Timeline

Officially Timeline (card game series)

SIMPLE + BRILLIANT HISTORY TRIVIA CARD GAME by FRÉDÉRIC HENRY + published by ASMODEE + BOMBYX (France, 2010). Each card has an EVENT/INVENTION/DISCOVERY on one side (with picture + name) + the YEAR IT HAPPENED on the reverse. Players place cards in chronological order on the shared TIMELINE without seeing the year first. Guess wrong → discard. First to empty hand wins. 15+ THEMED SETS (Inventions, Historical Events, Discoveries, Music & Cinema, Diversity, Star Wars, Titanic, Dinosaurs, Sports, Africa, etc.). MIX + MATCH sets. FAMILY-FRIENDLY 15-min games. 5M+ COPIES sold across all editions.

📐Small tabletop⏱~15 min🌤indoor

What is Timeline?

TIMELINE is a SIMPLE + BRILLIANT HISTORY TRIVIA CARD GAME designed by FRÉDÉRIC HENRY + published by ASMODEE (France, 2010) — originally under BOMBYX imprint. Each of ~110 CARDS per set has an EVENT/INVENTION/DISCOVERY on ONE SIDE (with picture + short name/description) + the YEAR IT HAPPENED on the REVERSE SIDE. Players are dealt 4-6 cards face-up (event side); a card is placed face-up on the table (both sides revealed) as SEED. On your turn: play 1 card from your hand into the TIMELINE — place it BEFORE, AFTER, or BETWEEN existing cards in what you think is chronological order. Flip your card to reveal year: if CORRECT → card stays; if WRONG → discard, and draw new. First to EMPTY HAND wins. Beautiful simplicity + educational (learn history via play). 15+ THEMED SETS: TIMELINE CLASSIC (mixed events), TIMELINE INVENTIONS (technology), TIMELINE HISTORICAL EVENTS (major world events), TIMELINE DISCOVERIES (scientific + cultural), TIMELINE MUSIC & CINEMA (pop culture), TIMELINE DIVERSITY (broadest events), TIMELINE STAR WARS (fictional universe timeline), TIMELINE TITANIC (specific event), TIMELINE DINOSAURS + PREHISTORY, TIMELINE SPORTS, TIMELINE AFRICA, TIMELINE AMERICAN HISTORY, TIMELINE FRENCH HISTORY (regional), plus TIMELINE TWIST (2020 variant with modifier cards), TIMELINE CHALLENGE (2016 party variant). SETS ARE MIX + MATCH — combine multiple sets for expanded card pool. FAMILY-FRIENDLY 15-min games. Perfect for 2-8 players + any age (kids learn history; adults enjoy trivia). 5M+ copies sold across all editions worldwide.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Be first player to correctly place all your cards into the shared chronological timeline.

Rules

Basic rules

Deal each player 4-6 cards face-up (event side)
See event, not year.
1 seed card placed face-up on table with both sides visible
Starting timeline anchor.
On your turn: place 1 card from hand into timeline (before/after/between existing cards)
Guess chronological order.
Flip your card: if year is correctly placed → stays; if wrong → discard + draw new
Correct guessing eliminates card.
First to empty hand wins
Race to knowledge + luck.

Scoring

First to empty hand wins.

Action	Points
Card correctly placed in timeline	Card stays; one less in hand
Card wrongly placed	Discard; draw replacement
Empty hand	Win game

Win condition · First player to correctly place all cards.

Playing area

Called

Small tabletop

Dimensions

Small tabletop or coffee table (~40cm × 50cm)

Home tabletop or portable; small tin holds cards.

Equipment

Timeline Classic ($15 USD)
Base game; 110 cards in metal tin
Timeline Inventions / Discoveries / Historical Events / Diversity ($15 each)
Themed sets; combine with base
Timeline Star Wars / Dinosaurs / Titanic ($15 each)
Themed sets
Timeline Challenge / Twist ($20-30)
Party + variant versions

Strategies

Place cards where certainty is highest
Save uncertain cards for later when timeline has more anchor points.
Watch other players' successful placements
Learn dates you didn't know.
Combine multiple sets for richer variety
Prevents repetition.

Terminology

Card: Event/invention/discovery + year (reverse).
Timeline: Shared chronological arrangement.
Seed card: Starting anchor card, both sides visible.
Placement: Player action; place hand card into timeline.
Themed set: Cards on specific topic (Inventions, Historical, etc.).
Mix + match: Combine multiple sets in same game.

Major competitions

Casual + family game; no formal competitions
N/A · worldwide · since 2010

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Asmodee (publisher)
Founded 1995 · Paris, France
Bombyx (Asmodee imprint)
Founded 2010 · France

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Frédéric Henry (FR) — Designer

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Buy Timeline Classic ($15)
Simple entry.
2
Play with family/friends 15-min sessions
Casual play.

intermediate

1
Add themed sets you enjoy
Mix Inventions + Historical + Discoveries.

advanced

1
Combine 3-4 sets for full 200+ card pool
Extended variety.

Frequently asked

What is Timeline?+

SIMPLE + BRILLIANT HISTORY TRIVIA CARD GAME by FRÉDÉRIC HENRY + published by ASMODEE + BOMBYX (France, 2010). Each card has an EVENT/INVENTION/DISCOVERY on one side + the YEAR on the reverse. Players place cards in chronological order on the shared TIMELINE without seeing the year first. Guess wrong → discard. First to empty hand wins. 15+ THEMED SETS (Inventions, Historical Events, Discoveries, Music & Cinema, Diversity, Star Wars, Titanic, Dinosaurs, Sports, etc.). MIX + MATCH sets. FAMILY-FRIENDLY 15-min games. 5M+ COPIES sold across all editions.

Timeline vs Cardline — same publisher, different themes?+

SAME MECHANIC, DIFFERENT NUMERICAL DIMENSIONS. Timeline uses CHRONOLOGICAL YEAR. Cardline uses NUMERICAL VALUES (Cardline Critters = animal facts like weight/size; Cardline Globe = geographical distances; Cardline Numbers = various numerical trivia). Both by Bombyx/Asmodee, same simple placement mechanic, family-friendly, 15-min games, small tin. RECOMMENDATION: Timeline for history + culture lovers; Cardline for animal + geography + math lovers. Both are excellent gateway trivia games; either or both work great.

Sources & provenance

Asmodee — Timeline— Asmodee
BoardGameGeek — Timeline— BoardGameGeek

Last verified 2026-08-27.verified