The Rules

The Goal

Everyone shares one timeline of songs, laid out in year order. Each round, a new song plays and you bet on where it belongs. You score for the right spot, the artist and the title.

First to 20 points wins. With 6 players, first to 15 wins.

You need a phone, a speaker and a music app.

Setup

1. Lay the two score track cards side by side, with Start on the left.
2. Each player takes a marker card and puts their pawn on Start.
3. Shuffle the song cards and stack them with the QR code side up. This is the song deck.
4. Shuffle the shady cards separately and deal 2 to each player. Keep yours hidden. Nobody draws more during the game.
5. Deal song cards from the deck, one fewer than the number of players. Turn them year side up and lay them in a line in year order. This is the timeline.
6. Decide who goes first. Play moves clockwise.

A Round

The player whose turn it is is the active player. The player on their left is the DJ, and the DJ sits this round out.

1. Draw. The active player takes the top song card and keeps the QR code side up.
2. Scan. The DJ scans the code, puts the phone face-down and starts the song. It plays from the hook until it ends, or until everyone has placed or passed.
3. Place. The active player may call the artist, the title or both. Then they put their marker in any gap in the timeline.
4. Challenge. Going clockwise, each other player passes or challenges. To challenge, you must call an artist or title and put your marker in an open gap. You can't repeat a name someone already called exactly. Only one marker fits in each gap.
5. Flip. Turn the card over, score everyone, slide the card into its place in the timeline, and take back the markers.

Scoring

• The most you can score in a round is 3, unless you play Gag.
• Names only count if your spot is right. A wrong spot scores nothing.
• A challenger who calls a wrong name scores 0 for the round.
• The active player who calls a wrong name only loses that bonus. They still get the spot.
• Move your pawn along the score track when you score.

Example

The timeline is 1978, 1989 and 2011. Duke is the active player and Pinky Promise is the DJ. Pinky scans, and "Believe" starts playing.

1. Duke calls "Cher" and puts his marker between 1989 and 2011.
2. Splash is next. He calls "Believe" and takes the gap before 1978.
3. Sterling passes.
4. They flip the card. It came out in 1998.

Duke gets 1 for the spot and 1 for the artist, so he scores twice. Splash has the wrong spot, so his title doesn't count and he gets nothing. "Believe" slides in between 1989 and 2011.

Shady Cards

You start with 2. You can play 1 per round at most, and the DJ can't play any while sitting out. There are 9 types, and each comes twice with different art.

Blessings help you. Shade hurts someone else. Chaos hits the whole table.

Blessing

Gag

When: before the flip.

Double your points this round.

Blessing

Spill the Tea

When: while the song plays.

The DJ peeks at the card and whispers the song's decade to you only.

Blessing

Mother

When: anytime.

Cancel any shady card as it's played.

Blessing

Two Looks

When: when you place.

Place this card as a second marker on any spot. Score once if either spot is right.

Shade

Read

When: while the song plays.

One player must call both artist and title to score this round.

Shade

Clocked

When: before the flip.

Accuse a player of a wrong spot. If you're right, they lose 1 and you gain 1. If not, you lose 1.

Shade

Muted

When: while the song plays.

One player can't call an artist or title this round.

Shade

Snatched

When: on your turn.

The leader moves back 1 point and you move forward 1. If leaders are tied, you pick one. You can't play it while you're in sole first place.

Chaos

Kiki

When: before challenges.

Players may challenge spots that are already taken.

Winning

The goal is 20 points with 3 to 5 players, or 15 points with 6 players. The score track marks both.

When someone reaches the goal, keep playing until everyone has been the active player the same number of times. Nobody finishes early here. Highest score wins.

Arguments