Our Verdict
RECOMMENDED
If you love sci‑fi and enjoy worker‑placement tactics, Timelancers offers a fun race through history.
Highlights
- Modular board keeps it fresh
- Open drafting is transparent
- Solid solo mode
Keep in mind
- Low complexity may feel simple
- Player interaction can be limited
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About the game
What you do in a play session
In Timelancers, the 22nd century has mastered time travel, and warring political factions hire freelance chrononauts—timelancers—to rewrite the past and reshape the future. Each player becomes one of these temporal agents, starting in Janusburg, a futuristic city where resources such as energy, data and tech components are gathered. Once stocked, you fire up your time machine to visit different historical eras, capturing real events that award victory points. The modular board depicts Janusburg and reshuffles each game, creating fresh routes for resource gathering and action spaces. Actions are resolved via worker placement: timelancers place their agents on resource sites, time‑travel nodes, or event‑revision areas. Meanwhile, open drafting lets everyone see the same event cards and decide which to chase, sparking direct competition. The goal is to be the first to complete your set of historical events and rack up the most points. The game supports 1‑4 players, with a solid solo mode that simulates the other timelancers' interference. With 45‑70 minute playtime and a light weight (2.8), Timelancers blends worker placement strategy, set collection, and the thrill of manipulating the timeline, all wrapped in colorful components and illustrated cards that bring iconic moments of history to life. Perfect for fans of sci‑fi, draft mechanics, and games that marry theme and tactics without overwhelming complexity.
Gallery
Box and component photos
Tap any photo to open fullscreen. Photos submitted by the community or publisher.
Rules videos
Learn by watching before you open the box
Best player count
BGG community vote
1
BEST
2
REC
3
REC
4
BEST
Soundtrack
Ambience suggested by Melodice
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Mechanics, categories, families and credits
Mechanics
Categories
Families
Publisher
Party Tails
Designer
Juliana Chang, Kenny Heidt, Lee Ho, Teresa Ho
Artist
Harry Bui, T. Sterling Little
Community
Data from BoardGameGeek
303owners
107wishlist
16want to play
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy
How many players can play?
1 to 4 players, with a dedicated solo mode.
What is the playing time?
Typically 45–70 minutes, depending on player count.
How complex is the game?
It’s rated light, with a BGG weight of 2.8/5.
What components are included?
A modular board, illustrated historical event cards, and colorful worker tokens.
Can newcomers to sci‑fi enjoy it?
Absolutely; the rules are straightforward and the theme is clearly presented on the cards.
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