Blood Royale has been in my boardgame collection for an age. My brother and I used to play it a lot when we were younger, now when we get together to play boardgames Blood Royale is not really on our list. There is only one reason for this; it takes ages.
Boardgamegeek have it listed in the 240min category but I think this is conservative. Playing the game can span a weekend no trouble, make sure you have food/drink/comfy chair.
Now this in itself doesn't make this a bad game, indeed having a spare table to play this on may be the best way to go*. Because when you get into this game it is grand. The depth to your dynasty is key, and marriages are necessary. Remember that marrying off a young female to a 2nd inline to your enemies throne may sound like a waste of a good child bearer, but this action could land you the crown of that country if you can kill off the King and the newly wedded Prince in battle... think about it
It is easy to get involved in the game, it can consume you in a way that a lot of games can't. Playing it over a few evenings can also help suck you into the world. I have honestly been at work thinking how I can work out who to marry off to whom, what eligble woman could be good for my prince, etc. 237
The character management is via small character sheets (about the size of a beer mat), after a number of rounds you'll find that your dynasty takes up a fair amount of space on the table. What you need to ensure is that you make a marking/numbering system for your character sheets. You'll also need to spread them about on the table, but if a gust of wind should entre the room, you may have an issue getting them all back in the right place. (Personaly I write that two parents names on the sheet.)
This is a good game. No question. The long time it takes to play is not a downside, you shouldn't be getting bored. However the major hindrance to playing this game is real-life commitments mean that playing it over a few nights is impracticle, maybe ok for three people but unlikely with more. One way to do this is for two players to play two countries each. Howeverthis can only take place if the two players play their countries as if they are not playing the other. This can work if the players are up for it, indeed this is how I generally play this game.
Good game, just sometimes impracticle. An 8/10. 237