What was the game that made you stay up until sunrise?

[David]

Most gamers have a story of a game so absorbing that they looked up from the screen and saw daylight creeping through the curtains. One more turn, one more level or one more match turned into an entire night. It is a rite of passage, even if our bodies complain more about it as we get older. I would love to hear your sunrise stories

For me, it was Civilization during my student years. I sat down after dinner planning to play for an hour, and the next thing I knew, birds were singing outside. I had a lecture at nine. I went, but I do not remember a word of it

Strategy games seem to be the worst offenders, with their one more turn design. But online games, RPGs and even puzzle games have claimed many sleepless nights. Some people remember LAN parties that ran through the night, with pizza boxes piling up and friends asleep on the floor. Others remember launch nights for big games, playing until the early hours. Some of those nights are among my favourite gaming memories

These days I set alarms to stop myself, but some games still manage to sneak past them. Football Manager is a dangerous one. So is anything with a good story and short chapters

Which game kept you up until sunrise? Tell us the story, and whether you regretted it the next day