Contents
- 1 Welcome to the World of Chrononauts
- 1.1 What is Chrononauts?
- 1.2 Time and Timelines
- 1.3 The Timeline Card
- 1.4 Winning the Game
- 1.5 Are You Ready to Become a Chrononaut?
- 1.6 What’s in the Game?
- 1.7 Welcome to the Game!
- 1.8 Get to Know Your ID Card
- 1.9 The 13th Paradox
- 1.10 Understand Your Mission
- 1.11 Time Anomalies
- 1.12 Let’s Talk about Memos
- 1.13 Get a Mulligan
- 1.14 End of the Game
Welcome to the World of Chrononauts
What is Chrononauts?
Chrononauts is an exciting game that takes you on a time-traveling adventure. In this game, you get to navigate through different timelines and change history to restore the correct timeline.
So, how does Chrononauts work, you ask?
Time and Timelines
In Chrononauts, time is divided into different timelines. Each timeline represents a specific period in history, such as the American Revolution or World War II. Your goal is to travel between these timelines and manipulate events to create the correct timeline.
Traveling through time can be a bit tricky, though. You see, changing one event in the past can have a ripple effect that alters the entire timeline. So, you’ll need to be careful and make strategic decisions to ensure you’re on the right path.
The Timeline Card
Each timeline is represented by a Timeline Card. This card will provide you with valuable information about the period, including key events and the conditions needed to restore the correct timeline.
When you travel to a timeline, you’ll need to play specific Artifacts and Patch cards to fix historical events. These cards will help you restore the timeline by undoing the changes made by other players or preventing alternate histories from happening.
Winning the Game
The ultimate goal in Chrononauts is to restore the correct timeline. To win the game, you’ll need to complete a specific set of Goals, which are unique to each timeline. These Goals represent key events or conditions that must be fulfilled to restore history to its rightful path.
If you can successfully complete your Goals and restore the correct timeline, you win the game! But be careful, as other players will also be working to disrupt the timeline and achieve their own Goals.
Are You Ready to Become a Chrononaut?
Now that you have a basic understanding of the game, it’s time to dive into the world of Chrononauts. Travel through time, fix historical events, and compete against other players to restore history.
So, are you ready to become a Chrononaut? Grab your time-traveling gear, and let the adventure begin!
Welcome to the world of time travel! As a Time Traveler, you have a special role – you are responsible for fixing paradoxes. And guess what? You also have a unique Identity and a top-secret Mission!
This game is all about cards, but don’t let that fool you. It feels like a board game because the cards make up the TimeLine, a special grid with 32 cards that represent History.
What’s in the Game?
Alright, let me break it down for you. We’ve got a bunch of cards in this game. Here’s what’s included:
– 32 TimeLine cards
– 14 ID cards
– 10 Mission cards
– 19 Artifact cards
– 18 Inverter cards
– 22 Patch cards
– 14 Action cards
– 9 Timewarp cards
– 2 Gadget cards
Now, let’s talk about the setup.
Let’s get started by arranging the 32 TimeLine cards on the table. Lay them out in an 8×4 grid according to the Time Index. You can find the Time Index on the lower left corner of each card. Make sure all the cards are set to True History, which means the Ripplepoints are blue and the Linchpins are purple.
Next, we need to create shuffled draw piles for the other types of cards. Each player will receive a pile:
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I have some exciting information to share with you! Let’s dive into the world of games and explore the fascinating concept of “The Importance of Game Components.” You might be wondering what exactly game components are and why they are so crucial. Well, I’m here to shed some light on that for you.
Game components are the essential elements that make a game unique and enjoyable. They are the building blocks that create the entire gaming experience. When you open a game box, you’ll find a variety of components waiting to be discovered.
Now, let’s take a closer look at three key components that you’re likely to find in most games:
- A Mission Card: This is your guide, providing you with objectives and challenges as you navigate the game.
- An Identity Card: This card gives you a unique identity within the game, allowing you to take on different roles or characters.
- Cards from the main deck: These cards add excitement and unpredictability to the game. They can introduce new possibilities or obstacles that players must navigate.
Imagine playing a game without these crucial components. It wouldn’t be the same! These components define the rules, roles, and challenges, making each game a unique experience.
So, whether you’re a seasoned gamer or just starting out, remember the significance of game components. They may seem like simple objects, but they hold immense power in shaping our gaming experiences. The next time you play a game, take a moment to appreciate the thought and effort put into these components.
Now that you understand the importance of game components, I’m sure you’re even more excited to start your next gaming adventure. Have fun exploring new worlds, taking on different roles, and embracing the challenges that await you!
Welcome to the Game!
Guess what? We’re about to start a super fun game. But first, we need to decide who goes first. How do we do that? Well, we’ll all try to guess the current time. Whoever gets closest gets to kick off the game. Exciting, right?
Now that we have our starting player, let me tell you how the game works:
- Draw 1: To start your turn, take the top card from the main deck and add it to your hand.
- Play 1: Next, you get to choose any card from your hand. You have two options: you can play it or discard it. If you can’t or don’t want to play any of your cards, you have to discard one.
If you decide to discard a card instead of playing it, here’s a cool option for you: you can choose to discard a second card and then draw a new one to replace it. This is called Killing Time. Pretty neat, huh?
Get to Know Your ID Card
When you have your ID card, you’ll have all the information you need about your character. The bottom part is just for information, but the top part shows the 3 events that define your home reality.
One of these events is always a real event, while the other two are alternate realities that are described on Patches. To win and get back home, you need to change the Timeline so that all 3 of these years match.
Note: Paradoxes are like roadblocks. You can only win if all 3 of your headlines are on the Timeline.
The 13th Paradox
It’s really important to understand that Paradoxes are really bad. I mean, really, really bad. Each one is like a dangerous hole in space and time and it needs to be fixed.
If there are too many open at the same time, they will start a chain reaction that destroys the fabric of history and the whole universe. And that’s definitely “bad” in a big way!
When there are 13 Paradoxes showing at the same time, the collapse will happen immediately. If this ever occurs, the game will come to an end, and all players will lose.
Since repairing Paradoxes is crucial, the Time Repair Agency rewards everyone for completing this task. As a result, you will draw an extra card every time you fix a Paradox.
Understand Your Mission
In order to win with your Mission, you must have the items listed on the table right in front of you. It’s not enough to just have them in your hand, so be sure to play them before revealing your secret Mission. Keep in mind that some Missions require any 3 items from a list of 4 Artifacts.
Time Anomalies
The TimeLine has two spots where time travelers can encounter significant trouble:
1945: The Nexus
In 1945, something extraordinary happened. There were three distinct Linchpins that had a profound impact on this year, making it truly exceptional. Unlike other years that rely on just one or two factors, 1945 stood out because it could be paradoxed by any of these three Linchpins.
But that’s not all. 1945 also had another remarkable quality to it. You see, while most years have only one patch that can fix them, 1945 had four different patches that could mend its complexities. Talk about being unique!
Now, here’s where it gets even more interesting. The alternate versions of 1945, which we refer to as Unstable Patches, come with a little twist. These patches might not fit perfectly and can easily be nullified if not paired with the closure of the Paradox.
So, if you’re planning to play with a 1945 Patch, you need to exercise caution and pay close attention to the icons listed under “Playable If.” They will guide you and ensure that the Patch you choose won’t be immediately rendered useless.
The Uberparadox of 1962
When it comes to World War 3, things get really complicated. We call it the UberParadox because it creates a special situation. Once the 1962′ Patch is activated on the TimeLine, everything that happened after that becomes off-limits. It’s like a door that’s locked and we don’t have the key to open it. We can catch a glimpse of the future, but only from the perspective of a super-evolved cockroach.
To make it clear, the TimeLine cards that come after 1962 need to be placed lower on the table. This way, we can visually understand that they’re out of reach.
If all three years listed on your ID are from before 1962, there’s still hope for you to win. You can go back home to your reality. But if your home reality relies on events that occurred after 1962, you’re stuck. Unless you’re Squa Trant, of course. Oh, and you can’t collect any Artifacts from the future during an UberParadox.
Pro-tip: The UberParadox only happens when the 1962′ Patch is being used.
Let’s Talk about Memos
During my turn, I can play my cards, but there’s one exception. I have this special card called the Memo From Your Future Self, which I can play at any time to cancel someone else’s card.
It’s important to note that playing a Memo doesn’t change whose turn it is. It simply cancels and discards the card the other person played.
Always be on time
Memos don’t work retroactively
Memos can’t stop someone from winning
Get a Mulligan
If I get a character card that I’ve already played, or someone I’ve gotten too many times, or just someone I don’t really like, I can have a do-over. But no complaining the second time!
End of the Game
To win the game, I just need to accomplish ONE of the following goals:
There are three different ways to win:
Going Home: Here’s the deal – you win if you can make it back to the alternate reality stated on your ID card. It’s like solving a puzzle. To achieve this, you’ll need to make sure that the 3 key events happen exactly as they are shown on your ID card, by the time your turn is over.
Completing Your Mission: Your goal is to complete your Mission card by gathering the three listed Artifacts. To win, you need to have these Artifacts right in front of you by the end of your turn.
Achieving Power and Success: Here’s another way to win – if, after your turn, you find yourself holding onto 10 cards (excluding your ID card and Mission card), congratulations, you’re a winner!
Note: Remember, you can only declare victory once your turn is completely finished.
Timeline Examples
Hey there! Let me show you a cool TimeLine setup that consists of three Linchpins and three Ripplepoints. It’s like a story unfolding!
So, in the beginning, all TimeLine are set to true history. Everything starts from there.
Now, check this out: all three Ripplepoints depend on this important Linchpin 
. That means this linchpin holds it all together. Exciting, right?
But wait, there’s more! Year 5 also relies on another event, known as Linchpin 
. And guess what? Year 6 is linked to a different Linchpin called 
. Isn’t it fascinating how everything connects?
Now, here’s something really interesting: Year 5 has an OR element, while Year 6 has an AND element. It’s like a puzzle coming together!
Hey! Take a look at this section of TimeLine after someone messed with history at Year 1 using an Inverter card. See that Linchpin card? It’s been turned over to show the alternate outcome for that event.
Because of this change, the Year 2 and Year 5 cards have also been flipped. They depend on Linchpin. However, Year 6 is still unflipped because it has an AND dependency with another card that hasn’t been inverted yet. Some players like to place it askew to acknowledge the partial paradox.
Let me show you an updated version of the TimeLine game. We’ve made some progress. Two Patch cards were used to fix the Paradoxes at Years 2 and 5. Check out Linchpin – it’s been turned upside down, which means Year 6 is now completely messed up.
You’ll notice that the Patch cards are just placed on top of the Paradox cards. We don’t remove the regular TimeLine cards from the table; we just flip them from one side to the other and back again.
Hey there! Let’s take another look at the TimeLine, but with a few new twists. See how Linchpin has changed again? It’s gone back to the purple side. And because of that, Year 2 has reverted, which means the Year 2 patch got discarded and the Ripplepoint underneath turned blue again.
Oh, and check out Year 5! Even though Linchpin is now black, the Year 5 Patch is still hanging in there. That’s because Linchpin has also been flipped. And lastly, take a look at Year 6. It’s halfway paradoxed again, all because of Linchpin.
Take a look at this image to see what I mean.
Now, let’s talk about Expansion Sets.
If you’re looking for more fun with time travel, check out these other Chrononauts products:
Early American Chrononauts
It’s a complete game on its own, covering a timeline from 1770 to 1904! Will the South win the Civil War? You can even mix it with Chrononauts to make it extra exciting – we call it UberChrononauts!
Lost Identities
Ready for new characters? This pack includes 13 new ID cards and a fresh mission. Crazy Joe is in there too!
The Gore Years
Ever wondered what if Al Gore had won the 2000 election? Explore the 21st century timeline with these 11 new cards!