Tricky Time Crisis

Mission: save time itself — one trick at a time.

Tricky Time Crisis is a trick-taking card game for 3 to 6 players, published by Musoka Studio in Paris. Designed by Jon Barron and illustrated by Sai Beppu, it plays in 15 to 25 minutes from age 10, and its big twist is that you must never follow suit.

Dr. Tricky-Time is pulling the timeline apart, and the only thing standing in his way is a squad of gloriously odd heroes: Kid Cuckoo, Doc Tock, Daylight Saver, Double Take & Double Time.

Here's the twist that turns everything you know upside down: in Tricky Time Crisis, you must not follow suit. Once a colour is on the table, it's off limits — so every card you play closes a door for the player after you.

And when two versions of the same hero end up in the same trick, the timeline can't take it. A paradox fires, the round ends early, and everyone's careful plan collapses with it.

Why we love it

🧩 A trick-taking game that breaks the rule — « must not follow » flips the genre's core habit and makes every hand feel new.

⏱️ Paradoxes cut rounds short — you never quite get the turns you were counting on, so you play what's in front of you.

🦸 A cast worth the detour — a team of delightfully silly heroes in a bright, fast, chaotic universe.

Designer: Jon Barron

Illustration: Sai Beppu

Frequently asked questions

How many players is Tricky Time Crisis for, and how long does it take?

Tricky Time Crisis plays with 3 to 6 players and a game takes 15 to 25 minutes.

What age is Tricky Time Crisis suitable for?

From age 10.

What makes Tricky Time Crisis different from other trick-taking games?

You must never follow suit: once a colour has been played in a trick, nobody else can play it. And when two versions of the same hero land in the same trick, a paradox ends the round early.

Is Tricky Time Crisis available in English?

Yes. The box contains 105 cards and two rulebooks, one in English and one in French.

More about the game on BoardGameGeek (Tricky Time Crisis).

Rules — read or download the Tricky Time Crisis rulebook (PDF, EN). The box also contains printed rulebooks in English and in French.