Strategispillet varer lenge.

Because Norwegian normally writes compound nouns as a single word.

• strategi = strategy
• spill = game

So strategispill means strategy game as one compound noun, not two separate words.

This is very common in Norwegian. English often uses two words where Norwegian uses one:

• strategy game → strategispill
• school bus → skolebuss
• summer holiday → sommerferie

The ending -et marks the noun as definite singular.

The base noun is:

• et strategispill = a strategy game

The definite form is:

• strategispillet = the strategy game

This happens because the head noun is spill, which is a neuter noun:

• et spill = a game
• spillet = the game

In compounds, the last part usually decides the gender, so:

• et strategispill
• strategispillet

In Norwegian, the definite article is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it.

So instead of:

• the strategy game

Norwegian commonly says:

• strategispillet

That -et already contains the idea of the.

A separate determiner can appear in some other structures, especially with adjectives:

• det lange strategispillet = the long strategy game

But in your sentence, strategispillet by itself is completely normal.

Varer is the present tense of the verb å vare, which means to last or to continue for a certain amount of time.

Some useful forms:

• å vare = to last
• varer = lasts / last
• varte = lasted
• har vart = has/have lasted

So in this sentence, varer is the verb.

Yes, varer can also be a noun in plural:

• en vare = an item / a product
• varer = goods / products

But in Strategispillet varer lenge, varer is clearly a verb, not a noun.

You can tell from the sentence structure:

• Strategispillet = subject
• varer = verb
• lenge = adverb

So here it means lasts, not goods.

Because lenge is the adverb used for duration of time.

• lang is an adjective: it describes a noun
  
  • en lang kamp = a long match
• lenge is an adverb: it modifies a verb
  
  • kampen varer lenge = the match lasts a long time

So in your sentence, lenge describes how long the action lasts, which is why it is the correct choice.

English speakers often want to connect long directly to lang, but Norwegian splits this idea differently depending on grammar.

Usually no, not with the same meaning.

• Strategispillet varer lenge means the game takes a long time to play.
• Strategispillet er langt would sound more like the game is long as an object or in structure, and it is not the natural way to talk about duration.

For duration, Norwegian strongly prefers vare + lenge.

So if you mean it lasts a long time, use:

• Strategispillet varer lenge

Because Norwegian main clauses usually follow the V2 rule: the finite verb comes in the second position.

In your sentence:

1. Strategispillet = first element
2. varer = finite verb
3. lenge = rest of the sentence

So the structure is perfectly normal:

• Strategispillet varer lenge

If you move something else to the front, the verb still stays second:

• I dag varer strategispillet lenge.

This verb-second pattern is one of the most important word-order rules in Norwegian.

No. Norwegian verbs do not change for person or number in the present tense.

So varer stays the same with all subjects:

• jeg varer (though this verb is not often used with I in everyday contexts)
• du varer
• han varer
• vi varer
• de varer

More natural examples with this verb would be:

• Filmen varer lenge.
• Møtet varer lenge.
• Spillet varer lenge.

This is much simpler than English, because you do not need a special -s form for he/she/it.

Yes. That changes the sentence from definite to indefinite.

• Strategispillet varer lenge = the strategy game lasts a long time
• Et strategispill varer lenge = a strategy game lasts a long time

The second version can also sound more general, depending on context, as if you are talking about strategy games as a type.

So both are grammatically correct, but they do not mean exactly the same thing.

Most naturally, Strategispillet varer lenge sounds like it refers to a specific strategy game already known in the conversation.

If you want a more general statement, Norwegian often prefers:

• Strategispill varer lenge. = Strategy games last a long time. or
• Et strategispill varer lenge. = A strategy game lasts a long time.

So the definite form strategispillet usually points to something specific rather than the whole category.

For strategispill, the indefinite plural is usually the same as the singular:

• et strategispill = a strategy game
• strategispill = strategy games
• strategispillene = the strategy games

Examples:

• Strategispill varer lenge.
• Strategispillene varer lenge.

This happens because spill is one of those neuter nouns whose indefinite singular and plural often look the same.

A rough guide for an English speaker would be something like:

• strategispillet ≈ stra-te-GEE-spill-eh
• varer ≈ VAH-rer
• lenge ≈ LENG-eh

A few important notes:

• The r is Norwegian, not English.
• The g in lenge is pronounced.
• The final -et in spillet is a clear ending, not silent.

If you want to sound natural, it is usually better to learn the whole rhythm of the sentence rather than each word in isolation:

• Strategispillet varer lenge.

They are similar, but not always identical.

• å vare focuses on how long something lasts
• å ta lang tid focuses on how much time something takes

In many cases, both can work:

• Spillet varer lenge.
• Spillet tar lang tid.

But vare is especially natural for events, films, meetings, games, concerts, and anything that continues over time.

So in your sentence, varer lenge is a very natural choice.