Mesozooic
Mesozooic Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 6 Director Cards
- 66 Basic Cards (6 Sets of 11 Cards)
- 12 Neutral Cards
- 20 Advanced Cards
- 6 Reference Cards
- 1 Sand Timer
- 1 Scorepad
Setup
Before playing your first full game of Mesozooic, you should play a single learning round to familiarize yourselves with the game.
These orange sidebars contain special rules for the learning round; disregard them for future games.
When setting up a learning round, resolve only steps 1–4 of setup.
- Place the sand timer and scorepad in the middle of the table.
- Each player takes a reference card.
- Each player takes one double-sided director card and the set of basic cards with matching icons.
- Players set their director cards aside.
- Gather each player's basic cards and shuffle them all together with the neutral cards to create a facedown deck. Return all remaining cards to the box.
Note: If you wish to play with advanced cards, see "Advanced Cards" below.
Playing the Game
In Mesozooic, you build dinosaur zoos by quickly sliding cards within a grid to arrange them and score points. The game is played over three rounds, and each round includes three steps: choose, build, and score.
For the learning round, skip the choose step and start with the build step; you will use only the cards from your director's set.
Choose
You begin each round by choosing the features you want in your zoo. Deal 11 cards from the deck to each player, then set aside the rest of the deck; it is not needed until the end of the round.
Players simultaneously choose cards for their zoos. To do so, look at your cards and choose two of them to keep; place chosen cards facedown in front of you. You can look at your chosen cards at any time during the choose step.
Then pass the remaining cards to the next player. Repeat choosing two cards and passing remaining cards until you have chosen 11 cards (the final time cards are passed, you keep the last card).
In the first round of the game, pass cards clockwise. In the second round, pass cards counterclockwise. In the third round, pass cards clockwise.
Build
Shuffle your cards. Then one at a time, randomly place your cards faceup in a 4x3 grid, placing from left to right starting with the top row and proceeding down. The bottom-right space of your zoo is left empty for now—the empty space will move as you build, and after building you will place your director card in that space. Orient all cards upright, and make sure to leave some space between the cards.
Sliding Cards
The cards within your zoo move like the tiles in a sliding puzzle. Using only one hand, slide one card at a time into the empty space of your zoo (creating a new empty space) to rearrange the features in your zoo.
You can slide cards as quickly as possible and as many times as you like within the time limit. You cannot rotate cards or slide cards outside of your zoo.
All players have 45 seconds to simultaneously build their zoos by sliding cards to line up features and score points.
Before sliding begins, players should take a moment to look over their cards and plan their zoos. When all players are ready, one player counts down aloud: "3...2...1...GO!" Then flip the sand timer, and all players start sliding their cards.
When the sand timer runs out, you must immediately stop sliding cards.
Score
Place your director card in the empty space of your zoo. Then you score points based on how well you arranged and combined the features in your zoo. Record scores for the round on the scorepad.
The various zoo features score differently, as explained below. Some cards may show multiple features, which each score separately. There are reminders of how each feature scores on the front of the reference cards.
The art for some features varies from card to card; these cosmetic differences do not affect how the features score. For example, within a completed enclosure, the dinosaur types do not need to match, and the three types of attractions score the same way regardless of their appearance.
Enclosures
Score 6 points for each completed herbivore enclosure (horizontal) or carnivore enclosure (vertical).
Attractions & Trucks
For each attraction, score 2 points for each maintenance truck next to it (not diagonally); your director has a truck.
You can score multiple times for an attraction if there are multiple trucks next to it. If an enclosure blocks a truck from an attraction, the truck does not score for that attraction.
Monorails
Score 4 points for each monorail connection.
Topiary
Score 1 point for each topiary anywhere in your zoo.
Scoring Example
- Completed Enclosure: 6 points
- Attraction/Truck: 2 points (four separate attraction/truck pairs score 2 points each)
- Blocked Attraction/Truck: 0 points
- No Monorail Connection: 0 points
- Monorail Connection: 4 points
- Topiary: 1 point (two topiaries score 1 point each)
Total: 6 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 20 points
End of the Round
After finishing the learning round, you are ready for a full three-round game. Set up the game using the standard rules.
After you finish scoring, either prepare the deck for the next round or, if you have finished the third round, the game ends (see "Game End" below).
To prepare for the next round, players set aside their director cards as before. Gather all cards from players' zoos and shuffle them together with the deck to create a new facedown deck. Then begin the next round.
Game End
After you have finished scoring the third round, the game ends. To determine your total, drop your lowest score and add up your two remaining scores. The player with the highest total wins!
In case of a tie, the tied players compare their dropped scores; the tied player with the highest dropped score wins. If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.
Adjusting Difficulty
When playing with less experienced players, any player can choose to follow one or more of the following restrictions in order to level the playing field:
- While building, use only your non-dominant hand to slide cards (if you are right-handed, use your left hand, and vice versa).
- During the build step, when the sand timer is flipped, slowly count down aloud from five before you start sliding cards.
- At the end of the game, drop your highest score instead of your lowest score.
For Young Players
You can use one or more of the following suggestions to simplify the game for young players:
- Skip step 5 of setup and skip the choose step each round; all players build their zoos using only the cards from their director's set.
- Return three of each player's cards (not directors) to the box and play using a 3x3 zoo.
- When the sand timer runs out, flip it a second time to double the time allowed for building.
Advanced Cards
You can include advanced cards in your game to add more variety to Mesozooic. Advanced cards add new challenges, so do not include them until all players are comfortable with the standard game.
Advanced Setup
To set up a game with advanced cards, do not shuffle in the neutral cards when creating the deck. Instead, shuffle in a number of advanced cards (either your choice or randomly selected) based on the number of players:
| Players | Advanced Cards |
|---|---|
| 2 | 5 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 11 |
| 5 | 13 |
| 6 | 16 |
Advanced Scoring
Advanced cards introduce new ways to score points and a special new effect. There are reminders of how advanced features work on the back of the reference card.
Gates
Score 3 points for each gate that is in the correct row of your zoo. If the gate shows blue arrows pointing to the top of the card, the card must be in the top row to score. If the gate shows orange arrows pointing to the bottom of the card, the card must be in the bottom row to score.
Gift Shop
Score 4 points for each gift shop that is in any corner space of your zoo.
T-Rex
Score 5 points for each T-Rex that is in a central space of your zoo.
Double Enclosures
Score points for the herbivore and carnivore enclosures as normal. You can score points for one or both of the enclosures.
VR Simulator
During the score step, each simulator becomes an exact copy of one card next to it (not diagonally). A VR simulator cannot copy another VR simulator. The VR simulator may score differently from the card it copies due to its location in your zoo.