take a while, and unlucky players may find themselves killed off early. Nonetheless, those who survive will find it a thrilling time.

11 A Game Of Thrones: The Board Game Puts Westeros In A Box

Playtime: 240-360 Minutes

The components and board for A Game of Thrones board game.

A Game Of Thrones: The Board Game is based on the popular A Song of Ice and Fire book series. In the game, three to six players take on the role of different houses and compete for control over Westeros. The game allows players to attack one another, make treaties, become allies, and backstab opponents.

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A Game Of Thrones takes about four hours to play and can stretch even longer. Expansions like The Mother of Dragons extend things further, while others like A Feast for Crows speed the game up. Players won't get bored over its long playtime, however. The game's a tense fight for supremacy throughout.

10 The Fury Of Dracula Doesn't Let Either Side Relax

Playtime: 120-180 Minutes

Fury of Dracula Board Game Being Played On The Table

The Fury of Dracula is an asymmetric competitive game. One player takes control of Count Dracula. They attempt to survive the hunters and spread vampiric influence across the world. The other players control the hunters from Dracula and try to stop him. They have to find Dracula across Europe, pin him down, and then slay him.

The Fury of Dracula can take up to three hours for a single game. However, neither side gets to waste a single one of these minutes. Dracula must make do with having half as many turns as the others, because he can only act at night. However, the hunters have to contend with Dracula's many magical powers. If either side slips up for a second, they risk giving the game away.

9 Detective Makes Players Feel Like They Are Solving A Real Case

Playtime: 120-180 Minutes Per Chapter

Detective A Modern Crime Board Game Components And Box

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game casts players in the role of crime solvers. Up to five players try to solve cases based on real-world crimes. The game is divided into five chapters, each of which takes up to three hours. Detective allows players to use the internet to research clues, watch security camera footage, and even interrogate suspects using the game's interactive website.

The experience is very immersive and leads to gamers feeling as though they are actual detectives working on a huge case. Detective has proven very successful. It's spawned multiple spin-offs that make use of its unique gameplay formula. Players are free to take on as much of it as they want, and won't find themselves bored.

8 Star Wars: Rebellion Lets Players Fight For An Entire Galaxy

Playtime: 180-240 Minutes

Luke Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine, Han Solo, and Darth Vader on the cover of Star Wars Rebellion game

Star Wars: Rebellion lets players recreate the action of the iconic first Star Wars trilogy. One player controls the Rebel Alliance and the other steps into the shoes of the Galactic Empire. It's a fiercely asymmetric game. The Rebellion can't hope to stand up to the Empire in a straight fight. However, they have surprise and stealth on their side.

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Star Wars: Rebellion has plenty to keep things fresh for both players. As well as moving around armies and forces, they have to use iconic characters from the films. The decisions regarding Luke Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine, and more are every bit as gripping as those involving the fates of entire planets.

7 Dead Of Winter Makes Players Turn On Each Other In A Zombie Apocalypse

Playtime: 60-120 Minutes

Dead of Winter board game in progress.

Lots of board games use a zombie apocalypse theme. This provides an enemy to fight that gamers understand right off the bat. The board game Dead of Winter takes this idea and expands on it. The also focuses heavily on the interpersonal conflict of players at the table. In each game, there may be a traitor that is trying to derail the situation.

Dead of Winter combines survival mechanics with a deep layer of social deception. These together ensure that players will enjoy the game, no matter how long it takes. Players don't learn who the traitor is until the end of the game. This can be well over two hours of players being unsure of whom to trust.

6 War Of The Ring Is The Entire Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

Playtime: 120-180 Minutes

An in-progress game of War of the Ring board game.

Many board games are made for two players. However, these games tend to be quicker experiences. War of the Ring instead makes the experience as grandiose as possible. It pits two players head to head for as long as three hours. Over that time, they'll duke it out for control of Lord of the Rings' Middle-Earth.

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War of the Ring is regarded as one of the most thematic board games ever made. It currently ranks in the top ten board games of all time according to the popular website, Boardgamegeek.com. It takes quite a long time to play, but gamers feel the experience is extremely rewarding. War of The Ring also has multiple expansions and additional rules for 4 players.

5 Terraforming Mars Is Corporate Greed In The Future

Playtime: 90-120 Minutes

Pieces from several players on areas in Terraforming Mars board game

Terraforming Mars is one of the most popular board games out there. In Terraforming Mars, each player plays as a corporation looking to terraform Mars for their monetary gain. Players can play cards, build greeneries, exploit the land's resources, and more. An actual game in its own right can last longer than two hours.

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However, Terraforming Mars has plenty of variety. The game has enough cards, corporations, strategies, and more to stay fresh. Players won't get to experience all the game's potential in a single round. There's a good chance that they will experience cutthroat corporate competition, however.

4 Robinson Crusoe Bring Rich Stories To A Classic Tale

Playtime: 60-120 Minutes

The components of an in-progress game of Robinson Crusoe board game

Robinson Crusoe is a game full of adventure, crafting, and more. Gamers have raved about it for several years, praising it for its engaging story and thematic elements. The game is played cooperatively where all players have a goal they are trying to accomplish together.

As the game progresses, players build tools that help them hunt, store food, survive, and prepare for the harsh weather conditions. Robinson Crusoe can take a long time to play through, especially for a first time. Nonetheless, its cooperative gameplay and varied mechanics are enough to keep players engaged throughout.

3 Twilight Imperium Is Space Combat At Its Finest

Playtime: 240-480 Minutes

Ships from multiple players massing in Twilight Imperium game

Twilight Imperium is one of the most ambitious games ever made. It's now on its 4th edition and comes in a large box that provides an even larger experience. Each player controls a race of aliens vying for control over the galaxy. Each race has a unique backstory, ships, abilities, and more.

Simulating an entire galaxy and the struggle over it isn't quick. Twilight Imperium can be played by up to six players, and each player adds more than an hour to the game. However, it never grows dull. Twilight Imperium is so well-balanced that the victor can be unclear right until the end. That's up to eight hours that can be won with a clever move at the last second.

2 Descent: Legends Of The Dark Is An Engaging Dungeon Crawl

Playtime: 120-180 Minutes Per Session

Players battling a monster in Descent: Legends of the Dark game

Descent: Legends of the Dark is another game that has moved to an app. It draws heavily on the classic Descent: Journeys in the Dark. However, it has revamped rules, along with an app to run the game's scenarios. This cuts down heavily on the runtime of individual sessions. However, it also opens the game up to much more.

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Descent: Legends of the Dark has a campaign made up of several play sessions. Overall, this campaign can last up to thirty hours. It's broken down into more reasonably sized sessions. However, even these can go beyond two hours if players aren't quick. Between fighting, exploring, and looting, however, that time is worth it.

1 Gloomhaven Revolutionized Board Games

Playtime: 90-115 Minutes Per Scenario

The cover art for Gloomhaven board game; fantasy characters walk through a market with red lighting.

Gloomhaven looks like any dungeon-crawler board game on the surface. It's full of characters, items, monsters, and board tiles. However, the game bridges the gap between dungeon-crawler board games and roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons.

A single game of Gloomhaven can be just one scenario. In that case, it's not likely to reach two hours, even with set-up. However, completing Gloomhaven requires doing as many as 95 scenarios. As such, just one full game of Gloomhaven can take a group over 200 hours. However, it's well worth the time.

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