What Is TempusGuessr Timeline?
TempusGuessr Timeline is a daily puzzle that hands you seven cards — events, births of well-known people, and inventions — and asks you to arrange them on a timeline. The catch? Only the first card shows its year. The other six arrive one at a time with the year hidden, and you have to figure out where they belong using context, logic, and a rough sense of history.
The cards span from 1500 to today, so there’s no ancient history to worry about. And as the game’s own FAQ confirms, you don’t need exact dates — just a feel for what came before and what came after.
How a Round Works
Each day brings a fresh set of seven cards. The first card is already placed on the line with its year showing. That’s your anchor. The other six arrive one at a time, year hidden.
Your job: read the card, think about where it fits relative to the cards already on the line, and tap the gap — before, between, or after them. After each placement, the real year is revealed and the card snaps to its correct spot, even if you guessed wrong.
Step-by-Step: Your First Game
- Look at the anchor card. The first card shows its year. Note it — this is your reference point for everything that follows.
- Read the next card carefully. The card gives you context: who the person is, what country or field they’re from, or what the invention or event is about.
- Ask yourself: before or after the anchor? Start broad. Is this thing older or newer than the year you can see?
- Tap the gap where you think it belongs. The line shows gaps between cards — choose the one that feels right.
- Watch the reveal. The true year appears and the card moves to its correct position. Use this feedback to calibrate your next guess.
- Repeat for the remaining cards. Each new card gives you another reference point to work with.
- Finish the line. Once all seven cards are placed, your score appears.
The Core Skill: Relative Ordering
You don’t need to know that something happened in 1867. You just need to know it happened after the telegraph and before the telephone. That’s relative ordering, and it’s the whole game.
Here’s how to think about it:
- Use the anchor as a dividing line. Is the new card older or newer than the anchor year?
- Build a mental chain. As cards accumulate, you’re creating a sequence. Each new card just needs to slot in somewhere.
- Don’t panic about exact years. The game explicitly says you only need to know what came before and what came after. The card’s context is designed to get you close.
Tip: If you’re completely stuck, think about the card’s cultural footprint. If you encounter it in everyday life, it’s probably more recent than you think. If it feels like a history textbook staple, it’s likely older.
Reading the Cards for Clues
Each card type gives you different signals:
| Card type | What it shows | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | A well-known person (president, scientist, artist) | When they were active or famous |
| Event | A historical moment | Country, field, or era hints in the description |
| Invention | An object or piece of technology | What it replaced or made possible |
The cards come from Wikidata and are reviewed by hand before appearing in the game, so they’re meant to be recognizable and guessable.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
- Cards are at least three years apart, so you won’t face impossible near-ties.
- If two cards share the same year, any gap next to them counts as correct.
- The new challenge drops every day at midnight Brasília time (UTC−3), and everyone plays the same rounds.
- No account needed — you can play instantly. Signing in with Google just saves your history and streak.
- Missed a day? The Archive has every past challenge for free.
FAQ
Do I need to know exact years? No. The game is built around relative ordering. Context is enough.
What if I place a card in the wrong gap? The real year is revealed and the card moves to its correct spot. You still learn from the feedback.
Can I play old challenges? Yes, the Archive has every challenge since launch, free to play.
