Album Year Guess challenges you to identify when famous albums were released based solely on their cover art. As you play, you'll discover new music from different eras and genres.

• When you start a game, you'll be presented with an album cover image. Your task is to determine the release year.
• Choose from three modes: Exact Year (hardest), Multiple Choice (medium), or Decade (easiest).
• Customize your game by selecting specific genres or decades to practice and discover new music.
• Score points based on accuracy - the closer to the actual year, the better.
• After completing each round, explore the albums with direct links to Spotify and YouTube Music.
• Complete 10 rounds to finish the game and see your final score, then listen to your favorite discoveries!

The rules differ slightly depending on the mode you choose.

• In Exact Year mode, you have three attempts per question. Hints are revealed after incorrect guesses.
• In Multiple Choice and Decade modes, you have one chance to select the correct option.
• Filter-based scoring: Playing without filters earns full points (100%). Using filters reduces your score - playing with only 1 genre or decade earns 50% of base points. More filters = proportionally more points.
• The game ends after 10 rounds.
• Scores are saved to your profile if you are logged in.

Points are awarded based on how close your guess is to the actual release year, adjusted by filter difficulty.

• Exact Year Mode: Up to 1000 points per question for a perfect guess. Points decrease with distance from the correct year.
• Multiple Choice Mode: Lower maximum points (approx 500-600) due to easier difficulty.
• Decade Mode: Lowest point values (200-300), reflecting the easiest challenge.
• Filter-Based Scoring: Playing without filters (all genres/decades) earns full points (100%). Using filters reduces your score multiplier - playing with only 1 genre or decade selected earns 50% of base points. More filters selected = proportionally more points (between 50% and 100%).

Improve your scores with these strategies and discover new music along the way:

• Establish reference points with iconic albums (e.g., Beatles in the 60s, Nirvana in the 90s).
• Analyze cover art styles: psychedelic for 60s, neon/bold for 80s, minimalist for modern.
• In Exact Year mode, guess the middle of a decade if unsure.
• Use hints (artist/genre) to narrow down possibilities.
• After games, use Spotify and YouTube Music links to listen to albums you discovered - this helps you remember them.
• Explore different genres to discover new music and expand your knowledge.
• Create playlists from albums you've discovered through the game using the streaming links.
• Start with Decade mode to build confidence, then gradually move to harder modes.