I’m a huge fan of sci-fi board games and one of my favorite sub-genres is time travel. The only problem is that often time travel in board games can be extremely convoluted or just downright don’t work. So when I saw time travel in a trick-taking game I was skeptical. Boy was I wrong.
Time Chase is a time travel trick-taking game from Renegade games. Using time travel to change your previously played tricks and the trump card brings a whole new dynamic to the trick-taking genre.
Time Chase is played over 10 “events” in time, representing the rounds. During your turn you can play a card in the present or if you time traveled at the end of the previous round play a new card in the past to take control of the event. You can even travel back to the beginning of time and change the trump card. While playing the highest card in the present to win the round is always ideal, playing a lower card in the same suite will gain you energy crystals to power your time machine and jump back in time. The way you “bid” to travel back in time is hidden so your opponents don’t know how far you are traveling until everyone reveals together. Similarly, when someone travels all the way back to the beginning of time to change the trump card you can possibly rip a hole in the space-time continuum essentially voiding a trump card altogether. And if done again it will end the game!
It’s not often you see a ton of theme in trick-taking games but this really feels like time travel. I love the simplicity, easy to learn but has a ton of unique decision not usually associated with trick-taking. Making the game extremely accessible for newcomers but meaty enough for that euro gamer in your life. I will be bringing this game to all my game nights from now on.
-Mike Hill