Okay, so I’m not usually the ‘history buff’ type, but this game? Total game-changer (pun intended). My family and I have played it like 10 times already, and my 11-year-old niece—who normally zones out during history class—is obsessed. Who knew ancient Egyptians could be this entertaining?

The cards are GORGEOUS. Like, museum-worthy art on one side and cool historical tidbits on the other. We’ve started reading them aloud for dramatic effect (‘In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius said: NOT TODAY, POMPEII’).

Gameplay is sneaky-strategic. You’re racing to collect timeline events, but the ‘time warp’ mini-expansion adds this fun twist where you can bend the rules (very Doctor Who of you, game designers). Pro tip: Hoarding Renaissance cards pays off big-time.

Downsides? My competitive uncle got way too into optimizing his ‘historical itinerary,’ and now we have to hide the game when he visits. Also, the neoprene playmat feels fancy but rolls up like a burrito—took us three tries to store it properly.

Verdict: 5/5 stars for tricking my family into learning while we trash-talk each other’s ‘weak Bronze Age strategy.’ Even our dog watches us play (though he mostly chews on the victory tokens).