Timelancers

Party Tails · Board game · 2025
— Ludopedia 7.2 BGG 1–4 · best 1, 4 Solo 45–70 min Weight 2.8/5
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— rating Ludopedia
7.2 rating BGG
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.

Rules videos

Learn by watching before you open the box

5 videos

Best player count

BGG community vote

1–4 players
1 BEST
2 REC
3 REC
4 BEST

Soundtrack

Ambience suggested by Melodice

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Game details

Mechanics, categories, families and credits

Categories

Families

Crowdfunding: Kickstarter Players: Games with Solitaire Rules Theme: Time Travel
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

5 questions
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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