Anno Domini: Schweiz
Anno Domini: Schweiz Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
In this box you will find 340 cards. The front (black) names an event in world history, if not always a world-shaking one. The back (coloured) names the year Anno Domini in which the event happened.
ANNO DOMINI is expandable. You can buy further series and mix them with this one. The Wild Mix is strongly recommended. Every new colour in the mix increases the fun.
ANNO DOMINI can of course also be played with the cards of a single series.
Dealing
Deal 9 cards to each player. Dealing is random; choosing cards is strictly forbidden.
It is also strictly forbidden to look at the backs of the cards.
Everyone lays their cards in front of them face up, with the black event side showing. The rest of the cards are placed as a face-down stack in the middle. Here too: events face up, coloured solution year (back) not visible.
Important: keep the cards on the table during play. When you move cards, do not wave them around in the air; otherwise your fellow players will learn the solution years by accident, and you would rather keep those secret.
A Chain of Unhappy Events
A chain of unhappy events begins with the top card of the stack. Event 1 is read aloud and the card is placed face up on the table for everyone to see; its back remains secret.
The owner of the game begins. They choose one of their cards and read it aloud, then lay it:
- above the first card, if they believe their event 2 happened before event 1;
- below the first card, if they believe their event 2 happened after event 1.
Going around the table, the players each add one of their cards to the chain in the same way. Each player may insert their card anywhere in the chain, also between cards that are already laid, if they believe their event fits there in time.
Special case: It is a little harder for a player who has only one card left, as that is a new start for them. Instead of one card, they must take two cards from the stack, arrange them, and insert their last card.
Reversal of direction: The reversal of the direction of play happens immediately and only once, as soon as a player has only two cards left.
Doubt
Doubt is often better than blind trust. Whoever is on turn and believes there is an error in the existing chain of events may correct it before inserting their new card and passing the chain on.
They may also decide not to add a further card, and instead publicly doubt the chronological order of the events. In that case the round of play ends.
All cards in the chain are turned face up, from top to bottom.
If the chronological order is correct, the doubter is punished: they must take four new cards from the stack (as always: without looking at the backs).
If the chain of events shows any error, the predecessor of the doubter, who was the last to have laid an event, takes two new cards from the stack.
Be it even a single year, and regardless of who laid the mistaken card: the last one gets bitten by the dogs.
Whoever expresses no doubt and lays a card into the row accepts the whole chain of events and, in some circumstances, takes on responsibility for it towards the next player, who may be suspicious.
After the round of play, the cards of the chain are set aside. You have done your duty for today; you may go (after Schiller, 1783).
A New Round
A new round begins with a new starting card from the stack.
The first player is now the doubter. Then play goes around again.
Winning
The winner is the player who first gets rid of their last card, naturally in a correct chain. Their successor will again doubt. If an error comes to light, two new cards are given out and the game goes into overtime.
Explanations and Examples
The Decisive Year
The decisive year is printed clearly and in bold on the back of the card. Supplementary comments, including month and day details, have no influence on the game. Some cards give a span of time as the solution, such as "1903 – 1907" or "5th century BC".
Explanations
-
Jh. means Jahrhundert (century). A century runs from the year 01 to the year 00. Example: The 20th century (20. Jh.) began in 1901 and ends with the year 2000.
-
um means that the event cannot be dated exactly. For the purposes of the game, 5 years before and after are accepted as correct. Example: In the case of "um 1900" (circa 1900), the years 1895 to 1905 count as correct.
The First Appearance
The first appearance of a thing, the beginning of an event, is decisive if the question does not clearly ask for a time span.
Examples:
A) "Menschen auf dem Mond" (People on the Moon) asks for the first Moon landing by Apollo 11. An answer such as "2025" is wrong, even though it cannot be excluded that people will be on the Moon again at that time.
B) "Gezuckerte Kondensmilch auf dem Markt" (Sweetened condensed milk on the market) asks for its market introduction. That it is still available today is nice, but has nothing to do with it.
Simultaneous and Overlapping Events
Simultaneous and overlapping events are handled according to the principle of "in dubio pro reo" (the benefit of the doubt). The chain counts as correct.
Examples:
A) One event took place in the 8th century BC, a second in 805 BC, and a third in the 1st millennium BC. Card No. 2 took place before No. 1, because the 8th century BC lasted from 800 to 701 BC, while No. 3 overlaps with the two other events and may be inserted arbitrarily among them.
B) Two events took place in 1987, the third is "um 1990" (around 1990), and a fourth in 1991. If No. 4 was inserted after No. 1 and No. 2, the sequence is correct. No. 3 reads "between 1985 and 1995", overlaps with the other three events, and may be inserted arbitrarily among them, also between the two 1987 cards. Months and days within the year 1987 are irrelevant; the two cards are of equal value.
Place Names
Place names without a direct connection to the event are simply place names and not cryptic hints at the year sought.
Example: "In the Neanderthal near Düsseldorf dwelt Neanderthals" does not mean that Düsseldorf was already the fashion centre during the period in question.
Tactical Hints
Self-confidence is a virtue, especially when you know nothing. Your successor will think twice before doubting your chain if you declare your event a clear matter and quickly and resolutely place it in a way that is somewhat sensible.
As a treacherous variant you can also play the uncertain player, while you place a rock-solid event in a correct chain ...
Psychology and a certain feel for sequences are much more important in ANNO DOMINI than historical expertise. Do not be discouraged by your ignorance! You can safely assume that the other players also do not have all the dates of these strange events stored in their little grey cells, and, just like you, often have to guess. Use your common sense, estimate, and sell your solutions well. Never forget: what you lay down does not necessarily have to be right; above all, it has to seem credible to the table neighbour who plays after you.
If you have lost track of the overview in a long chain, feel free to doubt. Usually there is some nasty surprise hidden in it.
If possible, keep an event that you can place in time well as a safe final card. Conversely, if you have cards that worry you greatly, insert them to the best of your knowledge and conscience into short chains, which are surely doubted less often than the tapeworms.
Who Plays ANNO DOMINI?
In principle the game is suitable for 2 to 10 players; the ideal number is 3 to 6. For large groups we recommend giving out fewer cards than 9 at the start.
Children can join in as soon as they can read fluently. Experience shows that they make up for their smaller historical knowledge quickly through clever tactics, and they learn fast. Once the used cards are shuffled back into the game, their learning ability pays off. The round may also decide to give children fewer cards at the start.
Series Published So Far
The following series have been published so far:
Church & State / Switzerland / Sex & Crime / Lifestyle / Nature / Inventions / Women / Seafarers & Aviators / Sport / Art / Flops / Germany (with Uwe Rosenberg) / Coins / In the Name of the Law / VIP / Game of the Year (with Bernward Thole) / Austria / Word, Script, Book / Showbizz / America / Europe / In the East / South / Football (with Mämä Sykora) / Science & Research / Berne / Travel & Transport / Health (with Konrad Bochennek) / Food & Drink / Curiosities / Machines
Errata
Some errors may be found even in usually reliable sources. Facts can change, and research brings new findings to light. The publisher is open to criticism, corrections and new questions (ideally with a source). Where corrections are necessary, they will be applied in future printings. A corrigenda to ANNO DOMINI can be found at urs.fatamorgana.ch/adpleite.html, which the publisher keeps up to date with its latest knowledge.