Ever wonder if you know when the microwave was invented or when sliced bread made its grand debut? Hold onto your hats, because this is my review of Times, the board game that puts your sense of history to the test. I’ve played this with my friends—some who think they’re historians, some who just guess wildly—and I’m here to give you the honest scoop. From nail-biting wins to laugh-out-loud fails, here’s what you can really expect if you bring this one to the table.
How It Plays
Setting up
Shuffle the event cards well and place them in a pile. Give each player a set of colored markers. Put the timeline board in the middle, making sure everyone can reach it. Draw a starting card and place it on the board—this is your first point in time!
Gameplay
On your turn, draw a card and try to put it in the correct spot on the timeline. If you think the event happened before what’s on the board, slide it to the left, or to the right if it happened after. The other players then check if you got it right by turning over the card and comparing the year. If you’re wrong, you lose one of your markers.
Winning the game
The last player with any markers left wins the game. So, guess wisely! If you run out of markers, you’re out and get to watch everyone else panic over dates. Trust me, it’s more fun than it sounds!
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Times.
Easy Peasy: Setting Up and Playing Times Without Losing Your Mind
Let’s talk about setting up Times. I’ll admit, my first try ended in me sitting under a pile of cards and board tiles, but hey, I’m nothing if not dedicated. Thankfully, Times keeps it simple-ish. The box comes with a chunky board, a stack of cards (more than socks in my laundry), and a few outrageously tiny tokens you will immediately lose if you play near a cat.
First, put the board on the table. Not on your lap, not on your dog—trust me, stability is key. Everyone picks a color and grabs their matching player tokens. Shuffle the Times event cards and put the deck in reach of the tallest player. That’s the rule I made up, but it keeps the game moving. Deal each player their starting set of cards. No peeking—this isn’t poker, Steve.
Now, pick who goes first. Times suggests the player who most recently forgot an anniversary, birthday, or—you guessed it—a significant time. Sometimes we just roll a die if that’s too close to home. On your turn, play a card by placing it in your timeline. Guess right where it belongs and you’re golden. Mess it up, and the group gets to correct you. It’s never fun being called out, unless you like heckling your friends.
Times is the kind of game where teaching the rules takes less time than explaining why your cat ate a token. Up next, I’ll tell you if you actually need brains or if you’re at the mercy of Lady Luck.
How Much Skill vs. Luck Does Times Really Need?
Alright, let’s talk about the heart of any board game: how much of your win comes from being a genius… and how much comes from sheer dumb luck. In Times, you’re constantly trying to outsmart the other players by putting events in the right order. It sounds easy, but sometimes the brain fog sets in and you swear the Apollo moon landing happened just last Thursday. I’ve played Times with friends who know more about history than Wikipedia, and I’ve played it with people who think the 1800s are a new Netflix show. Here’s the thing: both groups have a real shot at winning, which tells you a lot.
If you know your trivia and can make some clever guesses, you’ll crush it more often than not. That being said, the shuffling of the deck in Times means you can easily get stuck with stuff you just don’t know—like “when was the pencil invented?” or “the year cheese met bread and made a sandwich.” Sometimes you’re forced to just shrug and toss a card onto the timeline, hoping nobody notices you’re guessing. I’ve lost games of Times to a friend who thought Plato was a type of cheese. Sometimes, the luck of getting cards you know (or avoiding cards you don’t) absolutely swings the game. But at least when you guess right, you feel like the king or queen of history for a few minutes!
Let’s just say, Times likes to keep things spicy with a mix of good memory, random chance, and the occasional inspired guess. So don’t expect pure skill or a perfect record. Next up, I’ll tell you how well the game holds up with different groups—trust me, this one’s a wild ride!
How Does Times Hold Up With Different Groups?
If you love playing the same game with everyone from your grandma to your loudest friend, Times is a great pick. I’ve lugged my copy to so many gatherings, it’s now got more stamps on its box than my old passport. Every group brings a different energy to the table. My family likes to play safe, making careful guesses and debating dates until dessert gets cold. But when I played with my friends from college, suddenly it was a race to slap cards down, with lots of wild guesses and some reckless confidence. Honestly, both games were hilarious—just in different ways.
One thing I love about Times is how easy it is to explain. Even the least game-savvy players catch on after the first round. The trivia also sparks a lot of stories from folks who remember when certain events happened. My uncle once went on a 10-minute rant about disco, inspired by a single card. So, expect a mix of history, laughs, and maybe a few tall tales each time you play.
Replay value stays high because the cards shuffle up, so you never know what’s coming next. And since different groups have different strengths (my friend Emma can date inventions but forgets wars ever happened), nobody dominates for long. Sure, the game’s a bit more fun with players who know a thing or two about history, but guessing is half the fun, and even the most clueless player can win with a lucky streak.
But are the pieces up to all this action? Stick around—next, I’ll spill the beans on the quality of the game components, flashy box and all!
How Good Are the Times Game Pieces, Really?
Let’s talk about what comes in the Times box, because sometimes a game looks tempting on the shelf and then, surprise, it’s flimsier than my willpower at a dessert buffet. Not so with Times. The cards feel sturdy—somewhere between playing cards and those fancy business cards you save but never actually use. Don’t go eating pizza and grabbing them, but they’ll survive plenty of shuffles and the odd dramatic card slam (I speak from experience!).
The board itself folds out with a satisfying snap. No weird, cheap creases or bits flaking off (yes, looking at you, certain games from my past). The print is clear, so even my friend Neil, who always forgets his glasses, managed to play along without squinting like he was decoding ancient script. I do wish the colors on the board popped a bit more. They aren’t ugly, just maybe a notch above ‘office beige.’ Still, no one mixed up the pieces, so I guess the practicality wins!
Speaking of pieces—the little player tokens are chunky and easy to grip. That’s important when you have sausage-fingered friends or spicy Cheetos residue threatening their dignity. Nothing feels cheap or oddly textured. The box insert is actually useful, which might be the most shocking twist. The cards, board, and tokens all slot in nicely, so cleanup doesn’t turn into a jigsaw puzzle from purgatory.
Would I recommend Times based on component quality? Yes! It’s not luxury, but it’s absolutely sturdy, clear, and built for gameplay, not disappointment. Full marks for the basics being done right!
Conclusion
Times is a blast if you love shouting out wild guesses and feeling way smarter than you actually are. It gets the group laughing, and the simple rules mean you spend more time playing than reading the rulebook (a big win in my book). The component quality is solid, replay value stays high with new folks, and you always learn something—even if it’s just your terrible sense of time. Luck does sneak in now and then, but there’s enough skill for the trivia fans in your group. If you want a clever, quick game to break the ice or end the night, Times fits the bill. That wraps up my review—now go impress your friends with your very average knowledge of history!
