Can the length of a game be shortened by having fewer players?

by MELVYN T. STEVENS
(NEW YORK)

Can a game be shortened by reducing the number of players? I'm looking for a 8 player game lasting two hours.

My response:

Yes - if you have a game for 8-10 guests (say Death on the Gambia) but only run it with 8, then it will usually be shorter than if you run it with the full 10.

With most of the interactive games, you can speed things up and slow them down to suit your timetable (within limits).

Death on the Gambia, for example, could easily be done in two hours of playing game - but that excludes any meeting and greeting, reading character sheets and any winding down afterwards.