I was given Arkham Horror for my birthday yesterday and I'm hosting a game night tonight. I love Lovecraftian mythos stuff and I've wanted the game for a long time and just never picked it up. I have Elder Sign and really enjoy it.

My worry is the game time. I tend to play with at least a couple casual boardgamers and/or start late since I have young kids. Is the 2-4 hour time realistic? Is it fun solo or with two players?

The other choice I can exchange it for is Dead of Winter. I am not thrilled about the zombie theme, but not exactly turned off by it either. I don't have any zombie games and if it is best of breed I wouldn't mind adding it to my collection. I like the stated game time of 100 min. and it seems to be popular here and on BGG. I figure that it is a theme that the newbies I often play with could wrap their heads around quickly and get excited about. I wonder how the rules complexity compares with Arkham Horror, too since that makes a difference in explain time. I also wonder how it plays with 2 players.

So, which way should I go?