Sure, it’s the middle of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have the occasional rainy afternoon! Besides, all our friends on the other side of the equator are getting their ski boots on. (Look, “rainy day” isn’t a weather system; it’s a state of mind.)
With that in mind, we wanted to list off a couple of longer games, for those days when it’s too wet (or hot!) to go outside, and you have all the time in the world.
Twilight Imperium War of the Ring
A strategy game for 2-4 players, War of the Ring has you and your friends command either the forces of the Free Peoples, or the Shadow Armies of Sauron, for absolute control over Middle Earth. In addition to the map control and strategy elements, the player commanding the Free Peoples can also win the game by destroying the One Ring, at the cost of potentially failing to defend their holdings.
Gloomhaven
It’s D&D, but without someone having to DM! Sort of. Gloomhaven is a persistent fantasy dungeon-crawler game, where player characters will progress from session to session as they play through a series of scenarios in a storyline. Characters will increase in ability as the game becomes more challenging, and you and your friends will have to make hard decisions on which paths to follow, and which to ignore. Even if a single game can be finished in an hour, it’s fast enough to set up another scenario if you’re itching for more! If you’ve already played Gloomhaven to death but are out of scenarios, make sure to check out Frosthaven for more adventures!
Unfathomable (Battlestar Galactica)
In the mid-2000’s, Fantasy Flight Games released Battlestar Galactica, based on the 2003 TV show of the same name. Players would assume the role of a character from the show, each with their own role and abilities, and work to guide the eponymous Battlestar to its destination of Kobol. While relatively simple at a glance, the game truly shows its hand with the introduction of a secret Cylon spy. This spy can sabotage other players secretly, winning the game if the ship is destroyed.
“But wait,” you say, “I thought we were talking about Unfathomable?“ After releasing several excellent expansions to Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Flight lost the license to the Battlestar IP, and copies of the game have since skyrocketed on the secondary market. But, in 2021, Fantasy Flight released Unfathomable, a Lovecraftian-themed take on the same core mechanics that made Battlestar such a hit. Now, you and your friends can work together to save the SS Atlantica from the threat of Mother Hydra and Father Dagon; just watch out for Deep One Hybrids trying to scuttle your attempts!
Axis & Allies
It’s an oldie but a goodie! While you may want to get the whole gang together to hit the preferred 5 Player count, 2 Players will do just fine! Simulating all fronts of WWII, players take control of their assigned country or bloc to win the most significant conflict in human history.
Twilight Imperium
You thought I was joking, didn’t you? Set aside at least an afternoon for this one! A game of galactic conquest with seventeen factions and 51 randomly-placed tiles, no two games will ever be alike! Players move their fleets between stars, expanding their empires through diplomacy or conquest. Each player has the same goal of taking the throne on the capitol planet of Mexatol Rex and has both public and secret objectives to complete to achieve enough Victory Points to win.
