Documenting your ancestor's life in genealogical records can seem like a game. You write to the state vital records office, they send Grandpa Ignatius Inglesnickle's birth certificate, and, you move ahead three spaces. But the square you land on says, "The 1900 US census records for Iggy's county are missing Skip a turn." Before you know it, you and your blank pedigree chart are back at the starting line.

Understanding how the genealogy game works before you spin the wheel can help you bypass those discouraging research roadblocks and speed you to the family tree finish. So we've written this rulebook of sorts for finding the records Iggy and your other ancestors left throughout their lifetimes, from birth certificates to gravestone inscriptions. (Remember that genealogists typically research backward in time, so you won't necessarily look for these records in chronological order.) Now it's your turn for genealogical success — here's what you need to know to win the game.