Barring meteorites, who doesn’t love dinosaurs? They lived on every continent, came in all shapes and sizes, and put the first paleontologists through an anatomical trial by fire. Dinosaurs are just fantastic, so naturally, they’ve inspired a healthy collection of Jurassic-kicking board games. That was the last pun, I promise.
Dinosaurs were my bread, butter, and breath as a kid, and I still remember trivia about nature’s only attempt at dragons at random, usually inconvenient intervals. This makes me uniquely equipped to sort through the many, many dinosaur-themed board games out there and pick out the best from the pack. So, here are our top ten favorite board games with dinosaurs in them. See? I told you puns were extinct around here.
…Let’s just get into this.
10. Hungry Hungry Hippos: Dino Edition
There’s something Zen about Hungry Hungry Hippos. Maybe it’s the rhythmic button-mashing or the satisfying click of the balls as they rebound off the walls, but it’s disturbingly easy to fall into a flow state whenever you play a round of this iconic board. There’s only one way to improve this game, and it involves dinosaurs.
Hungry Hungry Hippos: Dino Edition is the same game that has entertained families for decades. The only difference is that they’ve replaced the hippos with triceratopses. It’s fun, it’s simple, and it’s got dinosaurs. What else do you want?
9. Dinosaur Escape
Life was tough in prehistoric times, and dinosaurs had to fight to stay alive. Dinosaur Escape gives you a chance to help some dinosaurs escape to an island before a volcano erupts.
Dinosaur Escape is a simple memory game where you flip over tiles to help your dinosaurs “remember the correct path to safety. If you need to distract some dinosaur-loving kids, this is the game for you.
8. Evolution: the Beginning
Anyone who loves dinosaurs has dreamed about discovering or creating a unique species of ancient reptile. Evolution: The Beginning lets you and up to four of your friends play the God your eight-year-old self always wanted to be, giving you the wheel of dinosaur evolution.
Part of the broader Evolution series, Evolution, The Beginning puts the survival of a dinosaur species in your hands. By pulling cards from a specialized deck, you arm your species with unique traits to help them survive an increasingly hostile environment. It’s survival of the fittest, and the player with the most successful species wins.
7. Evo: The Last Gasp of the Dinosaurs
The finale of Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs proved that the death of the dinosaurs can be a tragedy on par with the best of Shakespeare. Evo: The Last Gasp of the Dinosaurs lets you live out the final days of the dinosaurs, and it’s surprisingly fun despite the bleak tone of the premise.
With the help of up to three friends, you guide a group of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, the Dinos, as they struggle to survive in a changing world. By acquiring “Genes” you can mutate your Dinos into an advanced species that, with some luck, will survive long enough to witness the end of their era. The outcome is inevitable, but at least you’ll meet it with the dignity dinosaurs deserve.
6. Raptor
Trying to steal eggs from ferocious Velociraptors ranks pretty high on the list of bad judgment calls. However, that’s precisely what one of the two Raptors players needs to do to win. Pitting the age-old enemy duo of scientist and raptor against each other, Raptors is the perfect two vs. two game for dinosaur fans.
Using cards drawn from a deck to move around the board, Raptors‘ players try to outsmart and outmaneuver each other in a battle over a newborn clutch of raptors. Raptors isn’t as strategically deep as some other games on this list, but its short run-time and momentum-based gameplay make it a fantastic pick for kids.
5. Unmatched Jurassic Park: Ingen vs. Raptors
Jurassic Park has pitted its human protagonists against almost every type of dinosaur known to man, but every film involves a scene where people face off against raptors. Unmatched Jurassic Park: Ingen vs. Raptors turns this recurring conflict into a satisfying board game.
Like other games in the Unmatched series, Unmatched Jurassic Park: Ingen vs. Raptors is an asymmetrical strategy fighting miniature game. You build a combat deck using movement and attack cards to go toe-to-toe with your friend in life-or-death combat. Luck won’t play any role in your victory or defeat; it’s all on you making the most of what you have.
4. Dinosaur World
Dinosaurs and amusement parks go together like peanut butter and chocolate, or at least they do until someone leaves the cages open and the shiny new floor gets dirty with blood. Dinosaur World shows how wonderful a functional theme park with live dinosaurs can be, and it’s a great way to spend an evening if you’re a dinosaur lover.
Dinosaur World puts you in charge of creating the ultimate dinosaur park. Compete against up to three other players to build the ultimate team of workers, collect DNA to bring back specific dinosaurs, and optimize your park with top-notch attractions while keeping visitor deaths to a minimum.
3. Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘N Write
As fun as imagining the many ways a dinosaur-themed amusement park can devolve into a slaughterhouse, there’s nothing wrong with dreaming about a utopian dinosaur preserve where nothing goes wrong and everyone lives. Dinosaur Island Rawr ‘N Write lets you do just that.
Family-friendly to a fault, Dinosaur Island Rawr ‘N Write is all about creating and exploring a safe, colorful dinosaur paradise. Using beautiful amber-themed dice, you’ll hire a team of specialists, develop attractions, and give your visitors an experience they’ll remember till they’re almost as old as the dinosaurs they’re coming to see.
2. Dinosaur Island
The last theme park-themed board game on this list, Dinosaur Island is another tabletop park-building simulator. This game is much like Dinosaur World and Dinosaur Island Rawr ‘N Write, but it’s not as complex or as simple. That’s where the charm lies. It’s a game anyone can play, and it’s an excellent go-to for dinosaur-loving board gamers who want a good, clean game.
1. Happy Little Dinosaurs
The masterminds behind Unstable Unicorns are, in my humble opinion, some of the best independent board game designers in the business. Happy Dinosaurs gave me even more reasons to believe that.
In Happy Dinosaurs, you and up to three friends compete to keep your adorable little dino alive as nature throws every disaster at its disposal in your general direction. By flipping cards, you work to collect enough points to stave off the inevitable. As cheerful as it is macabre, Happy Dinosaurs is the only time I’ve ever found the death of the dinosaurs fun.
Published: Nov 12, 2024 08:21 am