Anno Domini: Showbizz

About this board game

Anno Domini: Showbizz is a 30-minute historical card game for 2–8 players, challenging you to arrange show-business events in chronological order.

The set contains 336 cards, each describing a historical event on one side and showing its year, and sometimes its specific date, on the other. Players receive nine cards each, or fewer for a shorter game, and may look only at the descriptions.

On your turn, place one card into the growing timeline, trying to position it correctly among the cards already played. Instead of adding a card, you may challenge the existing order. All cards are then turned over to reveal the years and settle the dispute.

• If the timeline is correct, the doubting player takes two cards and skips a turn.
• If the timeline is incorrect, the previous player takes three cards.
• The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.

Exact knowledge is not the only path to victory. Many events are obscure or difficult to date precisely, making bluffing, confidence, and judgment just as important as historical knowledge. The result is a social game full of surprises, lively challenges, and opportunities to learn along the way.

The Showbizz set focuses on historical events related to show business, although that connection is not always obvious. It can be played on its own or mixed with some or all other Anno Domini sets.

There is no English edition in existence, but the game can help improve existing German skills—or provide a reason to learn German. Released in 2008, Anno Domini: Showbizz brings approachable historical deduction and bluffing to the table.