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Hot take: I used to pick board games by the box art, now I check the player count and play time first
Ever since I got stuck in a 4 hour slog of Twilight Imperium with 3 people who bailed after round 2, I just look at the back of the box for numbers before I even glance at the cover art.
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robertsmith13d ago
Oh man, I gotta say something here. Twilight Imperium is a terrible example to use because that game literally says on the box it takes 4-8 hours and is for 3-8 players. The problem isn't that you didn't check the numbers, it's that your friends bailed on a long game that everyone knew was long. Player count and play time matter sure but you still have to think about the group you're playing with. A 20 minute game can be just as miserable if nobody wants to play it.
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jennifer_west12d ago
Right? It's like buying a ticket to a 10 hour movie and then getting mad it ran long. Maybe we need to start vetting our game groups like they're applying for a part time job, complete with a 'can you commit to this game' interview. But honestly, at least in that 20 minute game you can suffer through it and fake a bathroom break. A four hour game of Twilight Imperium where everyone's checked out is basically a hostage situation with cardboard.
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