Dino Party Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Goal
• Setup
• Order of Play During an Epoch
  • 1. Throw the Dinos
  • 2. First Stage of Dino Returns
  • 3. Second Stage of Dino Returns
  • 4. End of Epoch
• Between Epochs
  • Tectonic Shifts
• End of Game

Game Goal

The game lasts 4 rounds, called "Epochs". Players throw Dinos onto the continent, trying to land them in the most favourable zones to grow their flock.

Key principles: two identical Dinos in one zone earn you an additional Dino. Some zones are better for breeding than others.

End of the game: the player with the most Dinos in hand at the end of the fourth Epoch is declared the winner.

Setup

Game boards: place three small game boards in the centre of the table with the Plains side facing up (as in the picture). This zone is called the Great Valley. Place three large boards around the Great Valley. These boards must be laid out so that the Ocean zones are not visible. All of these boards together are called the Continent. Surround the Continent with impassable Mountains.

Dinos: each player chooses a type of Dino and takes five matching figures into hand. The remaining figures go to the Reserve.

Cards: place the deck of cards next to the game board. Cards will be used starting from the second Epoch.

Order of Play During an Epoch

1. Throw the Dinos

Players take turns, or throw simultaneously (as agreed), throwing all of their Dinos one at a time onto the game board. When throwing, hands must not cross the boundary marked by the Mountains. Once all Dinos are thrown, their locations are determined. A Dino that lies in two zones at once may be moved to either one of them, at its owner's choice.

Two adjacent zones (sharing a border) of the same type are counted as one zone. (Yes, the Great Valley counts as one zone together with the neighbouring Plains.)

2. First Stage of Dino Returns

Each pair of Dinos of one type in the same zone returns to its owner.

• All Dinos in the Ocean or Space go to the Reserve. (Dinos that fell into the Ocean or Space are sent to the Reserve.)
• Plains or Jungles: for each pair of Dinos of one type on the Plains or in the Jungles, the owner of that type receives one additional Dino from the Reserve. (1 pair = +1.)
• Magic Caves: the coolest parties happen here! For each pair of Dinos of one type in the Magic Caves, the owner of that type receives two additional Dinos from the Reserve. (1 pair = +2.)
• Swamps: darkness and horror reign in the Swamps: no additional Dinos are issued here. (All = +0.)

3. Second Stage of Dino Returns

All remaining Dinos return to their owners.

• Lone Dinos in the Jungles: it is easy to get lost in the Jungles. If a Dino is left alone in a Jungle (there is no other Dino in the zone, not even an opponent's Dino), it is lost and stays on the board. Perhaps someone will come to its aid in a later Epoch. Careful: at the end of the game, lone Dinos in the Jungles count as lost.

4. End of Epoch

Summary of the Epoch steps as printed on the reference sheet:

1. Throw the Dinos. Dinos that land in the Ocean or Space go to the Reserve.
2. Return pairs of Dinos. Plains and Jungles: +1. Swamps: +0. Magic Caves: +2.
3. Return lone Dinos, but not from the Jungles!
4. End of Epoch, followed by the Between Epochs phase below.

Between Epochs

Tectonic Shifts

Time for change. The player with the fewest Dinos in hand is responsible for air pollution, rising sea levels and natural disasters. If two or more players have the same smallest number of Dinos, they share these responsibilities between them.

1. Air Pollution. The player draws two cards from the deck. These cards determine the special conditions for throws in the following Epochs.

The player picks one of the cards and shows it to all participants. This new rule applies to all players and remains in effect until the last Epoch inclusive.

The player gives the second card to one player of their choice. The player who receives the additional condition must follow it for the entire next round when throwing.

The nine card illustrations used for this rule are (as printed):

• On tiptoes
• Without the index finger
• Head tilted
• With an open palm
• Elbows pressed to the sides
• One eye closed
• On one leg
• With the left hand (the card shows a ≠ sign over the hand; the printed label reads only "with the left hand")
• Nose pinched

2. Rising Sea Level. The player chooses a large board piece (one of those laid out around the Great Valley) and flips it to its side showing Oceans. All Dinos stuck in the Jungles on that part of the board are sent to the Reserve.

3. Natural Disaster. The player flips one of the small board pieces (of the Great Valley) to its opposite side, depicting a natural disaster. All of these zones share one rule: all Dinos remain on them until the end of the game, unless they are pushed out by other Dinos.

4. Refresh. Each player takes two Dinos from the Reserve into hand (if there are any there). A new Epoch begins.

End of Game

At the end of the fourth Epoch, all Dinos in the Jungles or in natural disaster zones are considered permanently lost. Players receive one victory point for each Dino in hand. There may be several winners.