The best epically long board games offer incredible strategic depth, with satisfying gameplay engines that build over time and immersive thematics that you won’t find anywhere else. Oftentimes, they don’t even end up feeling like long games simply because they’re so much fun. In the best instances, the players will feel as though they’re telling an epic story of exploration, adventure, and conquest. In the list below, you’ll find our picks for the ten best board games that take at least two and a half hours to complete.
10. Game of Thrones: The Board Game (2nd Edition)
Fans of the TV show or the Song of Ice and Fire books will love how well the Game of Thrones board game adapts the geography and storylines of Westeros to create epic battles and court intrigue at the game night table. Conquering castles is the name of the game, but to do that, you’ll need to make and break alliances with fellow players and carefully manage your troops. The only reason it’s a bit lower on this list is because playthroughs can sometimes feel a bit too similar. However, it’s still an exceptional game with plenty of depth.
9. Forgotten Waters
In Forgotten Waters, you’ll explore the high seas as an infamous pirate after adventure and treasure. The character sheets are fun to fill out and bring a welcome RPG element to a game that’s otherwise focused on scenario-based gameplay. The entry booklet and the companion app set the stage in each of the six-story chapters, all of which are excellently paced and engaging. Its mechanics are simple, making it the easiest-to-learn entry on this list.
8. Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)
Mansions of Madness is a cooperative mystery and horror experience set in H.P. Lovecraft’s iconic world. Each player investigator sets out to gather clues and confront evil monsters in the game’s four distinct scenarios. And while I do wish there were more than four scenarios, it’s an incredibly atmospheric game, with each new room you enter feeling dangerous and claustrophobic. There are also lots of fun puzzles that you’ll need to solve via the Mansions of Madness app, which is closely integrated into the gameplay.
7. Sleeping Gods
The incredible artwork and unique exploration mechanics of Sleeping Gods has won the campaign-based game many fans. Here, you and your fellow players will set sail on a steamship across 26 Atlas pages in an attempt to find your way home. The dream-like open world is astonishingly beautiful, with every new island you visit offering something new, whether it’s a character, activity, or one of the fourteen collectible totems required for claiming victory. It could be a bit longer, but thankfully there is a sequel.
6. Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game
Even if you haven’t watched the incredible 2004 Battlestar Galactica reboot series, you’ll still find that there’s a lot to love about the TV show’s board game adaption. Cylon agents that look just like humans are hidden in the fleet that’s carrying the last hope for humanity, and you or your fellow players could be one of them. If you’re secretly a Cylon, which you might not even find out until the middle of the game, you’ll need to avoid suspicion and carry out covert sabotage aboard the Galactica. If you’re a human, your only hope is to reach Earth in time.
5. Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is a campaign-based dungeon crawler with satisfying character progression mechanics and a rewarding story. While each play session usually only requires about an hour and a half to complete, the full campaign can easily take upwards of 150 hours Over the course of those 150 hours, you’ll soon discover that your decisions are critical; they can shape the events of the game in unexpected and exciting ways.
4. Twilight Imperium (4th Edition)
In Twilight Imperium, you’ll play as one of seventeen unique factions aiming to seize control of the galaxy through political maneuvering, economic development, and military conquest. The players share most objective cards, but there are so many different ways you can accomplish your goals and claim victory. I particularly appreciate that the galaxy map is drawn randomly so that the arrangement of planets, asteroid fields, and other deep-space phenomena demands completely different strategies every time you play.
3. Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
The vast expanses of space await exploration and settlement in Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy. Though it’s still a long game, it’s much shorter than Twilight Imperium, yet it manages to touch on many of the same notes without losing much strategic depth. You’ll take control of a species and attempt to build a civilization with a reach as far as the distant stars. Constructing starships, engaging in conflicts with rival players, and gathering reputation tiles are all essential to victory.
2. Star Wars: Rebellion
Star Wars: Rebellion takes players back to the era of the original Star Wars trilogy in a classic, cinematic tale of light vs. dark. The Empire reigns supreme and needs only to find the hidden Rebel base to crush its opposition once and for all. The Rebel Alliance must use its limited resources sparingly and carry out diplomatic missions that unite the galaxy’s systems against the Empire. The thematics of the game are incredible, and with over 150 miniatures included, it’s an absolute must-have for Star Wars and tabletop gaming fans alike.
1. War of the Ring (2nd Edition)
The conflict between the Free Peoples of Middle Earth and the legions of Mordor comes to life in War of the Ring, a faithful tabletop adaption of Tolkien’s books that is often considered to be one of the best war board games of all time. If you’re playing as Sauron, your objectives are simple; you’ll need to gather your troops and conquer as much of Gondor and the rest of the map as possible. If you’re playing as the Free Peoples, you’ll need to stop the spreading forces of evil from taking over before the One Ring reaches Mount Doom. It’s complex, it’s thematic, and it’s undisputedly epic. There’s even a War of the Ring Card Game spin-off that’s also great.
Published: Aug 17, 2024 09:49 am