Hello Friend,

Regular readers will know that I love to create House Rules for games. You might want to create house rules to manipulate starting conditions, to level the playing field, to keep everyone involved in the game, to make gameplay slicker or more harmonious or perhaps to change the player count. But one big reason to add house rules is to change the length of the game. 

Sometimes the perfect game is not the perfect length. It could be that you’re looking for a game that fills a rainy afternoon, but the chosen game is always over too quickly… or perhaps your children are desperate to play a 2 hour game, but you’ve only got a 45 minute window.

Here are some House Rules you might use to shorten and lengthen games.

• Increase or reduce the number of rounds. Set the number of rounds you’ll play at the start of the game, so that nobody is surprised!

• Restrict or increase resources. Some games end when resources run out. Add some more or take some away to alter the running time. If you play through until you reach the end of a deck, add another play through the deck, to lengthen it.

• Change the start conditions: Give players starting cards or resources to catapult them further into the game.

• Change the victory conditions. If play stops when a player reaches a certain number of points, adjust the target. 

• Change the endgame conditions. Some games end when one player has managed to construct a certain number of things. Alter the conditions to change the length of the game.

Of course, changing the length of the game may have knock-on effects in terms of gameplay. Each game is different and you’ll have to experiment to make sure the game holds up!

Obviously, with short games you can play them multiple times. We have a ‘Regional Champion’ Award. To become regional champion, you have to win a game three times consecutively in the same geographical location. So if you go on holiday to Portugal, you could become the Portuguese regional champion without usurping the Hertfordshire regional champion. If someone else wins three times in a row, they take your crown!

What tips and tricks to you use to manipulate game length?