# Video Games that kept you up all night!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 10, 2002, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259 "2002-08-10T07:29:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/41 "2002-08-12T15:51:20Z")

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If we’re going back to old school’s,

Wizardry 1 and Tai-Pan on Apple IIplus

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**Author:** ![adamant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@adamant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adamant)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/42 "2002-08-12T16:22:15Z")

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Dungeon Master on the Amiga! My friend had moved in to our apartment with his new Amiga and we went out and bought Dungeon Master. The Amiga was ahead of other computers at the time in doing graphics and sound with fairly inexpensive stuff. We had hooked the computer up to the stereo system and it was so cool to go walking around and hear noises from left or right - we spent several minutes just bumping into walls on either side of us as the “ooff” sound came from the correct side!  
We stayed up all night getting through the 1st 4 levels or so, one roomate went to bed and them complained in the middle of the morning (around 3) of the loud gooomp sounds when we fed the characters food!

What a great game (and it’s sequel Lord of Chaos)

Also we used to stay up all night playing Commodore 64 games especially this one called “legacy of the ancients” that you could not save (you could pause it but hey). I remember solving that game and seeing the sun came up as the finale music was playing.

Oh, after that it was staying up all night playing Battle Isle on the computer. You could play the computer (fun - but easy after a while) but playing each other got to be a big challenge - it could take an hour to complete a move when you had too many units and games took all night and then some.  
Ahh, the good ole days when I could skip classes the next day and sleep 24 hours to recoup from staying up all night. Now whenever I can get 5 hours uninterrupted sleep I am good to go for another day(but never feel rested anymore - kids seem to do that).

I also remember staying after school many an afernoon “working” hard on the Apple 2 to solve Wizardry!

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**Author:** ![yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a87d85/32.png) [@yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yESTERDAY_mAN)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/43 "2002-08-12T17:05:56Z")

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The first time I played Halo: Combat Evolved on the X-Box, I started at 7:30 and played continuously until 6:00 the next morning. After running home for breakfast and a shower, I returned to my friend’s house to play more, but we had lost the momentum by then and the game just dried up. Now I try to leave by about 2:00 in the morning.

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**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/44 "2002-08-12T18:53:25Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Cliffy \*  
> \*\*The first Gabriel Knight caused me many sleepless nights and missed classes, the second one less so (but some).  
> \*\*

The infernal voodoo code puzzle, right?

I eventually cracked and looked up the answer to that one online. Not that it did me any good. After dozens of attempts I realized that the reason why my message was never acceptable was because I was MISSPELLING ONE OF THE WORDS! Oh, the humiliation.

That game never caused me to miss much sleep though, because my family wouldn’t let me play it late at night. The annoying chime that indicated that you’d just scored a point was audible throughout the house!

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**Author:** ![VanLandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/eb9ed0/32.png) [@VanLandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanLandry)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/45 "2002-08-12T20:08:46Z")

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Well, I’m glad I’m not alone. Since I quit smoking a month ago, I developed a new addiction for GTA3. Played so much my eyes were all bloodshot and sore. Since I beat that game last week, I’ve been playing Ace Combat 4 non-stop.

I’m convinced the Surgeon General is eventually going to announce the hazards of too much video game playing and recommend we all go back to smoking.

Whenever my buddy comes over, we drink Heinikens and shots of Southern Comfort and play "NHL Hitz 20-02 " till we pass out.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/46 "2002-08-12T20:15:44Z")

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Quoth **cmkeller** :

> [@](#):
>
> What, am I the only geek here who’s stayed up all night to stubbornly finish one or two boards of **Chip’s Challenge**?

Let me guess… Level 91 (Jumping Swarm), right? I’ve beaten that one _once_, and for the sake of my sanity, I don’t think I’ll ever load it again.

The first game that ever kept me up all night, though, was either _Number Munchers_ or the original _King’s Quest_, for the Apple ][e.

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**Author:** ![Bubba\_Ray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bubba\_Ray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bubba_Ray)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/47 "2002-08-12T22:03:26Z")

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Civilisation on the AMIGA was my first sleepless night, so many many years back…

Apart from that Princess Maker 2 is a really second, not bad for a game that hasn’t been officially released as far as I know (speaking of the english version).

And many many RPGs follow, from Amberstar/Ambermoon on the AMIGA, the entire Gold Box series (AD&D) on the C64 and the AMIGA, over Fallout, Fallout2, Wastelands, Baldurs Gate, Baldurs Gate 2, Deus Ex, Final Fantasy 8 to my all time favorite CRPG Planescape Torment on the PC.

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**Author:** ![Jurhael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jurhael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurhael)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/48 "2002-08-13T03:23:31Z")

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“You know you’ve been playing a game too long when you make up little songs to go with the MIDI music. And sing them aloud.”

WOWO! Or if you’ve had DREAMS about it! I should make a topic about that. In fact, I will…eheehheeh…

It’s no surprise to me that Civilization has come up quite a few times. I had a friend who played that game all night, the morning after and the night after that. Addictive…

And I STILL haven’t tapped into the power that is PC Games, despite having Diablo…eheheh…

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**Author:** ![Gopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gopher)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/49 "2002-08-13T05:04:58Z")

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Civ 2 and 3. Just one more turn. Until I finish researching that tech. When my wonder finishes. After I conquer just one more city. It’s crazy how that game can hold me like that.

Also an internet called Infantry. I could sit there for hours respawning, throwing myself into the Capture the Flag fray, die, respawn, etc. Good times…too bad they were pay to play.

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**Author:** ![Broken\_Doll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Broken\_Doll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broken_Doll)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/50 "2002-08-13T05:43:15Z")

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The original Nintendo games, such as Zelda and Mario Bros… I was only about 5 then, so “all night” was until about 10PM, and I would fall asleep in front of the TV, watching my brothers play.

Lots of fun.

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**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/51 "2002-08-13T06:16:38Z")

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Another Amiga user checking in.

I wasn’t much of a game player, but **Dune** consumed more hours of my life than I like to think about. Runners up would be **Lemmings** and **Total Annihilation**.

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**Author:** ![albatross37](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@albatross37](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albatross37)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/52 "2002-08-13T08:09:44Z")

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Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers  
Sky Roads  
Leisure Suit Larry I-??  
Blades of Steel  
Super Bomberman  
Super Mario Kart  
Jones in the Fast Lane  
Final Fantasy VII

m

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**Author:** ![smoothio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@smoothio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoothio)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/53 "2003-01-07T03:04:23Z")

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Someone mentioned Halo for the x box, (yes im a sucker who likes turning my hard earned cash over to billionaires). I spent hours with my housemates wiping out the covenant and the flood. So sad. One funny anecdote. After an all night session (one of three in a row during a nasty snowstorm, my stoner roomate opened the blinds and commented “HOLY $_!_ THE MOONS ON FIRE!”  
I’m suprised no one has mentioned Tony Hawk Pro Skater (1-4). Is it possible that no one here knows the pure orgasmic joy of pumping up your rail balance, heading to the bagagge claim in the airport (th3) and grinding out 500,000 point tricks? I can still recall a relatively lengthy session of TH3 with my roomate. We had finally beaten the game with all the skaters, when we both took a moment of silence to stare at the congratulations screen one coudl hear the distinctive call of birds greeting the sun. It was then that we ralized why we didnt have girlfreinds.

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/54 "2003-01-07T03:14:16Z")

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#1 – all-time winner: _StarCraft: Broodwar_. Especially on the LAN. I still play it to all hours of the night sometimes, making games within games. “Let’s try to play entirely defensively, and then use _nukes_ for offense, to the exclusion of everything else.”

The Quake series, of course-- especially online.

This week I’ve been playing Unreal again.

About _Diablo_ – so many people seem to like this. It bores me to tears-- (I’ve only gotten past a couple of “quests” though-- does it get better? I’m I playing it wrong?) It’s installed right now, but it just seems like a lot of “click everything then moves, then go back to town and get healed.”

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**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/55 "2003-01-07T03:27:18Z")

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Recently it’s been Battlefield 1942 and Europa Universalis II.

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**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/56 "2003-01-07T04:31:04Z")

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The first two Donkey Kong games on Nintendo and Supernintendo. I got to where I’d actually doze off for a few minutes while playing.

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**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/57 "2003-01-07T04:31:14Z")

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For me, Europa Universalis II and it’s WW2-era offshoot, Hearts of Iron.

Battlefield 1942 and Return to Castle Wolfenstein when I get the urge for some voice-chat multiplayer with a group of friends.

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**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/58 "2003-01-07T04:40:21Z")

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Nethack.

Zoinks, I’m tempted to start it up right now. Squidwina the Valkyrie, here I come…

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/59 "2003-01-07T04:45:41Z")

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The first time I got the original “Civilization” was Christmas day. I was 19 and shrieked like a schoolgirl. Dad and I started playing at noon; at 4 PM my mother had to threaten us with violence to get us to go to dinner.

At 8 PM we returned and immediately resumed playing. At 6 AM, we finally stopped to sleep. Dad was back at it at 8 AM sharp.

Other ones that kept me up all night:

Sim City (Another one with Dad, we played until 7 AM)  
Railroad Tycoon  
Diablo II, with my best buddy Scott  
Rollercoaster Tycoon

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**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-that-kept-you-up-all-night/123259/60 "2003-01-07T05:01:19Z")

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The first game I literally could not put down, and would play all night, nonstop?

Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, for the Playstation. That game scared the holy hell out of me, but was compulsive to the point where I couldn’t stand to quit…

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