Getting together for a game day with your group of friends is a special experience. Imagining what you will play, finally getting those couple of games to the table to try, or being surprised by what new thing your friend got is all just part of the charm of these events.
Some games, however, are events unto themselves – games that take most, if not a whole, day (or more) to play. That’s where the games on this list fall. Titles that may require a weekend getaway with your close friends to one of those nice cabins in the woods, or on one of those giant tables you can find at a game convention. It may take a while to plan, but playing these games will still provide you with memories that can last a lifetime.
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If you’re too busy playing board games to read blurbs, you can see all the games on the list in the catalog above. But if you want to dig deeper into what each of the games is, keep on scrolling and reading.
Axis & Allies: 1940 Global (A&A 1940 Europe + 1940 Pacific)
Axis & Allies: 1940 Europe Second Edition
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Axis & Allies: 1940 Pacific Second Edition
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The Axis & Allies series of wargames has been around for over 40 years at this point, letting fans of World War 2 fight one another to their heart’s content. Composed of two separate games – Axis & Allies 1940 Europe and 1940 Pacific – Axis & Allies: 1940 Global is by far the largest of the franchise, with a combined board that dwarfs the already impressive Axis & Allies 1940 Anniversary Edition and requires a large table to play on.
Even with its large footprint, this game still accommodates between two players and six players, with one team assuming the roles of the Allied Powers and the other the Axis, as they take turns buying units, moving them around, and rolling dice to wage war. Even with experienced players, this is a game you should plan a weekend to play, when factoring in short breaks for things like food or sleep.
These versions of Axis & Allies add in new types of ground and air units, different types of factories, and other adjustments that make Europe, Pacific, and Global arguably the most intricate of entries of the main series, and may not be the best option for folks new to the games. But, if you do plan to play this option a lot, it may be worthwhile to invest in the neoprene map Renegade offers, which is the global map and is scaled up slightly to make it easier to fit all your units on spaces.
To get a better idea of just how long this game can take, the world tournament that’s held at Gen Con has a rule that limits the game time to nine hours. A nine-hour match for folks who are considered experts in the game, and even then, sometimes it isn’t long enough!
Twilight Imperium 4th Edition + Prophecy of Kings Expansion
Twilight Imperium: 4th Edition
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Twilight Imperium 4th Edition – Prophecy of Kings Expansion
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Out of all the games on this list, Twilight Imperium is probably the one whose legend is most known for how long it takes to play, and the most current iteration, 4th Edition (especially when paired with its Prophecy of Kings expansion) continues that Legacy. Twilight Imperium is a massive space 4x game (eXpand, eXploit, eXpore, eXterminate) where players not only have to navigate the hazards of space, but also of one another. It’s a game I’m quite fond of, ranking it among one of the best wargames on the market.
While at first glance TI may appear to look like just another wargame set in space, you spend more of your time negotiating and making deals than shooting out missiles if you want to succeed. While it’s almost a running joke that anyone who owns this game never actually plays it, if you should find yourself so lucky to play it or have the tablespace for it, there are few games out there that can offer such a memorable experience. If you start a game in the morning, you should be able to complete a game in a single day, even though you may be a little late getting home.
Mega Empires (The East + The West)
Mega Empires: The East
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Mega Empires: The West
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Much like Axis & Allies: 1940 Global, Mega Empires is also the amalgamation of two large games, merged into an even larger monolith that can accommodate 18 – yes, you read that right – players. Despite its size, the actual flow and play of game isn’t all that complicated, with players taking control over advancing a specific ancient civilization, spreading out their troops, building cities, and trading resources with one another in an effort to create large pairs of the same type of resource, with more matching cards earning more victory points. There isn’t much in the way of war in this game, as it’s much more focused on trading and negotiating trades with your neighbors to get cards.
The big twist, however, is that in addition to having to trade at least three cards, you only have to tell the truth about two of them, which can be dangerous as the person who is promising you one thing, could be in fact, handing over one calamity card, too. These make for all sorts of trouble, but they also keep things exciting and tense. This game you should probably factor in a weekend to play comfortably, though it does have rules specifically for when players have to leave the game partway through. That should tell you just how long a game can last.
War of The Ring: 2nd Edition
War of The Ring 2nd Edition
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Often described as “Lord of the Rings in a box,” War of the Ring by ARES Games puts players in the role of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth and the other as the Shadow as they rewrite the epic confrontations from Tolkien’s masterpiece. How would things play out if Boromir didn’t fall in battle, or the Strider split off early from the group to rally the people to war? Do you think you could have won the war for the Dark Lord where Saruman failed? Well, it’s time to put your gold where your dragon is and prove it!
For experienced players, this is a game that won’t take all day, and can be played in a few hours, but you will still feel exhausted and worn out from just how tense this game can get. And for newer players, you can expect a good six-plus hours of gameplay ahead. Between its strategic army play, action cards that can turn the tides of an encounter, and the slow-but-steady progression of the Fellowship towards delivering the One Ring to Mt. Doom, this game is a must-own for fans of Lord of the Rings. Here at IGN, we think its one of the best board games that you should play this year.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy
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Set in 20th-century Europe prior to the outbreak of World War I, Diplomacy places up to seven players in the roles of the heads of Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Turkey as they strive to gain territory. This classic board game is far less about rolling the dice and waging war, but is more about making backroom deals with other players and backstabbing each other for your benefit.
Each turn begins with a 15-minute phase where players can go and negotiate their deals and decide on their plans, before returning to the board and writing their orders out – yes, you physically write out your orders – for their armies and naval fleets. No dice rolling is involved. Your goal is to be the first person to control 18 of the various Supply Centers around the board.
Diplomacy is jokingly referred to as “the friend killer” as this game can be nasty, and lead to tempers rising, but that is also part of the fun. If you have a good group of friends, you can make a game of this into the event, perhaps with period-appropriate food and dress from the country you are controlling for added fun.
Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.
