If you ever wanted a board game that’s as easy to pick up as pizza on a Friday night, you’re in the right place. Welcome to my review of Times, the game that made my friends laugh, groan, and desperately try to prove they’re smarter than my six-year-old niece. We played, we laughed, and yes, we argued about the rules for at least a minute. But don’t worry—I’ve spelled it all out for you right here, from how it plays to whether you’ll feel clever or just lucky. Let’s get this show on the road!
How It Plays
Setting up
Open the Times box and hand out the answer cards to each player. Place the timer in the center. Give each player a pen and paper. Shuffle the topic deck and put it face down nearby. That’s it—you’re ready to go. Yes, even my friend Dave did this with no help.
Gameplay
On your turn, draw a topic card and read it out loud (something like “Cities that start with B”). Flip the timer. Everyone then scribbles down as many answers as they can before time runs out. When the sand’s done, players reveal answers. Any duplicate? Too bad—cross it off. Only unique answers count for points. Expect heated debates about whether “Birmingham” is a city or a lifestyle.
Winning the game
After a set number of rounds (or whenever someone yells “last round!”), everyone adds up their points. The player with the most points wins, and gets to gloat until the next game. Losers must come up with a better city starting with B.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Times.
Easy Rules, Fast Fun: The Gameplay of Times
Alright, let’s get cracking with the gameplay and rules of Times. When I first opened the box, I honestly expected a sea of rulebooks with tiny fonts. Instead, the rule sheet is so short that my friend Dave actually thought it was missing pages. Spoiler: It wasn’t. We read the rules in about three minutes and started playing right away. No one had to watch a 40-minute tutorial on YouTube (I’m looking at you, Ark Nova!).
The aim in Times is simple. You’ve got a set of cards, each with fun events, inventions, or famous moments, and you need to put them in order on the timeline. It’s like showing off at trivia night without the risk of embarrassing yourself in front of strangers. On your turn, you draw a card and guess where it slots in. If you’re right, you keep it. Wrong, and it goes to the discard pile. It’s honestly as easy as pie, and trust me, I’m better at eating pie than playing most board games.
There are a few little twists, like the special ‘challenge’ rounds, but nothing in Times ever feels overwhelming or fiddly. If your group hates games with a million setup steps or rules that sound like they’re written in Latin, Times will be a breath of fresh air. It’s accessible for newbies but still fun for seasoned board gamers, and the action moves along with no slog.
Next up: Can Times bring out your competitive streak, or is it just a polite affair? Wait until you see how my grandma acted last game night…
Player Showdowns: Trading Wits and Giggles in Times
If you want a game where everyone’s just doing their own thing, Times is not for you. This game pushes players to actually, you know, talk to each other. In my group, we’re a bunch of chatterboxes, so it got rowdy real quick. The way you have to bluff, guess, and sometimes outsmart your buddy who thinks they’re a genius? Beautiful chaos.
The competition in Times is more than just keeping score. You feel the tension when it’s your turn. Your niece is staring at you, trying to read your poker face, while Uncle Joe is frantically scribbling like he’s taking a pop quiz. We all laughed a lot, but also got a bit too serious for comfort. There is a real sense of “I know you know what I know”—and that gets spicy fast.
The best part? No player sits out. Even when it’s not your turn, you’re right there, sweating and judging. Dead time is almost non-existent. Some games reward sitting quietly, but not Times. If you snooze, you lose. Sometimes we even started fake alliances—like Survivor, but without the bugs.
There are moments when a bad guess feels unfair, but hey, that’s what trash talk is for. Overall, it’s interactive and social, but not too cutthroat for family night. Next up, I’ll talk about how long a round of Times actually takes and whether you’ll need a snack break in-between—get your popcorn ready!
How Long Does a Game of Times Actually Take? Pacing, Finish, and Fidgeting
I’ve got to admit, my game group hates waiting. If a board game drags past the second bag of chips, everyone starts eyeing their phones and making those subtle, “how much longer?” groans. Luckily, Times doesn’t make you sit through epic quests or eternities of downtime. Most games clocked in at 25 to 35 minutes. That’s the sweet spot for my attention span, or anyone else who can’t commit to a full Lord of the Rings trilogy at the kitchen table.
Pacing is steady and feels quick, but not rushed. Turns are snappy—there’s no time to plan a secret moon landing while you wait for it to be your turn. Everyone is moving things along, usually with a mix of excitement, banter, and a little bit of trash talk. Times is friendly to both slow thinkers and quick decision-makers. No one gets left behind, even my friend Ben who famously takes five minutes just to decide on a sandwich.
We finished about five games of Times in one evening and never once felt burned out or bored. The final rounds ramp up the tension, and before you know it, someone is snatching victory just seconds before you. There’s even room for a rematch or two (or three, if you’re as stubborn as me and my cousin Greg, who has sworn revenge at least twice now).
Next, let’s face the classic showdown: Is Times a masterclass in skill, or just a festival of luck? Grab your dice and rabbit feet—luck versus skill is up next!
Luck vs Skill in Times: Who’s Actually Winning?
Let’s talk turkey: does Times reward clever thinking, or does it hand out victory like scratch-off tickets at a gas station? After several rounds (and a few bruised egos—looking at you, Dave), I can say Times balances luck and skill about as well as I balance my checkbook: pretty lopsided.
Here’s the thing: Times makes you think fast, sure. You have to shout out answers on the spot. But sometimes, no matter how many trivia nights you’ve attended or how big your brain is, the topic is just something like “brands of toothpaste” and you draw a total blank while someone else rattles off five in a row. It feels less like chess, more like panic Pictionary.
Luck slithers in whenever the topic deck pops up something from deep space, like “famous Norwegian jazz musicians.” At my table, that leads to blank stares and wild guesses. I saw someone win a round by blurting out ‘Elvis’ three times and convincing us he played a mean saxophone. (Lisa, you’re a menace.)
But the real skill is not just having a giant trivia brain, but thinking under pressure. Some folks get tongue-tied; others thrive. Still, if you want a game where brains always win, Times might leave you with a weird taste in your mouth—like toothpaste, now that I think of it.
If you like some chaos in your games and don’t cry when luck trips you up, Times is a hoot. If you crave pure skill… maybe keep looking.
Conclusion
Alright, that wraps up my review of Times! If you like games that are easy to learn, fast to play, and packed with player shenanigans, Times is a blast. Sure, luck pokes its head in a little more than I’d like (my friend Dave still brags about his lucky win), but it’s great for parties or warming up game night. If you want pure strategy, maybe look elsewhere, but for most, Times is a fun, simple pick that gets everyone laughing. Just don’t let Dave win twice in a row, trust me.
