Last modified February 25, 2025 by jarjar

FIRST IMPRESSION

This game, available for almost 8 years and rewarded several times since, is already well known, we can find a multitude of articles about it already. Nevertheless, having discovered it only last summer and having immediately loved it, I wanted to take the time to write a few words about this excellent game!

Anachrony is a fairly complex board game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic universe. Players embody leaders of different ideologies who try to save humanity as a devastating catastrophe, the crash of a meteorite, is about to happen. The central and very innovative concept of the game is time travel: players can borrow resources from their future selves, thus creating temporal paradoxes that they will have to resolve later or they will suffer penalties.

The game combines resource management, worker placement, and building construction, all in a system where timeline management and good planning are essential. Players must also equip their workers with exoskeletons to explore the wastelands outside their capital.

Anachrony is one of the best worker placement games in my collection. I love its tempo, the ramp-up, its mechanics of manipulating resources through time, and the universe it immerses us in. The wide variety of buildings available enriches the gameplay options as the game progresses.

How to win this game? (please do not share :))

Here are some tips shared by the story author, they were published during an AMA (Ask me anything) on ​​Reddit:
-> Get water income early.
-> Travel through time with exactly one tile each turn and plan to pay off all but one tile.
-> There's nothing wrong with lowering morale a little early in the game.
-> Don't underestimate the research action.

GAME FACTS
>> Turczi mentioned in an interview that Anachrony was inspired by post-apocalyptic themes and the philosophical question of whether humanity could avoid catastrophe if it knew it was coming.

>> “The biggest challenge was making time travel more than just a theme. We wanted it to be a real game mechanic that would impact players’ strategic decisions. Borrowing from the future creates a sense of urgency and planning that few games offer.” — David T.

>> Each of the four factions represents a different philosophical approach to the future of humanity. Path of Harmony believes in coexistence with nature, Path of Dominance in its control, Path of Progress in transcending physical limitations, and Path of Salvation in spiritual enlightenment.

TECHNICAL SHEET
Number of games played: 3
Best player configuration: 3-4
Level: experienced player
My best score: 57

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I loved :
>> The unique time travel system that allows you to borrow resources from your future self.
>> The mechanism of worker placement with these different classes of workers.
>> Immersive illustrations and design in a post-apocalyptic world.
>> The variety of possible strategies.

I liked less :
>> A long setup nonetheless.
>> High price, especially with extensions.
>> The iconography can be confusing until you get used to it.
>> It is difficult to see the winner before the final count.

RULES POINTS
>> Unavailable hexes (from the meteorite crash) only limit your ability to power up Exoskeletons during Phase 3. Any Exoskeletons obtained in later phases can be placed on unavailable hexes.
>> Paradox Rolls: You must determine the number of rolls for each player at the start of the phase. A player will stop throwing as soon as he receives an anomaly. (at the 3rd paradox token). At this point, he can remove a Vortex tile, but this removal does not affect future rolls by other players in this phase.

A truly great game in the running for classic status, it remains unique with its time travel mechanics. With its striking artwork, intricate mechanics, and multiple paths to victory, Anachrony delivers an immersive gaming experience.

FUN FACTOR 🙂🙂🙂🙂