Dino Dynasty Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Rules Structure
• Setup
• How to Play
  • Turn Sequence
    • 1. Hatch
    • 2. Perform One Action
    • Compete Action
    • Evolve Action
  • 3. Collect Morph Token
  • 4. Attrition
• Endgame
  • Challenge Cards
  • Challenge Tokens
  • Victory Count
• Strategy Tips
• Actions
  • 1 of the 4 Actions Each Turn
  • Spread
    • Add Dinos/Nests to the Map
  • Migrate
    • Move 1 Herd
    • Territory Placement
  • Herd Movement
  • Stomp a Nest
  • Stuck on the Map
  • Rival Biomes
  • Isolated Biome
• Evolve
  • Move Evolve Markers
• Compete
  • Move 1 Herd and Attack
  • Compete Resolution
  • Extinction!
• Biomes & Events
  • General Biomes
• Event Biomes
  • 1. Placement
  • 2. Effects
    • Permanent Events
    • The Permanent Biomes' Effects Are:
  • One-time Events
    • One-time Effects on the 9 Tiles
  • 3. Add Morph Tokens
  • 4. Put Top Tiles to the Bottom
• Morph Tokens
  • Special Cases
  • Limitations
• Morph Token Reference
• Game Variants
  • Dynasty Game
  • Save Between Games
  • Change Species
  • Team Game
    • In a Team Game
  • Campaign Game
    • Setup Modifications
  • Winning a Campaign
• Stasis Variant
  • Stasis Components
  • Setup Modifications
  • Sequence of Play
  • The Stasis Turn
  • General Rules
  • Stasis and Morphs
  • General Priorities for Stasis
    • Stasis Restart
    • Activate Herd Priority
    • Spread and Hatching
    • Compete
    • Migrate
• Glossary

Rules Structure

• Words that begin with a Capital letter refer to important terms, components and actions in the game. These words are found in the glossary on page 32. Throughout the rulebook, there are FACT BOXES, where the designers explain some of the choices they have made when translating the complex and diverse world of dinosaurs into a game!
• In the setup, choices players make are written in italics, and components they handle are written WITH CAPITAL LETTERS.
• In the rest of the rulebook, important things that can be easy to miss are highlighted in bold.
• All examples are made with the player versus player rules. Any adjustments for team play are found under Game Variants, page 26.
• If you are new to the game, the How to Play on page 6 is the perfect start after setup.

Setup

The player that last read, watched, or listened to something about dinosaurs is the starting player.

1. In player order, each player selects 1 Dynasty, takes all its DINOS, the NEST in the same color and the Dynasty's DINO BOARDS. Each player chooses 1 of the DINO BOARDS to use during the game and keeps DINOS according to the limit shown in the bottom left corner. Place the EVOLVE MARKERS on their starting positions and ACTION FRAMES where these cross in the grid. All players take their DYNASTY'S PLAYER AID.
2. Randomly draw 5 CHALLENGE CARDS and place them face up. Then draw 1 CHALLENGE CARD and place it face up separate from the others. This is the Tiebreaker CHALLENGE CARD.
3. Place the MORPH TOKENS in the CLOTH BAG, and give it a good shake.
4. Shuffle the 6 EXPANDING EVENT TILES, marked with a large roundish terrain shape, into 1 pile, the Expanding pile, with either side facing up. Keep the 4 OCEAN TILES separate, and shuffle the remaining 80 TERRITORY TILES and 16 EVENT TILES into 4 piles of equal height, the Territory piles, with either side facing up.

(Caption: The Expanding Event tiles, above, compared to the regular Event tiles, underneath, of the same Biomes.)

5. Pick a SCENARIO CARD type (A–E) to play. The starting player draws 1 random Scenario card of that type and decides which side to use. Map size will affect game length (recommended map size A–C for 1–4 players, C–E for 4–6 players).
6. Set up the MAP BORDERS by placing the 4 Map corners (1 tile big) and the number of Map sides (2 tiles long) needed to frame the grid on the SCENARIO CARD. Place any OCEAN TILES on the Ocean positions in the grid, and return any remaining tiles to the box. Draw any EXPANDING EVENT TILES from the top of their pile, flip to their other side and place on the Event positions (if any). Draw 2 MORPH TOKENS for each Event from the BAG and place them on the EVENT TILES. Take TERRITORY TILES from the bottom of the piles to place on the Territory positions. Place them in the direction they are drawn and ignore placement rules. If an EVENT TILE is drawn, draw a new one, reshuffle the Event(s) back into the pile after setup.
7. Place the 5 DICE and the GENERAL PLAYER AIDS next to the Map.
8. In player order, each player places 1 starting Herd on any unoccupied Biome on a Territory tile (not an Event tile) on the Map, according to the info on the DINO BOARD.

(Caption: The Parasaurolophus in the Ornithopoda Dynasty starts with a Herd of 6 Dinos on an empty Territory tile on the Map. Their total number of Dinos are 14.)

FACT BOX: The map of the world changed significantly during the Cretaceous period. In the earlier period of the Triassic, all land was joined together to form one supercontinent, Pangea. During the Jurassic, this continent was split up into Laurasia and Gondwana, and by the time of the Cretaceous period, these two land masses had started to break apart. During the Cretaceous, the continents continued to drift, collide and split, new seas and oceans formed and regressed, and towards the end of the period the map of the Earth was more similar to the one we have today.

Dino Dynasty has 12 different Scenarios in 5 different Map sizes. The Scenarios are inspired by what is known and theorized about the changing world of the Cretaceous.

How to Play

This how to play provides a quick introduction or refresher on the rules of Dino Dynasty. For additional details, see the page references (p. 3) or consult the glossary (p. 32). While playing, use these player aids:

• The General Aid: One side shows the General and Event Biomes; the other side explains the One-time Event rules.
• The Dynasty Aid: One per Dynasty. Turn sequence and actions on one side, and starting Morphs and species values on the other.

Turn Sequence

Players take turns clockwise, following these 4 steps each turn. When the Map is full, each player gets one final action. The goal is to complete Challenges. (Page 8.)

The player who gets the most Challenge cards at the victory count wins!

1. Hatch

The Nest Hatches if it is on the Map. Replace the Nest with a number of Dino meeples equal to the Spread Frame value, taken from the supply. (Page 10.)

The player has 1 in Spread level for Nests. When the Nest Hatches they replace it with 1 Dino.

2. Perform One Action

Exactly one Action must be performed each turn. A Herd is any group of Dino meeples occupying the same Biome. When moving, a Herd must contain as many Dinos as possible, but not exceed the species' Herd Max, shown in the Migrate Frame. Movement from bigger Herds is how Herds are split. Morphs, including pre-printed Morphs, can modify Action effects.

Start taking Actions now and read below when taken. Choose 1 of the following:

Spread Action: Add Dino meeples from the supply to a Herd, as indicated by the Spread Frame OR Place a Nest in an adjacent empty Biome. Both may be done in the same Action if two Home Biomes are shown in the Evolve Frame. (Page 10.)

The player has 1 Dino or 1 Nest in Spread level. They can either add 1 Dino or make a Nest that will be replaced with 1 Dino when it Hatches.

Migrate Action: Move 1 Herd 1 step. Biomes, not tiles, are used for movement.

• Before moving, one Territory tile may be placed from the top of any pile.
• For placing General Biomes, movement is required onto or through a Biome on the placed tile. (Page 11–12.)

The player chooses 1 of the 4 open Territory tiles and places it on the Map. They have to Migrate to 1: either Biome on the new tile. 2: If they want to Migrate, they can not place the new tile.

Migration is not considered an Attack. If the destination Biome contains Rival Herd(s) it becomes a Rival Biome (see Attrition below). If the destination Biome contains a Nest with no defending Dinos, the Nest is Stomped and removed. (Page 13.)

The Ceratopsia (orange) player Migrates their Herd 1 step and Stomps the Dromaeosauridae (blue) player's Nest.

• For placing Event Biomes, movement is not required, but if taken it must be onto or through the Event Biome (p. 11). When placing an Event Biome, roll the white Event dice to determine placement, and apply the Event effects. These may remove Dinos, flip tiles, or expand the Event Biome. (Page 17.)

Compete Action

Attack a Rival Herd by either moving into a Biome with Rival Herd(s) or by initiating combat in a Biome already occupied by both Herds (a Rival Biome). Combat is 1 vs 1. Each side calculates Power:

• Power = Herd size + Compete Frame Value + Morph Tokens + 2 dice

The Herd with the lower Power loses Dinos equal to the difference. (Page 15.)

The Tyrannosauroidea (teal) player moves their Herd and Attacks the Dromaeosauridae (blue) player.

• Dromaeosauridae (blue): 4 Dinos + 3 Compete strength + 3 dice roll = Power 10.
• Tyrannosauroidea (teal): 3 Dinos + 8 Compete strength + 1 dice roll = Power 12.
• The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player loses 2 Dinos.

Evolve Action

For each Home Biome displayed in the Evolve Frame that contains a Herd, one Evolve Marker may be moved one step (Size, Reproduction, Diet, or Adaptation). For each Marker moved, shift the two Action Frames linked to that marker. (Page 14.)

The player has a Herd in their Home Biome Shrublands. They Evolve by moving 1 Evolve Marker [sic: printed as "Evolve maker"] and the 2 corresponding Action frames 1 step.

3. Collect Morph Token

To collect a Morph token, three conditions must be met:

1. A Herd is present in a Biome containing a Morph token.
2. The species matches the Morph's requirements.
3. The Morph is not already on the Dino board.

One Morph token may be collected per turn. Collected tokens may replace printed Morphs (by covering them) or other Morph tokens (which are discarded). (Page 23.)

The player has a Herd in the meteor crater with a Morph token. They pick it up and place it in the free spot next to their pre-printed Morphs.

4. Attrition

At the end of each turn, remove 1 Dino meeple from each Herd located in a Rival Biome (shared with another player's Herd), or a tundra. In deserts, each Herd is reduced to half the species' starting Herd size, rounded down. (Page 13 & 19.)

The acting player (teal) removes 1 of their Dinos in the Rival Biome to their supply at the end of their turn.

Endgame

The game continues until the Map is filled with Territory tiles. This triggers the last round of the game. Each player now performs 1 last Action in player order. The player who placed the last tile will get the final turn.

Challenge Cards

Each game has 5 CHALLENGE CARDS and the additional 1 TIEBREAKER CHALLENGE CARD. Each of the 5 cards is worth 1 victory point, counted at the end of the game. The tiebreaker card is only used to settle any ties.

For the Morpher Challenge card save any lost Morph tokens as these count as well.

Challenge Tokens

Some of the Challenges are tracked during gameplay by CHALLENGE TOKENS. The Acting Player collects 1 token each time they do what the specific Challenge card says. The player that has the most tokens of a certain type at the end of the game gains that Challenge card, worth 1 victory point.

The Acting Player takes the corresponding token:

• When they Migrate into a new Biome on a newly placed tile. (Migrate token)
• When their Nest Hatches. (Hatch token)
• When they Compete and remove 1 or more of the Defender's Dinos. (Compete token)
• When they Stomp a Nest. (Stomp token)

Victory Count

When the game is over, the players go through each CHALLENGE CARD. All Challenge cards, except the Tiebreaker, are worth 1 victory point each. If 2 or more players are tied for a Challenge, use the TIEBREAKER CHALLENGE CARD to decide the winner. If they are still tied, no player scores a victory point from that card.

NOTE: Nests without any accompanying Dinos are not counted as a Herd. Herds in Rival Biomes are only counted in the Rival Challenge.

The player who has won the most cards is the winner. If several players have won the same number of cards, the Tiebreaker Challenge card is used to separate them. If there is still a tie, share the victory!

Example: The Ceratopsia (orange) and the Ornithopoda (red) player are tied for the last Challenge, B: Builder. They settle the tie by who is in the lead for the Tiebreaker, A: Explorer.

Example: The Ceratopsia (orange) player won the Builder Challenge, and is now tied for the victory with the Ornithopoda (red) player. The Ceratopsia (orange) player has the lead for the Tiebreaker Challenge, A: Explorer, and is the winner.

Strategy Tips

By the designer Jon Manker.

Biomes and Movement

• You can move in many ways. Migrate moves a Herd. Spread lets you place a Nest 1 step away (that will hatch next turn). Compete also includes movement before a battle.
• You don't always need a new tile. You can Migrate into an existing Biome. Easy and fast!
• Build big Biomes. If you increase or merge Biomes on the Map when placing a tile, your Dinos can move farther in one action. In particular if the Herd is already on a merged Biome.
• Water Biomes: Use Water tiles strategically. They match anything when placed. But your Herds can never stay on water and crossing it requires Morphs. Placing water tiles wisely can create barriers and protect your Herds from rivals.

Tips for Small Dinos

• Distract your rivals. A small group of Dinos in a Rival's area can force them to waste a turn to remove you, or lose Dinos to Attrition if they don't!
• Use sacrifice wisely. Losing some Dinos can be worth it if it helps you get into a better spot or restart in a better area.
• Strength in Numbers: Smaller dinosaurs can compete with larger ones by the size of the herd or by Attacking when Biomes are merged so they end up with bigger herds.
• Team Strength: In Team games the combined Combat strengths count, which can make smaller dinos win against bigger ones, also with smaller Herds, if Herds from different players in the same team coordinate their movement.
• Smart Battles: When you move into a Rival's Biome, you don't always have to fight immediately. Sometimes waiting or moving in a small Herd without Attacking can set up more powerful future Attacks.

Friendly Competition

• Team Up: Temporary alliances with other players can help tackle stronger opponents. Cooperation can be just as exciting as competition!
• Team game: There are rules for actually playing in teams. This may be an excellent alternative for families or to introduce new players.
• Watch out for dangerous areas. Ending your turn in a Rival Biome or in a Desert/Tundra means losing Dinos. Try to avoid it! Unless you have a plan for it, such as causing others Attrition.
• Extinction isn't the end. If all your Dinos are gone, you get to restart anywhere on the map. You can even switch species within your Dynasty! Sometimes, going extinct is the smart move.

Evolving Your Dinosaurs

• Plan Ahead: It's beneficial to have a clear idea about how you want your dinosaurs to evolve. For example, improving your Herd size (for better movement) or Compete strength (for effective battling) can be a huge advantage.
• Using Double Biomes: Pay special attention to the double Biome Evolve spaces, as these allow you to evolve two steps at once and also enhance your simultaneously adding Dinos and placing Nests.

Events and Winning

• Expect changes. Events can change the map a lot. Try to guess where they'll show up and stay ready.
• Be the one placing Events. If you place an Event (during Migrate), you control where it goes. That's powerful!
• Establishing dominance: These give helpful upgrades like stronger Attacks, camouflage, movement over water or better protection for Nests. They can make a big difference.
• Focus on the Challenges: Always keep an eye on the Challenge Cards, as these determine who wins. Avoid unnecessary battles and try to align your actions with the current Challenges.

Actions

1 of the 4 Actions Each Turn

Each Action is represented by a 3x3 square on the Dino board. The Actions are modified by the value found in the Action frames in this 3x3 square. A player can not choose to do as much or as little of an Action as they like, they have to do as much as possible according to the Action frame value. Added abilities with Morph tokens are optional.

Fact Box: Dinosaurs were diverse, and scientists are still discovering exciting new potential theories on their different behaviors. While some dinosaurs would incubate their eggs and protect their nests constantly, some of them trekked to remote areas to lay their eggs in secluded places, hiding them with leaves, sticks or warm soil. Then the adults would leave them until they hatched, letting the newborns find their own way.

This is reflected in Dino Dynasty by the way players Spread. Adding Dinos to an already existing Herd is a simulation of a Herd taking care of their Nests and raising their young. But to Spread to new Biomes, players have to take the risk of leaving their Nests unprotected, hoping that they will survive until their next turn, with the advantage of expanding the area where they live.

Spread

Add Dinos/Nests to the Map

Select 1 Herd. Add Dinos to this Herd or place a Nest in an Empty Biome (not Water) 1 move away. The standard move is 1 step away orthogonally, but Morphs that affect movement also count when making a Nest. The Spread level shows the number of Dinos a player can add and/or how many Dinos a Nest can give when it Hatches.

The number of Dinos in a player's supply is limited. If a player has no Dinos available in their Supply the Nest does not Hatch. The Nest stays until it gets Stomped or Hatches in a future turn.

The number 2 inside the Dino head means that the player can add 2 Dinos to a Herd. The 2 inside the egg shape means that a player's Nest can Hatch 2 Dinos.

If a player's Spread level has both Dino and Nest icons, the player can choose if they want to add Dinos or make Nest. If a player's Evolve Action frame show 2 Home Biomes, a player adds both Dinos and make a Nest, which has to be with the same Herd.

The player's 2 Home Biomes for Evolve, and a Spread level with both a Dino head and an egg shape, lets them add both Dinos and the Nest with the same Herd.

If a Nest survives a full round without being Stomped by their Rivals, it automatically Hatches at the start of the player's next turn. The player removes the Nest to their supply, replacing it with up to as many Dinos as the Spread level is showing. The player then performs 1 Action.

The player replaces the Nest with 2 Dinos.

Migrate

Move 1 Herd

Choose one of the following:

• Move 1 Herd 1 step to another Biome.
• Place 1 of the top tiles from the Territory piles on the Map AND move 1 Herd, to EITHER:
  • a Biome on the placed tile
  • a Biome on a different tile (that is not on the tile they came from) passing through the placed tile.

The number of Dinos moved is the Dino's Herd max. The standard move is 1 step from 1 Biome (not tile) to another. (Page 12.)

Territory Placement

The Map in Dino Dynasty is created during gameplay by Territory tiles. On these tiles there are Biomes, where player's Dinos live. Before moving a Herd, a player may place 1 Territory tile.

Take a tile from the top of any of the 4 Territory piles and place it in an empty square inside the Map borders, where one of the Acting player's Herds can move to it. (Page 13.)

When placing a tile, players are not allowed to flip a tile to its other side, but may freely rotate the tile to find a good Biome match.

NOTE: A Territory tile that is picked up must be placed, as the one underneath is revealed!

The player picks 1 of the 4 open tiles in the Territory tile piles, rotates the tile however they want and places it according to the placement rules of matching tiles on the Map.

At least 1 General Biome on 1 side of the tile has to match at least 1 General Biome on an adjacent tile. Tiles only match orthogonally, not diagonally.

The 2 tiles with badlands match each other. The shrubland does not match diagonally.

Water on the tile being placed can match any Biome, but Water on tiles already on the board only matches Water.

When placing Water it matches any Biome. Water on the board has to match to Water.

If none of the top 4 Territory tiles fits anywhere on the Map, a player may discard 1 tile at a time, from either pile, until a tile that can be placed appears. This tile has to be placed. The tile may be an Event.

Event tiles are placed on top of existing tiles, but how they are placed depends on a dice roll. (Page 17.) The Acting player has to move a Herd onto the Event tile after the Event if they can.

NOTE: Players can only match new tiles with Water adjacent to Event tiles on the Map.

FACT BOX: Since each game portrays about 5 million years, the Actions of the Dinos are simplified simulations. A Herd of Dinos exists freely inside their Biome, where they are at home, have plenty of food and thrive. Relocating to a new Biome is a bigger change, which is reflected by the 1-step cost to move to a new Biome. Any individuals in a Herd of Dinos will of course change many times during this period. Each Dino meeple illustrates many dinosaurs over many generations, so even 1 Dino is considered a Herd.

Herd Movement

A Herd moves to a different Biome across the white lines that separate the Biomes. Note that it is Biomes that count, not tiles. Biomes may stretch over several tiles. The standard move is 1 step orthogonally across a white line to another Biome. Movement is not diagonal and not across Water. Water Biomes cannot hold Herds or Nests.

The player can move to 4 different Biomes with an orthogonal move 1 step.

All Dinos in the Biome, up to Herd max, must move when Migrating. If the Herd is bigger, the exceeding Dinos are not moved.

With a Herd max of 4, the player have to bring all 3 Dinos in the first Herd. The second Herd of 5 Dinos exceed the Herd max. They player moves 4 Dinos, leaving 1 behind.

If the Acting player does not place a Territory tile, they move any 1 Herd according to the Herd movement rules on the existing Map. But if the Acting player places a Territory tile, the move has to be done to or through a Biome on this tile.

The player places the left tile, and moves from the shrubland to the badlands, a biome stretching into the new tile.

The player places the middle tile. Their Morph token allows them to move 2 steps. They move through the badlands on the new tile and continue into the forest.

If a player places the new tile so that their existing Biome expands to the new tile, they must move away from the placed tile.

The player places the middle tile and extends the shrubland Biome they already inhabit. They move 1 step to the adjacent forest.

Some Morphs affect movement, allowing players to take 2 steps, move diagonal or across Water, and these effects are optional. But a player that can move 2 steps can not move 1 step, Compete, Stomp a Nest or pick up a Morph token, and then continue moving. They have to stop to do any of the mentioned Actions.

Stomp a Nest

If a Herd ends its Migration in a Biome with a Nest and no Dinos, they Stomp the Nest and discard it to its owner's supply.

The Ceratopsia (orange) player moves into the Biome where the Titanosauria (white) player has a Nest and Stomps it.

Stuck on the Map

If a player wants to place a Territory tile but has no access to an opening in the Map with any of their Herds, they may place a Territory tile anywhere, following placement rules. They also have to place their Nest on a Biome on that tile.

The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player is stuck in the Forest in the top left corner, and can not place a Territory tile and Migrate to it. Instead they place a new tile elsewhere with their Nest, and hope it will survive to Hatch a new Herd.

Rival Biomes

A player can choose to move their Herd into the same Biome as a Rival during the Migrate Action. This is not a Compete Action, so no fight will occur. Instead, the Herds will coexist on the tile making it a Rival Biome.

After a Compete Action, if a player does not manage to remove all opponent Dinos, it also becomes a Rival Biome.

• Rival Biomes cause Attrition: 1 Dino is lost at the end of the Acting player's turn.
• A Rival Biome does not count when checking Challenges, except the Rival Challenge.

The Camouflage Morph only protects a player against Attack or Stomp, not from Rival Attriation.

1. The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player's Herd is in a Rival Biome. They lose 1 Dino from their Herd at the end of their turn due to Attirition.

2. The Tyrannosauroidea (teal) player stands in 2 Rival Biomes at the start of their turn. Unless they move with 1 Herd, they will lose 1 Dino from each Herd at the end of their turn.

Isolated Biome

An Isolated Biome is a Biome that only exists on 1 tile, completely surrounded by other Biomes and/or the Map borders. Isolated Biomes are relevant for the Hermit Challenge card.

In both examples the indicated Biomes are Isolated Biomes, since Biomes does not match diagonally. All other tiles have Biomes that span more than 1 tile or still have open sides, and are therefore not Isolated Biomes.

Evolve

Move Evolve Markers

A player modifies the effects of their Actions on their Dino board by taking the Evolve Action. The player moves 1 Evolve marker 1 slot per Home Biome where they have a Herd in and then move the 2 linked Action frames to align with the new slot. This normally makes one Action stronger and the other weaker. When a player can move 2 slots it can be done in any combination. The new value in the Action frames counts after the Evolve Action is completed.

The Ceratopsia (orange) player has 2 Home Biomes, and have a Herd in each type. They can Evolve 2 steps. They want to be able to Migrate with a bigger Herd.

First, they move their reproduction Evolve marker and the linked Action frames 1 step to the right. They decrease their Spread level, but increase their Herd max from 6 to 7. Second, they move their diet Evolve marker and the linked Action frames 1 step down. They increase their Herd max to 8, but change to only 1 Home Biome.

The next time they want to Evolve, they must have a Herd in a forest Biome, and can only Evolve 1 step.

FACT BOX: The different traits and behaviors of the dinosaurs, and how that impacted their lives, were of course much more complex than the simplification used in Dino Dynasty. With the fact-filled books by Johan Egerkrans as a guide, the designers have picked 4 important aspects and created a narrative where no one behavior is better than another. Instead, each choice is linked to another, impacted by several conditions, such as the environment in the different Biomes, the set Challenges and the choices made by Rival players. To further add variability, each species' 3 Home Biomes are based on their real preferred habitats, but simplified to match the Biomes of the game. With each game spanning millions of years and a changable Map, the designers aimed for variation in each step to make Evolve a more dynamic Action. Hopefully, this will create an exciting and replayable game where no one choice is always the strongest or the best.

The Evolve markers simulate 4 fundamental characteristics in a Dino species.

• SIZE: A bigger Dino is stronger and can Compete more easily, but smaller Dinos tend to Spread faster.
• REPRODUCTION: High reproduction will help the Dinos Spread, but juvenile Dinos are more vulnerable when they Migrate.
• DIET: A varied and plentiful Diet will support a bigger group of Dinos that Migrates together. But a smaller group will Evolve quicker.
• ADAPTATION: Dinos that can adapt to the environment will Evolve more easily. But the Dinos that adapt quickest are small Dinos in small groups, making them more vulnerable to Attacks.

Compete

Move 1 Herd and Attack

Move 1 Herd 1 move into a Rival's Biome and Attack the Rival's Herd. The standard move is 1 step orthogonally, the same as with Migrate, and can be adjusted with Morph tokens. A moving Herd can not be bigger than its Herd max.

The Titanosauria (red) player has a Herd max of 2. They move 2 Dinos from their Herd of 3, leave 1 behind, and Attack the Ornithopoda (red) player.

A Herd already standing in a Rival Biome can Attack without moving, with the full Herd. The Herd max only limits the size of a Herd being moved. As with Migrate, if the Acting player already has a Herd in the Biome they move to, those Herds merge before the Attack.

The Titanosauria (white) player have a Herd of 3 Dinos in a Rival Biome with the Ornithopoda (red) player. They also have a Herd of 1 Dino in an adjacent Biome. Their Herd max is 2. They can either Attack with just the Herd of 3, or first move the Herd of 1 to form a Herd of 4.

If a Rival has the ability to protect their Nests with Dinos, the player has to Attack the Herd first. If the Attack succeeds and all Dinos are removed, the Nest is also destroyed.

If a Rival Biome with more than 1 Rival is Attacked, the Attacker has to choose 1 of the Rivals in there to Attack. Any other Rival is unaffected.

NOTE: Whenever players lose Dinos or the Nest, they are returned to the player's supply, and can be used again.

Compete Resolution

Each player counts their Power:

POWER = Herd size + Compete strength + Morph tokens + 2 Compete dice roll.

If Morph abilities grant players optional re-rolls, the Attacker makes any re-rolls first.

The player with the lowest Power removes as many Dinos as the difference in Power.

The Dromaeosauridae (blue) Attacker has Herd size 5 + Compete strength 6. After the dice re-rolls from their Morphs, they add +1 and has a Power of 12.

The Tyrannosauroidea (teal) Defender has Herd size 1 + Compete strength 9 + 3 Compete dice roll. Their Sharp Teeth Morph only allows re-rolls in an Attack, but the Horns add +1 in Power. Their Power is 14. The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player loses 2 Dinos.

If both players still have Dinos in the Biome after the Attack, they will be Rivals in this Biome. They will suffer Attrition there until they are alone again, losing 1 Dino from the Herd at the end of each of their own turns. This will affect the Attacker first, since the Attack is done during their turn.

After the Attack, the Dromaeosauridae (blue) player loses 1 additional Dino to Attrition at the end of their turn.

Extinction!

A player can become Extinct, as in having their last Dinos removed from the Map. But in Dino Dynasty players are lucky!

The player gets to restart on their turn by placing their starting number of Dinos in any Empty Biome. All their trackers and Morph tokens remain in their places. After placing their Herd, the player takes 1 Action.

The player may choose to freely change to any another species to continue playing as (Page 26.)

Biomes & Events

General Biomes

The General Biomes are representations of different terrains that covered the planet during the Cretaceous period. The Biomes are central to the game and are tied into the Actions.

Biomes are important for area control in the Migrate and Compete Actions, affecting the reach a Herd has and how they can move. To perform an Evolve Action a player has to have Herd(s) in the Home Biome(s). A player with 2 Home Biomes can also both add Dinos and make a Nest if their Spread level allows it.

Water can never be inhabited. Players can not cross Water unless the species has a Morph that allows crossing Water.

The General Biomes are: Forest, Rainforest, Swamp, Shrubland, Badlands and Water.

FACT BOX: The General Biomes consists of 5 different common land types inhabited by many of the Cretaceous dinosaur species. Each species Home Biomes are based on what is presumed about their real habitats. With a warmer climate all over the Earth and abundant plant life, different types of forests were dominant. Divided into forests and rainforests, which appeared late in the Cretaceous era, this also makes them the most common Biomes in Dino Dynasty. Swamps, formed by rainfalls and floodings, usully provided forested areas with plenty of nutrients from the water. The more arid places consisted of open plains with rugged vegetation in shrublands, and dry and barren environments with extensive rock formations in badlands.

Lakes, rivers, seas and oceans were continually changing during the Cretaceous period, with freshwater and salty oceans mixing and separating. This is represented in Dino Dynasty by the fact that a Water Biome can match any Biome when placed on the Map, but only matches other Water tiles when positioned on the Map.

Water was necessary for the growth of plants and the spreading of nutrients, but also created divisions impacting how Dinos could spread across the planet. While many species of dinosaurs are conjectured to have been able to swim, or use winglike structures to glide, this is a limited ability in the game. Instead, players have to navigate the obstacles of Water breaking up the inhabitable Biomes.

Event Biomes

In addition to the General Biomes, there are Event Biomes of 2 types, Permanent and One-time. Event Biome tiles are mixed with the General Biomes in the Territory tile piles. Expanding Event tiles are kept separate. Events are carried out in 4 steps:

1. Placement
2. Effect
3. Add Morph tokens
4. Put top tiles on the bottom

Permanent Events: Desert, Floodplains, Tundra.

One-time Events: Meteor Crater, Mountain, Volcano.

1. Placement

If an Event tile is on top of a Territory pile the Acting player can choose to play it as part of the Migrate Action and must move to the Event if able.

• Roll the Biome dice and place the Event tile on top of 1 Territory tile with the indicated Biome on the Map, covering the tile completely. If there are several alternatives the Acting player decides where to place it. Herds or Nests in Biomes not stretching outside the covered tile now stand in the Event Biome.
• If there are no Biomes of the rolled type the Event is discarded to the bottom of a Territory pile.

The Event can be placed on top of either of the 4 tiles with a forest.

Event Biome tiles may be removed from some effects. When this happens, Expanding Event tiles are returned to the supply and Event Biomes are discarded. Morphs, Herds and Nests are affected if the discarded Event Biome has:

• 2 or more tiles. Keep any Morph tokens, Herds and Nests in the Biome, on one of its other tiles.
• 1 Tile with Tile(s) under. Remove any Morph tokens. Herds and Nests that were on it are placed in any 1 Biome on the revealed tile (owner's choice, in player order) .
• 1 Tile and no underlying Tile. All Morph tokens, Herds and Nests are returned their supplies.

FACT BOX: The Event Biomes consist of 6 different types of land with more extreme conditions. The One-time Events are Biomes that could involve more immediate and extensive changes in the environment. Mountains are formed by tectonic plate movements, that create upthrusts of land, can cause earthquakes and even tsunamis. Volcanoes that erupt create toxic fumes, the lava can spread forest fires, creating an arid volcanic landscape with little vegetation and shelter. An impact crater is formed by a meteorite hitting the Earth. While many small meteorites can have a relatively small impact, a giant meteorite can have catastrophic consequences. The Chicxulub crater in Mexico is thought to be from a meteorite that caused the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous era.

Two of the Permanent Biomes have particularly harsh environments. A desert is an arid Biome, with little or no vegetation and a scarce supply of food, water and shelter. Since the Earth was much warmer during the Cretaceous period, the tundra was not as cold as today. With occasional frost, snow or ice, the main challenge for dinosaurs that lived here was the several months of complete darkness that suspended the growth of vegetation. The last Permanent Biome, floodplains, is a Biome with small waterways and rivers that flood on and off making its ground extra fertile. This is the only Event Biome that has a direct positive impact on the Dinos in the game.

2. Effects

Permanent Events

The Permanent Events are slow shifts in nature or climate that have continuous effects in the game.

Choose a Biome of the type rolled with the dice and check how many tiles it stretches over. Place the initial EVENT TILE on top of a tile and add EXPANDING EVENT TILES on top of every other tile in the same Biome. Look through the pile of Expanding Event tiles to find the correct Biome.

Both regular and Expanding Event tiles of the same Biome type counts as 1 Biome on the Map.

Herds or Nests in Biomes not stretching outside the covered tile now stand in the Event Biome. The Event Biome can also become a Rival Biome.

The initial Event tile should be placed on a tile with a forest Biome. There are 4 tiles to choose from, but 2 forest Biomes where both 2 tiles may be affected.

The Event will span over all tiles in the Biome and the Acting player can pick either tile to cover first. However, consider that Expanding Event tiles can run out or be moved on or off the Map.

The Titanosauria's (white) Herd and Oviraptorosauria's (purple) Nest remain in their Biomes that stretches outside the Event tile. The Acting player places an Expanding Event tile on top of tile C. The A and B tiles are in a separate forest Biome.

The Tyrannosauroidea (teal) player now stands in the Event Biome together with the Dromaeosauridae (blue) player's Nest. Since they are the Acting player and they are playing the Event with the Migrate Action, they can Stomp the Nest.

If the Acting player finish their turn standing in the Event Biome just placed, they Stomp any unprotected Nest there. Otherwise any Nest will remain in the Biome until it either Hatches or gets automatically Stomped by a Rival, whichever player's turn is first.

A: If the Tyrannosauroidea (teal) player had chosen the other available forest Biome, the finished placement of the Event would have looked like this. It appears like the forest spanned further, but the forest tiles underneath is part of a different Biome than the forest tile below.

The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player's stand in the Event Biome with their Herd and protect their Nest. Any Rival have to Attack the Herd to remove the Nest.

B: If the Event ends with 2 or more Rivals in the same Biome, but none of them are the Acting player, the effects happen in player order on their turns. If it is the Ornithopoda (red) player's turn first, they will Stomp the Ceratopsia (orange) player's Nest. If the Ceratopsia player comes first their Nest Hatches.

The 6 Expanding Event tiles are double sided, with 4 of each of the 3 Biome types. If the Expanding Event tiles of the kind being placed run out, the Acting player may pick up any tiles from the Map, with the correct Event Biome visible. If none are visible on the Map either, no tile is placed.

A: The Acting player places a new tundra tile in a Badlands Biome, and need 2 more tiles. There are no Expanding tundra tiles left, so they can pick tiles from the Map. If they pick 1–2 tiles from B, the Ornithopoda (red) Herd and the Morph token will remain in the tundra, spanning the tiles that are left. If they pick the tile from C, the Morph token is returned to the bag. The Ceratopsia (orange) Herd will either end up in a Biome on the tile underneath, or if there is no tile, be removed to its player's supply.

The Event tile is moved, and with no tile underneath, the Herd and Morph tokens are removed.

The Permanent Biomes' Effects Are:

• DESERT: Herds here are reduced to half the species Starting Herd size, rounded up, at the end of the Acting player's turn, as a special type of Attrition. [Transcriber note: this page prints "rounded up"; page 7 prints "rounded down" for the same Desert rule. Both are transcribed as printed; the printed rulebook is inconsistent on this point.]

With a starting Herd size of 7, the Oviraptorosauria's (purple) desert Herd of 5 is reduced to 3. Nests are unaffected.

• FLOODPLAINS: For each Herd a player has in a floodplains Biome they may move any Evolve marker 1 extra step during their Evolve actions.

With 2 Home Biomes and a floodplains Herd, the Oviraptorosauria's (purple) can Evolve 3 steps.

• TUNDRA: Herds on a tundra lose 1 Dino at the end of the Acting player's turn as extra Attrition. Rivals in a tundra lose 2 Dinos at the end of their turn.

The Oviraptorosauria's (purple) Herd in the Rival tundra loses 2 Dinos to Attrition at the end of their turn.

One-time Events

One-time Events are severe catastrophes that have an immediate effect on the tile where they are placed, and all tiles within a radius of 1 tile, which means up to 9 tiles in total.

Herds and Nests in a Biome that is completely covered by the new EVENT TILE are placed in the Event Biome. But if the Biome stretches outside the Event tile, they remain in their Biome. Herds and Nests in Biomes that stretch outside the 9-tile square survive the Event without losing any Dinos or Nests.

After the One-time effect, the One-time Events are harmless and are considered a separate Biome, that counts the same way as any other Biome.

The mountain Event is placed on the middle tile, where the Tyrannosauroidea (teal) player's Herd in the swamp is placed. The Titanosauria (white) player moves their Herd to either forest tile in their Biome.

One-time Effects on the 9 Tiles

1. First each player moves all their Herds and Nests in Biomes that stretch outside the 9-tile square to an unaffected tile of their current Biome.
2. Then, remove the event specific number of Dinos and all Nests inside the Events 9-tile square.
3. Flip the adjacent tiles specified by the Event pattern, other Events are removed instead of flipped. The player who lost the most Dinos/Nest flips the tiles (if tied, player order determines). If no Dinos/Nest were lost, the Acting player flips the tiles. Flip 1 tile at a time and match it according to the placement rules. Water counts as wild on the flipped tiles. Events and Tile(s) that does not match are removed. All removed tiles are retuned to the bottom of their piles.

Players on flipped tiles, or tiles revealed underneath removed Events, choose in which Biome to place their Herds/Nests. With no tile underneath, the Dinos/Nest are returned to the player's supply.

• METEOR CRATER: First move the Herds or Nests in Biomes stretching outside the 9-tile square to an unaffected tile of their Biome. Then all Nests and all Dino in each Herd inside the 9-tile square are removed. At last, all adjacent tiles are flipped (Events removed).

The Meteor Crater is placed on a badlands tile. The Tyrannosauroidea (teal) Herd stays in their Biome, but lose the Herd because it is inside the 9-tiles. The Ornithopoda (red) player's shrubland Herd and Nest are removed, but their forest Herd escapes. The Titanosauria (white) player's swamp Herd is removed, but their Nest and rainforest Herd survives.

The Ornithopoda (red) player lost the most Dinos and Nest and flipped the tiles. The floodplains Event was removed, and revealed a tile underneath. This tile is not rotated and does not need to match. 2 other flipped tiles was removed since it did not match.

• MOUNTAIN: First move the Herds or Nests in Biomes stretching outside the 9-tile square to an unaffected tile of their Biome. Then all Nests and half the Dinos rounded up in each Herd inside the 9-tile square are removed. Last, all diagonal adjacent tiles are flipped (Events removed).

The mountain Event is placed on a forest tile. The Titanosauria (white) player moves their Herd to either forest tile in their Biome. The Tyrannosauroidea player's (teal) Herd in the previous Biome is placed on the mountain tile.

The Ceratopsia (orange) Herd and the Titanosauria (white) Nest are in rainforest Biomes stretching outside the 9-tile square and are safe from the Event.

The Ornithopoda (red) player's Herd in the tundra is also unaffected, and the Morph token remains.

The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player's Herd and Nest, the Titanosauria (white) Herd and the Tyrannosauroidea (teal) Herd are all inside the affected 9-tile square.

The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player's Nest is removed, and they lose 2 of 3 Dinos in their Herd. The Titanosauria (white) Herd loses 1 Dino, and the Tyrannosauroidea (teal) Herd loses their only Dino.

The Dromaeosauridae (blue) player flip the diagonal tiles and remove the Events. With no tile underneath the desert, they lose their remaining Dino. The Morph token is returned to the bag.

The Ornithopoda (red) player remains in the tundra outside the affected area, with the Morph token.

• VOLCANO: First move the Herds or Nests in Biomes stretching outside the 9-tile square to an unaffected tile of their Biome. Then all Nests and half the Dinos rounded up in each Herd inside the 9-tile square are removed. Last, all orthogonal adjacent tiles are flipped (Events removed).

The volcano is placed on a Water tile next to the Map border. The affected tiles are all within a radius of 1 tile, so an Event next to the border only affects the 6 tiles inside the Map.

The Titanosauria (white) player's Herd is safe outside the 9-tile square, and so is the Nest in the rainforest that stretches outside the affected area.

The Ornithopoda (red) player's Herd in the rainforest is safe outside the affected area. They move the Herd in the forest to an unaffected tile of their Biome outside the 9-tile square.

The Oviraptorosauria (purple) player's Herd loses 3 Dinos, and they get flip the orthogonal tiles.

The Oviraptorosauria (purple) player flips the 2 available orthogonal tiles and matches them according to the placement rules.

The mountain Event tile is in a diagonal position from the Event, and is not removed. Events are only removed when they are in the flipping position. The tile remains with the Morph token.

3. Add Morph Tokens

The extreme conditions created by the Event may generate opportunities to Morph. After carrying out all effects for the Event, the Acting player draws 2 MORPH TOKENS from the bag and add them to the Event Biome. Morph tokens are added to both Permanent and One-time Events.

A Morph token can be picked up as a free Action, either before or after a player takes their regular Action. A player may only pick up 1 Morph token per turn, and only one that matches their Major group and Size group (see next page).

The Acting player Tyrannosauroidea (teal) draws and places 2 Morph tokens in the tundra and pick up 1 token before the end of their turn.

FACT BOX: The big changes from One-time Events usually have ripple effects elsewhere, from climate change or other such causes. The aftermath represents these effects, bringing different culminations to each Event. Changes in the environment could also be part of what triggered changes in dinosaur species. Therefore, Morph tokens are added to the Event Biomes, simulating the dinosaurs ability to develop new traits and behaviors.

4. Put Top Tiles to the Bottom

After the Event, the 4 top tiles of the Territory piles are placed at the bottom of each pile. If another Event tile is revealed, it is also removed to the bottom of a pile.

Morph Tokens

Morph tokens are physical traits and behaviors that give the Dino species different abilities. The Morph tokens make optional adjustments to the 4 Actions. These adjustments can be added together if they affect the same Action.

A player can collect 1 Morph token once during their turn, if they have a Herd in an Event Biome with a Morph token in it. Each Dino board has room for 3 Morph tokens, with 1–2 pre-printed. Additional Morph tokens can cover a preprinted one, or replace a Morph token already on the board. Replaced Morph token are returned to the bag.

The player picks up a Morph token an either places it in an empty slot or on top of a pre-printed one.

A player can not take a Morph that is already on their board, either pre-printed or as a token, except if they want to revert to a pre-printed Morph they have covered. In that case, they have to collect the ability as a token, remove the token covering the pre-printed one and place both tokens in the bag.

Special Cases

• A player with diagonal movement chooses diagonal or orthogonal movement between each step if they can move more than 1 step. Diagonal steps only requires the tiles corners to meet.
• A player that can move 2 steps can not move 1 step, Compete, Stomp a Nest or pick up a Morph token, and then continue moving. They have to stop to do any of the mentioned Actions.
• Camouflage protects a player from Attack and from having their Nest Stomped. It does not protect the player from Attrition.
• The brooding Morph allows a player to move 1 of the Dinos from the Herd that makes a Nest into the Biome where the Nest is made.

Limitations

The Dynasties are divided into 3 Major groups: Theropoda, Sauropodomorpha and Ornithischia.

The icon for the Major group is found in the top left corner before the name of the species. 1: Theropoda, 2: Sauropodomorpha and 3: Ornithischia.

The Dino species are divided into Size groups between 1–6.

The size is seen in the diagram in the bottom left corner. The Ceratopsian Psittacosaurus is size nr 2.

Some Morph tokens fit any Major group and Size. But some tokens are limited to a particular group and/or size. To be able to pick up a Morph token:

• The Dynasty's Major group icon has to be in dark gray on the Morph token.
• The Size group has to be in the dark gray range on the Morph token.

FACT BOX: The Morph categories and the special abilities they give are an imagined and simplified interpretation of the actual advantages these traits and behaviors gave the dinosaurs. While some are more well-known and established, others are more uncertain. Even though all species start with a limit of 1–2 Morphs, a lot of the species actually had several more of these abilities and traits. The game highlights some of the most prominent for each species. When a player changes Morph abilities, they will not lose the physical trait altogether, but the feature is no longer so prominent that they keep the advantage in gameplay.

How can a Patagotitan be camouflaged? Since each round is roughly 100 000 years and a full game is around 5 million years, the design team have made a lot of simplifications. The camouflage Morph is an ability for babies and young Dinos of a species, while big adults of course can not hide so easily.

Morph Token Reference

Each Morph lists its number of tokens in the game (xN), its effect, the Size groups it fits, and the Major groups (Theropoda, Sauropodomorpha, Ornithischia) it can be picked up by. Major groups are listed where the card shows the icon in dark gray.

• BEAK (x2). Effect: +1 Herd max. Size: 1 2 3 4 5. Major groups: Theropoda, Ornithischia.
• DECORATIVE CREST (x2). Effect: +1 Herd max. Size: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Major groups: all three.
• BROODING (x2). Effect: 1 Dino from Herd joins Nest. Size: 1 2 3 4. Major groups: Theropoda.
• DISPLAY FEATHERS (x2). Effect: +1 Dino when a Nest Hatches. Size: 1 2 3 4 5. Major groups: Theropoda, Ornithischia.
• BURROW (x2). Effect: Defend: +2 Power. Size: 1 2 3. Major groups: Theropoda, Ornithischia.
• FEATHERED TAIL (x2). Effect: Diagonal movement. Size: 1 2 3 4. Major groups: Theropoda.
• CAMOUFLAGE (x4). Effect: Hide from Attack in Home Biome(s). Size: 1 2 3 4. Major groups: all three.
• HORNS (x2). Effect: +1 Power. Size: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Major groups: all three.
• CLAWS (x2). Effect: Attack: Re-roll 1 dice. Size: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Major groups: all three.
• INSULATING FEATHERS (x2). Effect: Not affected by tundra. Size: 1 2 3 4 5. Major groups: Theropoda.
• COLONIAL NESTING (x3). Effect: Make a Nest in the Herd's Biome. Size: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Major groups: all three.
• LEKKING (x2). Effect: +1 Dino when a Nest Hatches. Size: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Major groups: all three.

NOTE: Some Morphs are only found pre-printed on specific Species, these are explained on their corresponding player aid.

Game Variants

Dynasty Game

In the Dynasty Game variant, only 1 DINO BOARD from each Dynasty is available. This is called the Current species and is stored in the DYNASTY SAVE ENVELOPE with the active side facing the player. During setup, step 2, players choose 1 of the DYNASTY SAVE ENVELOPES instead of one of the DINO BOARDS. The envelope may also contain Morph tokens and a saved Territory tile that is used in a Campaign.

The EVOLVE MARKERS and ACTION FRAMES always start in their standard positions, regardless of where they were when the species was placed in the envelope. If a Dynasty's SAVE ENVELOPE is empty, any DINO BOARD can be used from that Dynasty.

Save Between Games

Each player places in the SAVE ENVELOPE:

• Their Current species' PLAYER AID.
• Their Current species' DINO BOARD with any collected MORPH TOKENS.
• The NEST and the Current species' number of DINOS, or 1 Herd in Campaign mode.
• 4 EVOLVE MARKERS and 4 ACTION FRAMES.
• In a Campaign players also save 1 TERRITORY TILE from a Biome where they have a Herd (can not be a Rival Biome) to be placed in a Territory position during the next setup.

Change Species

At the end of a game or if a player goes Extinct, a player can choose to change their Dynasty's Current species. Any action frame that has values on the old species that exist on the new species should start there. If the value on the old speceis does not exist on the new species and the frames for these are not set by alligning to value sliders, the action frames start on their starting positions.

Make this check in the following priority order Spread – Migrate – Evolve – Compete. If an Action Frame is set the slider has to follow and then a following frame has to allign.

When changing species, the pre-printed MORPH(S) on the Current species are discarded, but any extra MORPH TOKENS collected are kept, as long as their group and size requirements fit the new species. All Action frame values for each Dino in a Dynasty can be found on the Dynasty's player aid.

If players start a new game directly after changing species, the starting positions of the Evolve markers are the values a player achieved when making the change, instead of the pre-printed starting positions. If the new species is stored in the Save Envelope, the Evolve markers start on the pre-printed positions in the next game.

The Tyrannosauroidea player wants to change from Moros to Tyrannosaurus Rex. They Evolve so that each Action frame has a value that can also be found on Tyrannosaurus Rex. There is an overview of all species in each Dynasty on the Dynasty's player aid.

Team Game

Dino Dynasty can be played in teams. There can be 2 players in each team, but at the most 6 players in total. It is also possible to combine individual players and teams.

In a Team Game

• Players place themselves as spread out around the Map as possible, to prevent the same team from taking consecutive turns.
• Players are not allowed to Attack each other within a team.
• Players can not make a Nest in a Biome occupied by their team-mate (except with Colonial Nesting Morph). The team-mate can Migrate into a Biome that already has a Nest to protect it. A Rival team have to Attack the Dino Herd and remove all Dinos to Stomp the Nest.
• Players do all their Actions individually, and their Dinos Morphs and Action frame values are restricted to their own species. If players have Herds in the same Biome their Powers are combined during the Compete Action, both as Attackers and as Defenders. They calculate their Herd size + Compete strength + Morph tokens individually, and then combine these sums to a roll of 2 Compete dice per team. A team can divide any losses in any way they want.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex (teal) player Attacks the team with Olorotitan (red) and Microraptor (blue).

Tyrannosaurus Rex (teal): 3 Dinos + 9 in Compete strength + 3 dice roll = Power 15. Their Morph token, Sharp Teeth, lets them re-roll 1 dice.

Olorotitan (red): 4 Dinos + 1 in Compete strength + 1 Power from the Long Tail Morph token = 6. Microraptor: 3 Dinos + 1 in Compete strength = 4. Their strength together is 10 before a joined dice roll, making their Power 12. They lose 3 Dinos.

• A Biome counts as a Rival Biome only if Dinos from 2 different teams are there at the same time. Dinos from the same team can coexist there without Attrition at the end of their turn. When losing Dinos to Attrition, each player only loses Dinos at the end of their individual turn. Restarting in a Biome with a team mate is allowed.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex (teal) player lose 1 Dino at the end of their Attack.

• If a team wants to Attack together, one team-member must first move, using the Compete or Migrate action, into a Rival's Biome. The other team-member can on their turn move and Attack the Rival in the same Biome, and can then add their team-member's Power to the Attack.

The Triceratops (orange) player is team-mates with the Tyrannosaurus Rex (teal) player. On their turn, they also Attack the same Rival team, an can add the Power of the Tyrannosaurus Rex (teal) to their Power.

• Players compete for the victory together. The Challenge cards are scored together, with players pooling all Challenge tokens and Herds. If both players of a team have a Herd each in the same Biome, that Biome is only counted once.

Team play can be done in a Campaign as well, in which case the teams remain the same through all 5 Scenarios. Their victory positions are counted as a team, including when counting how many Rivals are beaten. See Campaign on page 28.

Campaign Game

A Campaign roughly represents 25 million years of dinosaur history! Gameplay continues in 5 consecutive Scenarios from A to E, where the different Scenarios will affect each other, leading to an epic struggle. Players can draw Scenarios at random or continue with the same name for all 5 Scenarios.

The Campaign always uses the Dynasty game variant mentioned previously. Each player keeps their Dynasty during all 5 Scenarios, but can choose to change current species between Scenarios, see page 26. A player changing species adjusts the number of DINOS to the new species' Dino supply amount, removing them from the Map if necessary.

A Campaign may also be combined with the Team rules. (Page 27.)

Setup Modifications

During setup of the 1st Scenario in a Campaign, an A size Scenario card has to be used. Apart from this, the game is set up as a normal game.

For Scenario B–E, setup for the next game is as follows:

1. The starting player is the player who has the least CAMPAIGN TOKENS, then proceed in clockwise order.
2. Reshuffle all Challenge cards and redraw according to the normal setup, step 3.
3. The SCENARIO CARD should be from the next size in turn, B, C, D or E. Depending on the situation, follow one of these two alternatives:

A. If playing immediately or if the components have been untouched since the last Scenario, the Map is kept with all tiles, Morph tokens and Herds remaining as they were. The starting player selects which side to use on the new Scenario card. Then they add Map borders and decide in which direction the Map is expanded. Only Ocean tiles and Event tiles located in empty spaces will be placed.

After Scenario A is finished, the players continue to Scenario B with the existing Map and all Herds and Nests intact. The starting player expands the Map borders in either direction and places any Event tile or Ocean tile in empty slots. 1: In this Scenario an Event is placed in the indicated slot.

B. If the Map is not saved between games, each player saves 1 TERRITORY TILE and the Herd from a Biome where they have a Herd. It can not be from a Rival Biome. During setup of the next Scenario, players begin by placing the saved tile and the Herd in one of the Territory positions on the Scenario card.

Players both pick tiles and place them during setup in order from the player with the least to the player with the most Campaign tokens. Then the rest of the Territory, Event and Ocean positions are filled as usual.

The Oviraptorosauria (purple) player has the least number of Campaign tokens and get to pick first. They take tile nr 1. The Titanosauria (white) player can choose tile nr 2 or 3. They can not save the tile with only a Nest.

4. Shuffle the Territory tile piles, adding any discarded tiles to the mix.

Winning a Campaign

The game continues until the Map of each Scenario is filled with Territory tiles, at which point the players gets 1 more turn. At the end of each Scenario, players calculate their victory position (1st up to 6th place) using the Challenge cards.

Reward Campaign token to each player, as many as the number of players they beat. Players do not get points for players they are tied with.

The players calculate their victory position after the first Scenario. 1: The Ornithopoda (red) player won with 3 cards and gets 3 Campaign points, 1 each for the players they beat. The 3 remaining players all got 1 card each and settle the tie with the Tiebreaker Challenge card. 2: The Tyrannosauroidea (teal) and the Oviraptorosauria (purple) players are also tied in the Tiebreaker Challenge. They share 2nd place and get 1 Campaign point each for the Titanosauria (white) player that they both beat. 3: The Titanosauria (white) is in last place, and gets no Campaign points. They are the starting player in the next Scenario.

New Challenge cards are drawn for each of the 5 Scenarios.

The player with the most Campaign tokens after the 5th Scenario is the winner! In case of a tie, use the Tiebreaker Challenge card in the last Scenario. If there's still a tie, share the victory!

Stasis Variant

Play solo or increase player count.

For unknown reasons, dinosaur species, perfected by evolution have emerged in evolutionary stasis form. The lack of evolutionary change threatens the entire ecological balance on Earth. Outcompete the Stasis Dino to save the world!

Stasis Components

1 STASIS DECK with 18 cards.

Setup Modifications

1. Give the Stasis a random DINO BOARD and all the Dynasty's DINOS, regardless of the max number shown in the Dino board's bottom left corner. Place 3 of the ACTION FRAMES in the max values for Spread (bottom left), Compete (top left) and Migrate (bottom right). They stay there throughout the game since Stasis never Evolve.
2. Draw a SCENARIO CARD based on duration and difficulty (A= Short & Hard, B = Longer & Medium) and set up the Map (C, D and E cards are not recommended for solo). Put the Territory piles in a row with a clear leftmost to rightmost order.
3. Place the Stasis DINO BOARD next to the Map in the bottom right corner, counted as south east.
4. The player(s) choose different Dynasties than the Stasis and sets up as normal (p. 4) choosing any starting Biome to place their starting Herd.
5. The Stasis starts with 3 Herds on the Map. The Dino's size determines how many Dino's are in each starting Herd:
   • Size 1–3 starts with Herds with 4, 3 and 2 Dinos.
   • Size 4–6 starts with Herds with 3, 2, and 1 Dinos.
6. Place each Herd on different Territory tile (not Event tile), in descending Herd size order, in the southernmost Biome possible if tied easternmost.
7. The Stasis variant uses 6 of the 12 CHALLENGE CARDS: Migrator, Builder, Procreator, Hatcher, Conqueror and Stomper. Draw 4 from the 6 Challenge cards.
8. The has 18 cards of 3 different types based on their first action. Divide into these 3 types and shuffle each type separately.

Sequence of Play

The player starts the game and their actions function as in a normal game.

The Stasis flips a card and performs 1 action on that card. Continue playing until the end of the game is triggered. (Page 31).

The Stasis Turn

• A. Stasis Nest Hatches based on its Spread level.
• B. Flip the top card of the Stasis deck and perform the first action it can fully complete.

If it can not fully complete the action, skip to the next action on the card. In the unusual event that the Stasis can not perform any of the 3 Actions; discard it and flip and perform the next card. If the deck is ever empty when it should flip a card, perform step 10 in setup and flip a new card.

General Rules

• Easy mode: If a player goes Extinct, restart as normal. (Page 15.)
• Legendary mode: If a player goes Extinct, they can not restart, instead they are out of the game but keep their Challenge tokens.
• Manker mode: In addition to Legendary mode the player(s) can not use the Camouflage ability against the Stasis.
• If the Stasis goes Extinct it always restarts following Stasis Restart. (Next page.)
• The Stasis never Evolve, it has no Home Biome.

Stasis and Morphs

• Camouflage ability can not be used by the Stasis.
• The Stasis uses the Morphs that are collected, pre-printed and modifications stated on a card.
• The Stasis will collect 1 Morph token during their turn, if they have a Herd in an Event Biome with a Morph token in it.
• The Stasis will choose a Morph following the normal requirements except that it can have any number of different Morphs. If it has multiple valid choices it takes one at random. If it has no valid choice, put one of them back into the bag.

General Priorities for Stasis

The Stasis follow the Priorities stated in rules and cards. The ">" sign is used to divide different priorities in a row, where the prio is from left to right.

General Tiebreaker: North > West.

Stasis Restart

As the Stasis whole turn it places 1 Herd based on its Starting Herd size in the Largest Empty Biome.

Activate Herd Priority

• Smallest or Largest Herd (stated on card) counting the number of Dinos in a Herd.
• Closest Herd is based on the fewest number of steps on Biomes in play (include Morph effects).

Spread and Hatching

If the Stasis has no available Dinos in their supply, they will perform another action. If the Stasis Spread level is a single icon, it counts as having value 1 Nest/Dino of the missing one.

Compete

The Stasis always Attack with the Largest possible Herd if it has multiple choices. The Stasis will not Compete if they have -3 Power or less compared to the targeted player Herd. If Stasis can attack multiple players, roll a dice – lowest roll gets Attacked.

Migrate

The Stasis can only move Dinos up to its Herd max. The Stasis is not always required to move to a new Biome when Migrating, as stated on card. If Migrator challenge is in play, Stasis gains a migrate token everytime it places a new Territory tile.

Move

The Stasis will not enter a Biome with a single Dino if it would cause Attrition.

Choosing Tile Priorities

Territory Tile from Pile Priority

Territory tile matching Biome on tile with Activated Herd > leftmost pile.

Placing Event Tile Priority

• Which Biome to place on: To win the game > Biome where the player(s) lose the most Herds > Biome where the player(s) lose the most Dinos > Least amount of lost Stasis Herd(s) > Biome that stretches the most North > West.
• Which tile in the Biome to place on: Least amount of lost Stasis Herd(s) > Tile where the player(s) has the largest Herd > North > West.
• Resolve the Event: The player(s) and Stasis lose Dinos according to the One-time Events effect, or the Permanent effect.

Flip tiles as normal (p. 20) and add Morph tokens and refresh the top tiles as normal. If a flipped tile can be placed in multiple orientations, the Stasis places it in first possible in rotating it clockwise.

If Stasis is on an Event tile that is removed and there is no tile underneath, the Dinos are removed. If there is a tile underneath it chooses the largest Biome on the new tile.

Placing Territory Tile Priority

Expand the Smallest/Largest (stated on card) Biome counting the number of tiles that are part of the Biome. Orient the tile so that it matches both Biome types (except Water) if possible, otherwise expand towards the player. Rotate the tile clockwise to the first possible match. Water may be used as wild when placed. If still tied, North > West.

End of the Game

The game immediately ends either when:

• all players goes extinct (the Stasis directly wins).
• the Map is completely filled.

Score the Challenges as normal (p. 8) except: The Stasis wins all ties.

Glossary

ACTION: Players perform 4 different Actions in the game; Spread, Migrate, Evolve and Compete. They are modified according to the values in their Action frames on the Dino board. These values are referred to as Spread level for Spread, Herd max for Migrate, Home Biome for Evolve and Compete strength for Compete. (Page 10–15.)

Actions: Spread, Migrate, Evolve and Compete.

ACTING PLAYER: The player who is taking their turn is the Acting player.

ATTRITION: A player loses 1 Dino per Herd in a Rival Biome, deserts, and tundras, at the end of their turn. If several effects give Attrition, they are added together. Nests are unaffected. (Page 13, 18–19.)

With a starting Herd size of 7, the Oviraptorosauria's desert Herd of 5 is reduced to 3. They also lose 1 Dino to Rival Attrition at the end of their turn.

ATTACKER: The Attacker moves their Herd into a Biome with a different player's Herd in a Compete Action. (Page 15.)

BIOME: The game consists of 6 General Biomes and 6 Event Biomes, represented by Territory tiles, Event tiles, and Expanding Event tiles. They make up the Map where players perform most of their Actions. (Page 16–17.)

CAMPAIGN: A Campaign is a way of playing where 5 games are played sequentially with an increasing Map size. Campaign tokens are used to determine the final winner. (Page 28–29.)

CHALLENGE: The game consists of 12 different Challenge cards, drawn during setup. At the end of the game, the player who has collected the most Challenge cards wins. (Page 8.)

CHALLENGE TOKEN: 4 of the Challenges require players to keep track of the number of times they manage to accomplish a Challenge. The players collect Migrate, Hatch, Stomp or Conquer tokens if the matching Challenge is in play. (Page 8.)

COMPETE: 1 of the 4 Actions. The value inside the Action frame is the Compete strength. Move 1 Herd 1 move into a Rival's Biome and Attack their Herd. Players Compare their Power = Herd size + Compete strength + Morph tokens + 2 Compete dice roll. The player with the lowest Power removes as many Dinos from their Herd as the difference in Power. (Page 15.)

3 Herd size + 6 Compete strength + 1 Power horns + 3 dice roll = 13 Power + 1 sharp teeth Attack re-roll.

CURRENT SPECIES: In the Dynasty game rules, the Current species is the Dino board that is active and allowed to be played in a Dynasty. (Page 26.)

DEFENDER: The Defender fights the Attacker when one of their Herds is targeted by an Attacking player's Herd in a Compete Action. (Page 15.)

DINO: The dinosaur shaped meeples that players use on the Map. Each species of Dino has a limit to how many Dino meeples they have, shown in the bottom left corner of the Dino boards. (Page 4.)

The Microraptor in the Dromaeosauridae Dynasty starts with a Herd of 8 Dinos on a free T on the Map. Their total number of Dinos are 16.

DYNASTY: A family of dinosaur species that are related to each other. (Page 4.)

EMPTY BIOME: A Biome without any player presence, neither a Herd nor a Nest, is an Empty Biome. It can be of either Biome type, including Events, and may have Morph tokens.

EVENT: When a player places a tile with an Event Biome, an Event happens in 3 steps: placement, effect and Morph tokens. (Page 16–22.)

EVENT BIOME: There are 6 Event Biomes; the Permanent Biomes desert, floodplains and tundra, and the One-time Biomes meteor crater, mountain and volcano. (Page 15.)

The Event Biomes and their respective icons.

EVOLVE AND EVOLVE MARKERS: 1 of 4 Actions. The value inside the Action frame is the Home Biome(s). Move 1 Evolve marker and the 2 linked Action frames 1 step for each Home Biome shown in the Action frame where the player has at least 1 Herd. (Page 14.)

The Ornithopoda (red) player has 2 Home Biomes, and a Herd in each type. They Evolve 2 steps, either with different or the same Evolve marker.

EXPANDING EVENT TILES: 6 tiles marked with a roundish terrain shape with the Biomes desert, floodplains and tundra. They are kept separate from all other Territory tiles, and added during Permanent Events. (Page 18–19.)

EXTINCT: A player becomes Extinct if their last Dinos or Nest are removed from the Map. The player gets to start over the next turn. (Page 15.)

FRAME VALUE: The current value of a player's Actions, as shown inside the 4 Action frames on the Dino board. The values are referred to as Spread level for Spread, Herd max for Migrate, Home Biome for Evolve and Compete strength for Compete. (Page 10–15.)

Frame value for Spread level, Herd max, Home Biome and Compete strength.

GENERAL BIOME: The game consists of 6 General Biomes that players combine to create the Map. They are forest, rainforest, swamp, shrubland, badlands and Water. (Page 16.)

The General Biome are forest, rainforest, swamp, shrubland, badlands and water.

HATCH: If a player's Nest survives a full round, it automatically Hatches at the start of the player's next turn. The player replaces the Nest with as many Dinos as the Spread level shows, and then performs 1 Action as usual. (Page 10.)

The Tyrannosauroidea's (teal) Spread level is 2. When the Nest Hatches they replace the Nest with 2 Dinos.

HERD: A group with any number of Dinos of the same species inside 1 Biome is counted as a Herd. The Herd max is only considered when Migrating. (Page 11–12.)

ISOLATED BIOME: A Biome that only exists on 1 tile, completely surrounded by other Biomes, with tiles and/or the Map borders. Isolated Biomes are relevant for the Hermit Challenge card. (Page 13.)

MAJOR GROUPS: The Dinos are divided into 3 Major groups: Theropoda, Sauropodomorpha and Ornithischia. Which Major group a Dino species belongs to affects which Morph tokens can be added to the species. (Page 23.)

The icon for the Major groups are 1: Theropoda, 2: Sauropodomorpha and 3: Ornithischia.

MAP AND MAP BORDERS: The Map is built using Territory tiles, inside the Map borders. The borders are puzzled together to define and limit the Map area, according to the size indicated on the Scenario card. (Page 4–5, 11.)

MIGRATE: 1 of the 4 Actions. Place 1 Territory tile and/or move 1 Herd, as many Dinos as possible up to the Herd max. If a tile was placed the move has to be to/through a Biome on the new tile. The standard move is 1 step from 1 Biome to another. A Nest without Dinos to protect it, where the player ends their turn, are Stomped. (Page 11–13.)

The Ceratopsia player places a tile that expand their Biome, move through it and Stomps the Rival Nest.

MORPH ABILITY AND TOKENS: Morphs are different traits that give the players optional adjustments to the 4 Actions. A Dino board can hold 3 Morphs, as pre-printed abilities or added tokens, and they have to be different. (Page 23–25.)

NEST: Players with the egg icon in their Spread level can make a Nest in an Empty Biome 1 move away. It Hatches at the start of the player's next turn, and give the Spread level number of Dinos. (Page 10.)

The player's Spread level shows an egg icon and they can place the Nest. It Hatches 2 Dinos.

OCEAN TILE: There are 4 separate Ocean tiles that are only placed during setup on some Scenario Cards. (Page 4.)

ONE-TIME EVENT: The One-time Events are meteor crater, mountain and volcano. They have immediate effects in a 9-square grid when they are placed. (Page 17, 20–21.)

PERMANENT EVENT: The Permanent Event are desert, floodplains and tundra. They have effects that remain as long as any of its tiles are in play. (Page 17–19.)

RIVALS AND RIVAL BIOMES: Opposing players are called Rivals. Players ending their turn in a Biome with a Rival will lose 1 Dino to Attrition. (Page 13.)

The acting player removes 1 of their Dinos in the Rival Biome to their supply at the end of their turn.

SCENARIO: At the beginning of each game, draw a Scenario card. The card shows any predetermined tiles and the possible starting positions for the players. (Page 4, 28–29.)

SIZE GROUP: Each Dino is divided into a Size group between 1–6. Which Size group a Dino belongs affects which Morph tokens can be added to the species. (Page 23.)

The size is seen in the diagram in the bottom left corner. The Ceratopsian Psittacosaurus is size nr 2.

SPECIES: The Dino Species that is represented on 1 Dino board side. Each Dynasty has 3–5 Species.

SPREAD: 1 of the 4 Actions. The value inside the Action frame is the Spread level. Following the Spread level, add Dinos to an existing Herd and/or make a Nest in an Empty Biome 1 movement away. A player with 2 Home Biomes adds both Dinos and a Nest if the Spread level allows it. (Page 10.)

The player has a Spread level with 1 Dino or 1 Nest. They can either add 1 Dino or make a Nest that will be replaced with 1 Dino when it Hatches. If they have 2 Home Biomes they can do both.

STOMP: With the Migrate Action, a player can destroy a Rival player's Nest by ending their move in a Biome with an unprotected Nest. If a player has the ability to protect their Nests with Dinos, an opponent has to take a Compete Action and remove all Dinos in order to also Stomp the Nests. The camouflage Morph also protects the Nest from Stomping. A Stomped Nest is returned to the player's supply. (Page 13.)

The Ceratopsia (orange) player Migrates their Herd 1 step and Stomps the Dromaeosauridae (blue) player's Nest.

TERRITORY TILES: Players place Territory tiles from the 4 Territory piles with the Action Migrate to build the Map. The game has 80 Territory tiles with General Biomes and 16 tiles with Event Biomes. The tiles are double sided with different Biomes on either side. (Page 4, 11.)

Player draw tiles from a choice of 4 open top tiles.

TIEBREAKER CHALLENGE: 1 Challenge card is drawn as a Tiebreaker Challenge during setup. It is kept separate and is only used to break any ties in scoring at the end of the game. (Page 4, 8.)

WATER: 1 of 6 General Biomes. Water can match any Biome when placed, but only matches other Water tiles when positioned on the Map. Dinos may not have a Herd in a Water Biome or cross Water unless they have a Morph ability that allows this. (Page 11.)

When placing Water it matches any Biome. Water on the board has to match to Water.