Crazy Time Board Game Review
Crazy Time is a party card game designed by Alex Putfin and published by In ludo veritas in 2013. Players count the hours while flipping cards, and the rules change every round. It plays with 4 to 7 people aged 12 and up in about 30 minutes. It earned a 2014 As d’Or nomination. This review covers the rules, cards, mechanics, and who it suits.
Crazy Time Board Game Overview
Odd creatures count the hours so time keeps moving. Each player flips cards from a personal pile and calls the next hour. Empty your pile first to win the round. Break a Law of Time and you pick up cards.
| Detail | Crazy Time |
|---|---|
| Designer | Alex Putfin |
| Publisher | In ludo veritas |
| Year Released | 2013 |
| Players | 4 to 7 |
| Age Range | 12+ |
| Playing Time | 30 minutes |
| Game Type | Party card game |
| Complexity | 1.61 / 5 (BoardGameGeek) |
What’s in the Crazy Time Box?
The box holds 110 cards.
| Card type | Count | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 63 | Draw piles, including Time Machine cards |
| Stop Time | 1 | The center card everyone slaps |
| When? | 21 | Trigger for a new Law |
| What? | 25 | Action for a new Law |
Miguel Coimbra of 7 Wonders is one of four credited artists. The When? and What? cards carry text, so buy an edition your group can read. The Stop Time card takes every slap, so a sleeve on it is worth adding.
Crazy Time Review: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Round one uses two rules, so new players start fast.
- The Law cards combine into 525 possible Laws.
- A wrong accusation costs the accuser, which keeps calls honest.
- The player sent out of the room gets a real deduction puzzle.
- Picking up caps at five cards, so one mistake does not sink you.
Cons
- It needs four players and is best with five or six.
- Text on the Law cards makes English copies hard to find.
- Disputes stall play when nobody saw who slapped last.
- One player waits outside while each new Law is made.
How to Play Crazy Time
Crazy Time Setup
Put the Stop Time card in the middle. Deal the Hours cards face down: 15 each with four players, 12 with five, 10 with six, 9 with seven.
Taking a Turn
The dealer says “1 o’clock” and flips the top card away from themselves. The next player says “2 o’clock”, and so on. After 12, the count returns to 1.
What Are the Starting Laws of Time?
A Time Machine card reverses the count, not the turn order. When a card shows the hour just called, everyone slaps the Stop Time card. The last hand down picks up.
Temporal Flaws and Picking Up
Spot a broken rule? Shout “Temporal flaw!” and name it. The offender picks up. A false call makes you pick up instead.
Picking up means taking every discard pile. Keep five cards under your pile, box the rest, and restart at 1 o’clock.
Adding New Crazy Time Rules
The round winner sends one player out, then draws a When? and a What? card and names the new Law. The returning player hears only the name. A correct guess lets them discard five cards.
How Do You Win Crazy Time?
The winner of the fourth round wins the game and becomes Grand Master of Time.
Where to Buy Crazy Time
Stock is patchy. Prices were listed in October 2026.
| Store | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board Game Bliss | Canada | $24.95 CAD, pre-order |
| Les As des Jeux | Canada | Used French copy, $11.99 |
| eBay | Worldwide | Second-hand copies |
| GeekMarket | Worldwide | Collector listings |
Crazy Time Game Mechanics and Strategy
Memory drives the game. Two Laws start round one, and three more join by round four. You check each card against all of them before the next flip.
Speed sits on top. Slaps reward fast hands, but a wrong slap is a flaw.
The overload rule is the main trap. If one card triggers two Laws, nothing happens. Players who react to the first Law they spot get caught.
No one referees, so every accusation is a small gamble. Name new Laws after their trigger to help the table remember them.
Who Should Play Crazy Time?
Crazy Time suits loud groups of five or six and fits beside our best party board games. Fans of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza will know the flip-and-slap loop, and the secret rules recall Mao.
Quiet groups may prefer The Mind. Families with young kids can try these cooperative family games. Skip it with fewer than four players.
FAQ
Is Crazy Time good for beginners?
Yes. Round one uses two rules: reverse the count on a Time Machine card and slap when a card matches the called hour. New Laws arrive one per round, so beginners learn as they play. Its 1.61 out of 5 weight on BoardGameGeek marks it as a light game.
How long does Crazy Time take to play?
A full game runs about 30 minutes across four rounds. Setup is a shuffle and a deal. Later rounds take longer as Laws stack up and players pick up more often. Making each new Law takes a minute or two.
What’s the best player count for Crazy Time?
Crazy Time plays with 4 to 7 people. BoardGameGeek voters rate five and six as best. At four, each player holds 15 cards and rounds drag. At seven, turns come fast and every hand crowds around the Stop Time card.
What games are similar to Crazy Time?
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza uses the same chant, flip, and slap loop, and the last player to slap takes the cards. Mao shares the hidden rules that players must work out. Jungle Speed suits groups that want speed without the memory load.
Is Crazy Time worth buying?
It is worth buying for groups of five or six who enjoy loud, fast party games. The 525 possible Laws keep games fresh. Check the edition’s language first, since the Law cards carry text. Small groups or strategy fans should pass.
