Game Jargon Definition: “Heavy Games”
Heavy Games (noun) - heav · y games / ˈhevē ˈɡāmz /
Heavy games are on those that are on the far end of the spectrum in terms of the length and complexity of the rules, the depth of strategy and tactics, and typically, both the time it takes to play the game and the number of players needed in order for the game to be everything it can be. Among members of the hobby gaming community, heavy games are typically said to be “crunchy.”
It is typical for heavy games to have rules manuals of 20+ pages (with page counts of 30+, 40+, and even 50+ not being uncommon); taking 2+ hours to play (with plays times of 4+ hours not being uncommon); and requiring, at a minimum, three players (with player counts of six or greater not being uncommon).
Many heavier tabletop games also incorporate a wider range and greater number of components than their lighter counterparts. Those components may include a larger game board or multiple game boards, as well as potentially hundreds of tokens, cards, and/or models. Typically, all of these components (and associated rules) add to the set up and tear down time for the game.
There is some disagreement in the community as to whether a heavy game requires a greater complexity of the rules, depth of strategic play, or both. This matters when considering games such as Chess (1475), which has a fairly simple set of written rules but a profound level of strategy and tactics.
Some examples of heavy games are: Advanced Squad Leader (1985); Caylus (2005); Mage Knight (2011); Trajan (2011); Arkwright (2014); Food Chain Magnate (2015); Kingdom Death: Monster (2015); Spirit Island (2017); War Room (2019); Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy (2020); High Frontier 4 All (2020); Kanban EV (2020); On Mars (2020); and Coffee Traders (2021). Perhaps the tabletop game that reigns supreme in the “heavy games” category is The Campaign for North Africa: The Desert War 1940–43 (1979), with it being said that it takes ten players and approximately 1,500 hours to play a full game.
Some examples of popular hobby games that certainly do not qualify as heavy games include CATAN (1995), Ticket to Ride (2004), and Codenames (2015).
