Official CHRONOLOGY Rules

Last Updated on July 15, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

CHRONOLOGY is a party game that tests your knowledge of historical events and your ability to place them in the correct order. This page provides a clear breakdown of the rules, guiding you through the process of building a timeline, debating historical accuracy, and challenging your friends’ knowledge.

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How to Play CHRONOLOGY

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Overview

Players: 2 or more
Ages: 14+
Play Time: ~35 minutes

Goal

Be the first player to build a timeline of 10 correctly ordered event cards by placing historical events in the proper chronological order.

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What’s Included

• 429 double-sided event cards (858 events total)

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Setup

1. Place the box of event cards within reach of all players. Keep the cards inside the box so players can’t see the years printed on them.
2. Each card has two colored sides: yellow and blue. Choose one color to use for the entire game—either is fine, as the colors simply split the events into two different sets.
3. Each player draws one card, reads aloud the event and its year (based on the chosen color), then places it face-up in front of them. This becomes the first card in their personal timeline.

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Gameplay

1. The oldest player begins by drawing an event card from the box (making sure the year remains hidden) and reads the event aloud.
2. The player to their left must guess where the new event fits in their own timeline. At the start, this means before or after their single card. As players build longer timelines, they’ll need to decide whether the event occurred:
   • Before their earliest card
   • After their most recent card
   • Between two existing cards
   Example: If a timeline has events from 1492, 1787, and 1912, the new card could be placed:
   • Before 1492
   • Between 1492 and 1787
   • Between 1787 and 1912
   • After 1912
3. If the player guesses correctly, they add the card face-up to their timeline in the correct spot. Then, they draw the next card, read it aloud, and the process repeats starting with the player to their left.
4. If the guess is incorrect, the card passes clockwise to the next player, who must try to place it in their own timeline. This continues until someone guesses correctly.
5. If no one guesses correctly and the card returns to the original reader, the reader reveals the year and places the card at the back of the box. The player to the left of the reader then draws a new card and continues the game.

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Winning the Game

The first player to correctly place 10 event cards in their timeline wins.

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Special Rule: Matching Years

If a new card shows the same year as one already in your timeline, you must guess whether it goes immediately before or after that card. If guessed correctly, you may place it on either side of the existing card with the same year.

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Chronology is a fantastic game for history buffs and casual players alike. It challenges your knowledge while improving your ability to think critically about historical sequences. The more you play, the better you’ll get at placing events with confidence!