A box says 60 minutes, yet after an hour and a half the finish is nowhere in sight. That does not necessarily mean the estimate is wrong or the group is unusually slow. A printed duration describes an expectation under particular conditions. Your evening also includes preparation, rules knowledge, player count and possibly a substantial final scoring process. Work backwards from the time actually available.
Separate play from total table time
If people arrive at eight and need to finish at ten, the game itself does not automatically have two hours. Setting out components, teaching rules and answering questions use part of that window. This may be negligible for a familiar card game but substantial for a first game involving several individual boards.
After your own session, record three moments: the start of setup, the first turn and the end of scoring. This creates a more useful reference for your group than a single general estimate. Record the player count as well. A game with simultaneous choices scales differently from one where everyone takes a long sequence of actions in turn.
Understand how the game ends
A fixed number of rounds often makes the finish easier to predict than an objective somebody must eventually reach. Nevertheless, later rounds can be more complicated. Games with an expanding card engine may have longer final turns even when the round track appears almost complete. Counting remaining rounds alone can therefore be misleading.
Before starting, check what triggers the ending and whether everyone receives the same number of turns afterwards. An agreed stopping point is different from the normal end of the game. If a game only produces a meaningful result when completed, avoid inventing an abbreviated winner calculation moments before someone has to leave.
Leave a useful margin
One main game with spare time is easier to manage than an evening scheduled without gaps. If it finishes early, add a short familiar game. If it takes longer, that optional extra simply disappears. Nobody needs to rush through a decision because the next box has already been promised.
For an unfamiliar game, setting it up privately beforehand can reveal sorting problems and unclear procedures. It cannot predict your guests’ thinking time, but it can remove avoidable interruptions. Communicate a realistic finishing time and choose a smaller undertaking when the window is tight. A game that fits only through constant reminders to hurry is unlikely to provide the relaxed evening you intended.