Game Length

How long should a game be? As short as possible.

There is nothing inherently better about a game being longer. As with game weight, length can enable deeper play, but doesn't add anything on its own. A shorter game can just be played twice. As before, a shorter game appeals to more people. Your game is not competing with five-hour epic sagas that few people have time for.

For a game that ramps up, the game should be just long enough to allow the player to reach some of the biggest stuff in the game. If a player can follow all paths to their end, the game is too long.

A good game ends one turn too soon.

If a game doesn't ramp up, or the ramping-up doesn't change the gameplay much, then the game can be even shorter.

If your game is five minutes long, just let it be five minutes long. Do not compile multiple identical rounds into one "game" to make it longer. If it's really short, people can just play as many games of it as they like.

Your game is too long

How often have you played a game that's too long? How often have you played a game that's too short?

Assume your game is too long.

And, if you end up making it too short, that's the better mistake to make.

A game of proper length will elicit a discussion about whether the game is too short or not. Keep making your game shorter until your playtesters start questioning whether it's too short.

Shortening a game

Properly minimising the turn structure will obviously help speed up a game, but a game might just be inherently long.

If your game has rounds, have as few as possible. Then, deduct another one.

If your game has a goal, reduce its size.

If your game is too long, just lop off part (or most) of the game, and just save the best part.

One of my earliest prototypes had three stages, that ramped up nicely. It took an hour or so to play. All the stages were interesting, but the last one was a bit cumbersome. I just removed it. The end result is a 30-minute, medium-light game. It's better, and far shorter.

My approach

A hundred years ago, many games took a few hours, with a short game being one hour, and a long game taking all afternoon.

These days, a few hours is considered to be on the long side for a game. An hour or so is normal, and half an hour is a short game.

This is still unnecessarily long.

A game's length should match its complexity and level of involvement. I design mostly at medium-light, which is the weight I recommend for most games. At that weight, aim for a game duration of 20-30 minutes.

Radlands is more mid-weight than medium-light. Its length, on average, is about 30 minutes.

My farm game is my longest game. It's medium-heavy, and games take around 45 minutes, with two players.

KIS.

Keep it short.