- BGG rank
- BGG #8,857
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Camden
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2002
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,570
- BGG rating
- 5.8
TimeLine
2003
Rules assistance for TimeLine
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 10 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for TimeLine
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
TimeLine is a board game released in 2003 for 2–5 players, 10 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by James Ernest and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Pattern Building, and Commodity Speculation.
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About the game
TimeLine is part of the Hip Pocket Games series and includes a deck of 48 cards. Additionally, players will need a pawn and a common supply of about 30 markers in each of four different colors. The cards form a timeline, allowing players to move back and forth through history to find cheap commodities and then sell for profit. Of course, all this time travel will shift the timeline, and thus the market for each of the four commodities. The cards have four pathways from the left to right sides, which cross over each other. They also have a waypoint representing one of the commodities (sheep, neckties, Picassos ... just suggestions from the designer, as they are all pretty abstract!) that can be picked up cheaply at that point in time. The object is to score 21 points by picking up commodities and selling them at points in the timeline where they are worth obscene amounts of money. However, picking up a commodity changes the timeline in subtle ways: in the game, it means moving a card up or down by a slight amount, which disconnects its current pathways and connects them to new pathways.
Designers
Publishers
- Cheapass Games
Questions and answers
TimeLine supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for TimeLine is 10 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists TimeLine for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
TimeLine has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
TimeLine belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Pattern Building, and Commodity Speculation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of TimeLine are: James Ernest. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists TimeLine as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.