Long Games

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

At Isabel's house at NYE I was intrigued by a ready-for-jumble-sale copy of 'ATTILA'. This game was one of those wargames made in the 70s which say "playing time 10-15 hours" and have a special complexity meter on the box. The board is as unattractive as possible and the counters are tiny with unreadable little numbers on them. The box - also mostly text - sternly pointed out that while the game was intended to simulate history closely, certain "possible yet counterfactual" scenarious could arise during gameplay.

Has anyone ever played this kind of game? Is it fun? Has it completely died out or am I just not going to the right shops? What other really really long boardgames are there?

― Tom, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

i only once in my life got to PLAY diplomacy with anyone, and we playerd a speeded-up version. it had legendary possibililies as i recall, in particular of ending friendships forever with yr mate who was the ottoman empire when you were tsar of all the russias

(all WHICH russias, btw? russia yes, but where are the many others?)

― mark s, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

The big daddy of long board games round our way has to be Talisman, with all the accessorised add-ons you can get - the city, the dungeon, the time zone etc. A four player game can last up to two days, after which time someone finally gets to the centre of the main board only to draw a card which indiscriminately destroys them. For me Talisman mirrors life - pointless, but ultimately enjoyable.

― Trevor, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

(All The Russias = Russia + Byelorussia/Belarus(White Russia) + Ukraine(Little Russia))

― RickyT, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Trivial Pursuit, once the board game of Dread Tradition at Grocott Towers around Christmas time, has now been Officially Forgotten About as everyone falls asleep (full of bouze and food) before anyone can even get close to winning.

― katie, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Once got roped into a game of Diplomacy that lasted an arse numbing 18+ hours. Was fun for the first 8 or so, then after some got bored, and others revealed various degrees of meglomania.

Re: the 'Russias' etymological info White-Russia/Belorussia is a seperate state IIRC, (in the thuggish grip of Alexander Lukashenko).

― stevo, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I've played Diplomacy postally. It goes on forever - a few weeks between each turn. There is still a big postal Diplomacy hobby, it's moved from hardcopy zines to e-mail.

Long face to face games... I think they still exist. I like boardgames a lot, but I don't approve of ones that can't be played in an evening. Or of games which don't have every player in to the end.

― DV, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

My little brother got Simpsons Monopoly for Christmas. Somehow, it is twice as much fun being Jebediah Springfield than it is to be a thimble.

― timothy, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

The problem with Diplomacy as a face to face game is that it goes on forever, but some of the players will almost certainly get knocked out in the first few hours. It's a bit of a pain if you've given up your sunday for a game only to be finished (alone) with nothing else to do.

― DV, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

surely it is merely a just outcome reflecting yr weak-ass skillz, firing you to greater talleyrandian heights the following weekend?

― mark s, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Used to be a big fan of 'Risk' - Spizz wrote a song abt it!

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"-" = "until" in andrew l's post

― mark s, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Axis and Allies. That game went on for weeks. Somehow my older brother always duped us into letting him be all the Allied countries.

― bnw, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.