18 Long and Epic Board Games (3+ Hours) You Need to Try!

If you’re the kind of player who loves complex worlds, deep strategies, and meaningful decisions, long board games are made for you.

These games can last more than three hours, and that’s where their magic lies. Grab a snack, get comfortable, and dive in.

Below are some of the best titles for anyone looking for grand tabletop experiences!

Mage Knight Board Game

- Number of players: 1–4

- Playtime: 240 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

Often regarded as one of the best solo board games ever made, Mage Knight blends exploration, deck-building, and tactical combat in an epic fantasy setting. Each session feels like a journey of conquering cities, defeating monsters, and mastering new abilities.

The pacing is deliberate, and every turn demands planning and precision, but the sense of progress is incredibly satisfying. Perfect for players who enjoy long, complex challenges where every decision shapes their hero’s fate.

Dominant Species

- Number of players: 2–6

- Playtime: 240 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

A true masterclass in evolution and adaptation, Dominant Species casts players as different animal groups fighting for survival on a constantly changing planet.

It’s a game of territory control, temporary alliances, and inevitable betrayals. It rewards patience, long-term thinking, and careful reading of opponents. By the end, the hours spent turn into an epic story of survival or extinction.

Liberty or Death: The American Insurrection

- Number of players: 1–4

- Playtime: 360 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

Part of the acclaimed COIN series, this game recreates the American Revolution with exceptional historical depth. Each faction—Colonists, British, French, and Native Americans—has unique goals and mechanics, creating a web of rich interactions.

Liberty or Death is more than just a game. It’s a captivating lesson in history and diplomacy, where time seems to disappear as your table becomes a stage for political intrigue and strategic warfare.

18OE: On the Rails of the Orient Express

- Number of players: 2–8

- Playtime: 720 minutes

- Recommended age: 12+

If you love heavy economic games and sprawling railway systems, 18OE is the pinnacle of the 18XX series. With sessions that can last an entire day, players act as railway investors competing for profit and expansion.

Its intricate financial system and long-term planning turn every round into a fascinating economic simulation. A must-play for fans of spreadsheets, clever calculations, and the satisfying hum of growing train networks.

World in Flames

- Number of players: 2–6

- Playtime: up to 6000 minutes (!)

- Recommended age: 14+

Few games can match the sheer scale of World in Flames. This colossal simulation of World War II models every army, fleet, and aircraft in astonishing detail.

Campaigns can literally last for weeks. It’s a full-scale experience for players who want to explore the war in all its strategic depth—a true monument of wargaming that can turn your entire room into a global map of conflict and decision-making.

Fields of Fire

- Number of players: 1

- Playtime: 300 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

One of the most immersive solo games ever created, Fields of Fire puts you in command of an infantry company across World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Each scenario is a distinct military operation filled with tactical decisions and moral challenges.

It’s complex, demanding, and immensely rewarding. The game requires careful planning, terrain awareness, and resource management, in a system where every bullet and soldier matters. It’s an experience that transforms your table into a living battlefield.

Ambush!

- Number of players: 1

- Playtime: 240 minutes

- Recommended age: 12+

A timeless classic of solo board gaming, Ambush! places you in charge of a squad of American soldiers on tactical missions during World War II. Its innovative narrative system reveals events as you progress, creating a dynamic and unpredictable story.

A groundbreaking design for its era, it simulated an entire military campaign without needing a human opponent. Each mission is tense and suspenseful, filled with moments where a single decision can change everything.

Case Blue

- Number of players: 2

- Playtime: up to 22,500 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

Yes, you read that right: 22,500 minutes. Case Blue is a massive war simulation that recreates the German campaign on the Eastern Front during World War II. With enormous maps and hundreds of units, it’s a true test of strategic endurance.

It’s an epic experience, a campaign that can last for months. Not for the faint of heart, but for die-hard wargame fans, it’s one of the most complete and intense titles ever made.

Shikoku 1889

- Number of players: 2–6

- Playtime: 210 minutes

- Recommended age: 12+

Part of the 18XX series, Shikoku 1889 offers a more compact (yet still lengthy) version of classic railway simulations. Players compete to build train lines, invest in companies, and maximize profits in 19th-century Japan.

Although more approachable than some other entries in the series, it still demands sharp strategy and plenty of patience. Every action is an economic gamble, and the long playtime lets players witness the rise and fall of their railway empires.

Magic Realm

- Number of players: 1–16

- Playtime: 480 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

A true legend among fantasy board games, Magic Realm is renowned for its almost limitless depth. Designed by Richard Hamblen, the same creator of Merchant of Venus, it blends exploration, combat, and storytelling in a dynamic, unpredictable world.

With complex rules and immense freedom of action, it rewards players who fully immerse themselves in its intricate system. It feels like living through an RPG campaign on a board, with each session telling a completely different story.

Paths of Glory

- Number of players: 2

- Playtime: 480 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

A cornerstone of modern wargaming, Paths of Glory recreates the entire First World War through a masterfully balanced card-driven system. Players take command of either the Central Powers or the Allies, managing resources, fronts, and global politics.

The long playtime is part of the experience, as each round represents months of conflict and every decision carries real weight. It is strategic, historical, and deeply tense, offering a true mental marathon that rewards thoughtful planning.

Arkham Horror

- Number of players: 1–6

- Playtime: 180–240 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

Inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, Arkham Horror is a desperate struggle against cosmic horrors threatening to consume the world. Players become investigators racing to stop the growing madness in a city infested with portals, monsters, and insanity.

Each session unfolds as a narrative adventure filled with challenges and surprises. Time disappears as you search for clues, seal portals, and fight to stay sane amid the chaos. It is cooperative, suspenseful, and completely immersive.

A night in Arkham never ends the way you expect.

Eldritch Horror

- Number of players: 1–8

- Playtime: 180–240 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

The spiritual successor to Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror expands the action to a global scale. Now, investigators travel across continents to face cultists and ancient beings.

With streamlined rules and a worldwide narrative, it retains the atmosphere of mystery and dread while offering a smoother pace. Each playthrough introduces a new cosmic threat, pushing players to race against time and encroaching madness. It is perfect for those who want an epic cooperative experience worthy of a cosmic horror movie.

Diplomacy

- Number of players: 2–7

- Playtime: 360 minutes

- Recommended age: 12+

A timeless classic of negotiation and betrayal. In Diplomacy, each player controls a European power at the dawn of the 20th century and must expand their influence using only words.

There is no luck or dice, only persuasion. Alliances form and collapse each round, and promises rarely last until the end. It is a game that tests friendships, demands composure, and rewards the most calculating minds. Long, tense, and immensely satisfying when your plan comes together.

Twilight Imperium

- Number of players: 3–6

- Playtime: 480–600 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

Few games capture the essence of “epic” as completely as Twilight Imperium. Set in a vast science fiction universe, each player leads an interstellar faction fighting for power, influence, and galactic supremacy.

Diplomacy, space battles, and interplanetary politics blend into an unforgettable experience. The long duration can be daunting, but the outcome is spectacular, filled with unexpected alliances, cinematic betrayals, and battles worthy of a space opera. A true galactic marathon.

Junta

- Number of players: 4–7

- Playtime: 180–240 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

Corruption, revolution, and dark humor! In Junta, players take the roles of government officials in a fictional Latin American republic, all trying to get rich and stay alive.

The game revolves around political intrigue, coups d’état, and “generous” Swiss bank transfers. Every session turns into a theater of false promises and ruthless betrayals. Long enough for tension to build and for the table to become a true stage of conspiracy.

Ikusa

- Number of players: 2–5

- Playtime: 240–300 minutes

- Recommended age: 12+

Set in feudal Japan, Ikusa (also known as Samurai Swords) is a large-scale strategy and combat game. Players command samurai clans seeking to unify the land while balancing economy, warfare, and honor.

With armies, castles, and legendary generals, each turn is a careful balance between planning and risk. The extended playtime allows full campaigns with glorious victories and tragic defeats, making it a true tabletop samurai epic.

Civilization

- Number of players: 2–7

- Playtime: 360–480 minutes

- Recommended age: 14+

Long before the famous video game series, Civilization showed what it means to build an empire from the ground up. Each player begins with a small tribe and must advance culture, science, and military might over centuries.

The journey is long and full of difficult decisions, as war, trade, diplomacy, and technology evolve together. It is a game that captures the human drive for progress, rewarding patience and long-term vision.

Long board games deliver full experiences rich with stories, twists, and unforgettable choices. What they all share is dedication, and the reward is epic moments that stay with you.

From intergalactic wars to political revolutions, from cosmic horrors to the rise of civilizations, these games prove that time is just a small price for grand adventure.

Which of these worlds would you like to explore first? Pick a free weekend, gather your friends, and dive in!