Let's be honest—most time travel board games promise wild paradoxes, ripple effects, and mind-bending missions… and then end up being "roll the dice and hope something cool happens."
But the best time travel games? They don't just talk about bending time—they make you feel it. Like, "I borrowed a neutron from my future self, and now I've created a wormhole and a personal crisis," kind of feel it.
This list isn't just a bunch of sci-fi-themed board games with some gears on the box art. These are games where time is a tool, a trap, or your worst enemy—and every decision sends ripples across timelines. Whether you want a tight euro strategy or a goofy time travel adventure game filled with chaos, we have something for every time-hopping table.
1. Anachrony – The Best Time Travel Game for Strategy Junkies
To be honest, Anachrony might be my favorite time-traveling board game! In Anachrony, you can borrow resources from your future self to deal with problems right now. The catch? Eventually, the timeline demands you pay those resources back, or else—you guessed it—temporal instability.
Add in mechs, apocalyptic tension, and a massive tech tree, and you've got a crunchy time travel board game that rewards long-term planning and calculated risks. It's brain-burning, but the time travel isn't just a theme—it's a core mechanic that'll make you sweat every round.
Best for: Players who treat board games like a second job. It's really complicated... but rewarding as well.
Time twist: Borrowing from the future and paying it back… if you survive.
Read our full in-depth Anachrony review.
2. Chrononauts – Old Time Board Game Chaos with Butterfly Effects
Chrononauts is what happens when you let a bunch of history nerds with a sense of humor rewrite the past. Players flip real historical events—like the JFK assassination or the moon landing—to manipulate the timeline and achieve their secret win condition.
It's wild, unpredictable, and hilarious. One minute you're preventing WWII, the next you're inventing rock and roll in 1933. It's not a deep strategy, but as old time board games go, this one's a chaotic gem.
Best for: History lovers, chaos gremlins
Time twist: Change key moments in history to shift the entire timeline.
3. Time Stories – A Time Travel Adventure Game Built Like an Escape Room
Imagine being stuck in a time loop where you keep failing… until you don't. That's Time Stories. You play as temporal agents inhabiting hosts in different eras, trying to fix some anomaly before time runs out.
Each run gives you more knowledge, like a cooperative puzzle box with limited moves. It's basically Groundhog Day meets X-Files. The original series is a bit of a one-and-done, but the experience is unforgettable.
Best for: Puzzle lovers, escape room fans
Time twist: Restart loops and optimize decisions to get closer to success.
4. Tragedy Looper – A Time Travel Board Game with Social Deduction Energy
If Sherlock Holmes, Final Destination, and Memento had a love child, it would be Tragedy Looper. One player is the Mastermind, orchestrating tragic events. The others must figure out what's going wrong, how to stop it, and then loop back in time to fix it before it happens again.
Every failed loop gives players a little more info. It's like fighting a puzzle with hidden rules. You'll lose. A lot. But then you won't—and it'll feel so good.
Best for: Players who love deduction and anime-style drama
Time twist: Time loops are used to learn from failure and alter fate.
5. The Loop – The Best Time Travel Game for Combo-Happy Chaos Lovers
The Loop is a vibrant, modular time travel board game where you and your teammates must stop an evil clone doctor from messing up the timeline. You'll loop powers, travel to different eras, and destroy time rifts—all while trying not to make it worse.
It's cheeky, strategic, and packed with satisfying card combos. Think Pandemic meets a Saturday morning cartoon but with more paradoxes.
Best for: Combo junkies, lovers of mayhem
Time twist: Use looping powers to chain actions and fix (or break) time.
6. This War of Mine: Days of the Siege – Time Travel Games Get Grim
Time travel isn't always about laser guns and paradoxes. In Days of the Siege, an expansion for This War of Mine, one scenario—The Last Broadcast—uses time shifts as a narrative tool. Your choices echo across time, and glimpses of the future alter how you see the past.
It's less about mechanics and more about emotional impact. If you like games that hurt (in a good way), this is the time travel adventure game for you.
Best for: Story-driven players who want to feel something
Time twist: Narrative time jumps show consequences across different moments.
7. Back to the Future: Dice Through Time – A Fan-Favorite Old Time Board Game
Sure, it's based on the movie, but Dice Through Time does a solid job as a time travel board game. Players travel to 1955, 1985, 2015, and 1885 to fix timeline anomalies caused by—who else—Biff.
It's family-friendly game, light on rules, and great for franchise fans. Think of it as the comfort food of time travel games: not too heavy, but it hits the spot.
Best for: Casual gamers, BTTF fans, families
Time twist: Fix disruptions across four key years in Hill Valley's history.
👉 View Back to the Future: Dice Through Time Here
8. PaleoVet – A Time Travel Adventure Game… With Dinosaurs
You're a vet. For dinosaurs. That fell through time. You've got seven days to treat them before… extinction? Implosion? Time-related consequences?
It's a quick card game, easy to teach, but layered with decisions. Each dinosaur has different needs, and your tools are limited. It's not super deep, but it's charming, thematic, and unique.
Best for: Families, card game fans, dino lovers
Time twist: Racing against time to save creatures from another era.
9. T.I.M.E Stories Revolution: The Hadal Project – A Smarter Time Travel Game Reboot
The Hadal Project is a cleaner, faster reboot if you liked Time Stories but hated the fiddly parts. There is no more rolling dice to open doors. It's focused, replayable, and better paced—but still full of mystery and narrative weight.
It's a time travel board game that doesn't overstay its welcome and still gives you those satisfying "aha!" moments when your plan finally clicks.
Best for: Story gamers who like tighter mechanics
Time twist: Explore timelines without tedious repetition.
👉 View T.I.M.E Stories Revolution: The Hadal Project Here
10. ChronoCops – A Hidden Gem Time Travel Board Game You Can Print at Home
Don't sleep on this one. ChronoCops is a gem that plays like a puzzle-y solo adventure. You bounce through different time zones, trigger crazy events, and try not to unravel the space-time continuum.
The best part? Your decisions in the past immediately affect your future. It's smart, silly, and totally satisfying when you figure it out.
The worst part? It's in German (although an English version supposedly exists, but we could not find it).
Best for: Solo players, puzzle solvers
Time twist: Cause-effect storytelling that reacts to your every move.
👉 View ChronoCops Here (German version)
Time Travel Games That Break the Timeline in the Best Way
Time travel is messy. And that's precisely why it works so well in board games. Whether you're rewriting history, looping through mistakes, or begging your past self for one more resource, these time travel board games aren't just themed—they make time part of the gameplay.
And whether you're into old time board games with classic vibes or quirky time travel adventure games full of creative surprises, there's something timeless (pun fully intended) about twisting reality on a game night.
Got a Favorite Time Travel Game?
Which of these made your head spin in the best way? Did we miss a brilliant paradox in a box? Comment below—we love hearing your picks for the best time travel games.
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FAQ Section:
1. What are the best time travel board games for strategy lovers?
If you’re into deep planning and complex decision-making, Anachrony is hands-down one of the best time travel board games for strategy fans. You literally borrow resources from your future self—just don’t forget to pay it back or risk a temporal collapse. Other good picks for strategic play include Tragedy Looper and The Loop, which reward players who think multiple moves ahead.
2. Are there any family-friendly time travel games that are easy to learn?
Yes! Back to the Future: Dice Through Time and Chrononauts are two fantastic time travel board games for families. They’re simple to learn, quick to play, and full of fun timeline twists. These games are especially great for introducing younger players or casual gamers to time travel mechanics without overwhelming rules.
3. What makes a board game a true “time travel adventure game”?
A true time travel adventure game doesn’t just use time travel as a theme—it makes it part of the gameplay. Games like Time Stories and ChronoCops use loops, timeline changes, or cause-and-effect storytelling that directly impact how the game unfolds. If you’re solving mysteries across timelines or racing to correct historical events, you’re in adventure territory.
4. Which old time board games use real historical events in their gameplay?
Chrononauts is one of the most well-known old time board games that lets you play with actual historical events. You can change moments like the JFK assassination or the moon landing to reshape the timeline. It’s chaotic, funny, and surprisingly educational—perfect for history buffs who enjoy a side of mayhem.
5. Where can I find printable or solo time travel board games?
If you’re looking for a solo experience or a print-and-play option, ChronoCops is a hidden gem. It’s a puzzle-heavy time travel board game you can print at home, and your actions in one era directly affect what happens in another. Great for solo gamers who enjoy story-driven logic puzzles and clever mechanics.