CARDBOARD MANIFESTO
PLAY TIME
Why do box-printed game-length times never feel accurate? Dan Jolin investigates.
Words by Dan Jolin
Life is full of mysteries. Why do resealable tabs never reseal? Why is food sticking to my non-stick pan? Why do plumbers never get back to you? And the big one: why do my games always take longer to play than the time stated on the box?
Let’s start with something I’ve reviewed this issue: the brilliant Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood (see page 57). It’s a chonky mother with a deep narrative, so I’d never have expected (or wanted) each session to be over in a jiffy. But on the box it says “45 Mins” for its Story segment, and “90 Mins” for its Encounter, making a total of two-anda-quarter hours. With a party of four, we’ve never played a combined session that’s lasted less four hours (plus set-up time). Another favourite of mine, the Aliens-esque Nemesis, claims “60-120 Mins” on its box. Played with three or four others, it usually takes around five to six hours. That’s quite a discrepancy.