Boardgames

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write

Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write combines dice drafting, worker placement, and puzzle-solving. Build your park, attract dinosaurs, and compete for victory points to win!

45
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is an exhilarating board game that transports you back to prehistoric times, where you’ll have the exciting task of managing your very own dinosaur park. The game encapsulates a fascinating blend of strategy, creativity, and thrilling dinosaur action.

The game is set against the vibrant backdrop of a dinosaur theme park, where you, as a player, take on the role of a park manager. Your main objective is to create the most impressive park filled with a variety of dinosaurs while ensuring the safety of your guests, thereby attracting more visitors and earning more points.

Read More

Setup and rules summary

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is a strategy board game that revolves around building your own dinosaur park and attracting as many visitors as you can. The game components work together to create an immersive experience. Here are the game’s components and their functions:

1. Game Board:

The game board is the main component where all the players interact with each other. It is divided into various sections, each representing a different aspect of managing a dinosaur park – such as the Lab, the Market, and the Paddock. Players will move their markers around the board to take actions and make decisions.

2. Dice:

A set of colorful dice is included, which are rolled at the beginning of each round to determine available resources. The dice outcomes affect the actions available to players during the round and can influence strategy and decision-making.

3. Player Sheets:

Each player gets a sheet that represents their dinosaur park. It’s used to keep track of various elements, such as the types and numbers of dinosaurs in the park, the park’s popularity, and the security level. Players write on these sheets throughout the game, marking off achievements and tracking progress.

4. Player Markers:

These are used to represent each player on the game board. The markers are moved around different sections of the board to indicate which action a player is taking.

5. Dinosaur Tokens:

These tokens represent the dinosaurs that players can add to their parks. Each token has a unique dinosaur illustration and shows how many visitors it attracts and how dangerous it is.

6. Visitor Tokens:

These tokens represent the visitors that come to the parks. Visitors are crucial because they generate points, which are needed to win the game. However, if a park’s security level isn’t high enough, these visitors can be eaten by dinosaurs!

7. Resource Tokens:

These tokens represent the various resources that players can collect and spend throughout the game, such as DNA, money, and electricity. They are used for actions like buying new dinosaurs, increasing park security, and making other improvements.

8. Achievement Cards:

These cards provide specific goals that players can strive for throughout the game. Achieving these goals provides extra points and can guide a player’s strategy.

All these components interact to create a fun and strategic game experience. Players must carefully manage their resources, keep their visitors safe, and attract the most visitors to win the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is an engaging board game that offers a thrilling combination of strategy and luck. To set up the game, follow the steps below:

  1. Player Roles:

    Each player takes on the role of a park manager. The goal is to attract the most visitors by creating the best dinosaur park. Each player will have a park board and a pen to manage their park.

  2. Board Placement:

    The main game board should be placed in the middle of the playing area so that all players can easily reach it. The main board contains a track for the round markers and spaces for dice and cards.

  3. Initial Resources:

    Each player starts with a certain number of resources as indicated on their park board. This usually includes a set number of coins, workers, and basic dinosaurs. It’s important to distribute these resources accurately at the beginning of the game for fair play.

  4. Random Elements:

    To add an element of unpredictability to the game, a set of dice is rolled at the beginning of each round. The outcome of these dice rolls determines the available DNA, workers, and other resources for that round. The available dinosaur recipes are also shuffled and drawn randomly.

  5. Setting Up the Market:

    There are three decks of cards in the game: DNA upgrades, park upgrades, and specialists. Each deck should be shuffled separately and placed in the designated spots on the main board. Then, draw and place cards in the market area according to the number of players.

Remember, the key to winning Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is to strategically manage your resources and park attractions to attract the most visitors. May the best dinosaur park manager win!

Game flow Round and round we go

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is a strategic game that requires players to build and manage their own dinosaur parks. The game is divided into several rounds with each round consisting of four distinct phases: Income Phase, Build Phase, Visitor Phase and End Phase.

Let’s elaborate on each phase:

1. Income Phase: In this initial phase, players collect income from the attractions they have in their parks. The amount of income is determined by the number and types of attractions each player has. More visitors mean more income.

  • Attraction Income: Players collect coins equal to the total star rating of their attractions.
  • Visitor Income: Players collect coins equal to the total number of visitors in their park.

2. Build Phase: This is the phase where players create their dinosaur parks. Each player has a personal park board where they can build attractions and dinosaur pens. They use coins collected in the Income Phase to purchase and place new attractions, dinosaur pens or upgrade existing ones.

  1. Buy and Place Attraction: Players can purchase an attraction tile from the market and place it in their park. The cost of the attraction tile is listed on the tile itself.
  2. Buy and Place Dinosaur Pen: Players can also purchase a dinosaur pen tile from the market and place it in their park. The cost of the dinosaur pen tile is also listed on the tile itself.
  3. Upgrade Attraction or Dinosaur Pen: Players can upgrade an existing attraction or dinosaur pen by paying the upgrade cost and replacing the tile with an upgraded one from the market.

3. Visitor Phase: During this phase, players attract visitors to their parks. The number of visitors each park attracts is determined by the total star rating of the park’s attractions and dinosaur pens. However, players must also manage the threat level of their park. If the threat level is higher than the security level, dinosaurs may escape and eat visitors, reducing the number of visitors and income in the next round.

4. End Phase: In the final phase of the round, players prepare for the next round. They can purchase new attractions and dinosaur pens, upgrade existing ones, and adjust their park’s security level. The player with the highest total star rating after the end phase is the first player for the next round.

The game ends after a certain number of rounds, depending on the number of players. At the end of the game, the player with the most victory points, earned by attracting visitors and building attractions, is the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is a strategy-based board game where the players assume the role of park managers. Your goal is to attract as many visitors as possible, while also ensuring that your dinosaurs are well taken care of and that security is maintained. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

Phase 1: Roll and Write

At the beginning of each turn, the active player rolls all the dice and places them on the board. Players can then choose to draft a die from the pool, and perform the corresponding action:

  • DNA Die: These dice allow players to collect basic and advanced DNA which are necessary for creating dinosaurs. The type and quantity of DNA obtained is indicated on the die.
  • Special Die: This die provides unique actions, such as increasing security, gaining coins, or attracting additional visitors.

Phase 2: Actions

After drafting dice, players can perform any of the following actions:

  1. Build: Players can construct buildings and paddocks on their park board. Each building or paddock provides different bonuses and abilities.
  2. Create Dinosaur: Players can use their collected DNA to create new dinosaurs. Different species require different combinations of DNA.
  3. Increase Security: Players can spend coins to increase their park’s security level. A higher security level reduces the risk of dinosaurs escaping and harming visitors.
  4. Attract Visitors: Players can attract additional visitors by spending coins. More visitors mean more points at the end of the game.

Players must keep in mind the strategic choices that each action presents. Building the right combination of buildings and paddocks can significantly boost your score. Similarly, creating diverse dinosaur species can attract more visitors, but also increases the need for higher security. Balancing all these factors is crucial to achieving victory.

Phase 3: End of Turn

The turn ends once all players have drafted dice and performed their actions. The game continues until the end game condition is met: when the public objective cards are completed, or when one player fills up their park board.

The player with the most points from visitors, buildings, and dinosaurs at the end of the game wins.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is an exciting game that brings players into a world of prehistoric adventure. The game ends when at least one player completes the requirements of their third objective card, or when the Public Objective card deck runs out.

Each player gets one more turn after the game end trigger, in order to give all players an equal number of turns. After this final turn, the game proceeds to final scoring.

Victory Conditions: The player with the most victory points (VPs) at the end of the game is declared the winner. Victory points can be earned in the following ways:

  • Points from completed Objective Cards.
  • Points based on the number of dinosaurs in their park.
  • Points from their park’s attractions.
  • Points from leftover resources.

Final Scoring: After the game end trigger, players must take the following actions before final scoring:

  • Calculate Dinosaur Points: Players earn points for each dinosaur in their park. The number of points each dinosaur is worth is listed on the player’s park board.
  • Score Objective Cards: Players reveal their completed Objective Cards and score the points listed on the card.
  • Score Attractions: Players earn points based on the attractions in their park. Each attraction has a unique scoring method listed on its card.
  • Score Leftover Resources: Players earn 1 point for every 5 leftover resources (coins, DNA, etc) they have.

After all points have been tallied, the player with the most victory points is declared the winner. In the case of a tie, the player with the most leftover resources wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most dinosaurs wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is a strategic board game where players aim to score the highest points by managing dinosaurs in their parks. The scoring in the game proceeds as follows:

In Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write, players earn points based on several factors:

  1. Dinosaur Exhibits: Players earn points for each dinosaur exhibit they have in their park. The more diverse the dinosaur species, the more points they can gain.
  2. Visitor Happiness: Points are awarded based on the happiness of the visitors in the park. The happier the visitors, the more points players earn.
  3. Park Facilities: Players can earn points for each facility they have built in their park. Different facilities have different point values.
  4. Research Progress: Points are also awarded based on the player’s progress on the research track. The further a player progresses, the more points they earn.
  5. Completed Objectives: Players earn points for each objective they have completed during the game.
  6. End of Game Bonuses: At the end of the game, players earn additional points for meeting certain conditions, such as having the most diverse dinosaur species or the happiest visitors.

After all scoring is completed, the player with the most points is declared the winner. If there is a tie, the game has specific tie-breaking rules. The tie-breakers are as follows:

  1. Most Dinosaurs: The player with the most total dinosaurs in their park wins.
  2. Most Visitors: If there is still a tie, the player with the most total visitors wins.
  3. Most Research: If a tie still remains, the player who advanced the furthest on the research track wins.

If a tie persists even after these tie-breakers, the victory is shared among the tied players.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write is a strategic roll and write game where players compete to create the best dinosaur theme park. While the game follows a general set of rules, there are specific rare or special rules and exceptions that players should be aware of. Here are some important rule clarifications:

1. Drawing Dinosaurs:

In Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write, you are allowed to draw dinosaurs anywhere in your park, as long as the space is not occupied by another dinosaur or building. The placement of dinosaurs does not affect the scoring or gameplay, except for the Thematic Park objective, which requires dinosaurs to be placed in specific locations.

2. Threat Level and Security:

Every time you add a dinosaur to your park, the threat level increases. If your park’s threat level exceeds your security level, visitors can be eaten by dinosaurs, which will lose you victory points. However, the threat level does not decrease when a dinosaur is eaten.

3. Special Building Rules:

  • Visitor Center: This building allows you to draw extra visitors during the visitor phase. However, you can only place one visitor center in your park.
  • Security Tower: The security tower adds to your park’s security level. There are no limits to the number of security towers you can have in your park.
  • Dino Research Lab: This building allows you to draw any dinosaur in your park without increasing the threat level. However, you can only have one Dino Research Lab in your park.

4. End Game Scoring:

At the end of the game, players score points based on the number of visitors in their park, the variety of dinosaurs, and completed objectives. However, players lose points for each visitor eaten by dinosaurs. Also, unused resources (like coins and DNA) do not score any points.

5. Tie-Breakers:

If there is a tie at the end of the game, the player with the most remaining coins wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most variety of dinosaurs wins. If there’s still a tie, the player with the highest security level wins. If there’s still a tie after all these, the victory is shared.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

1. Planning Ahead: In Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write, it’s important to have a strategy from the beginning. Select your dinosaurs carefully considering the visitors they attract and the danger they pose.

2. Visitor Management: It’s essential to balance the number of visitors and your park’s security level. Too many dinosaurs can increase threats, leading to visitor loss. Invest in security to keep threats in check.

3. Research: Utilize research to unlock powerful bonuses. Research can provide a significant advantage, from increasing your park’s attractiveness to improving your security.

Beginner Tips:

1. Focus on Security: As a beginner, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of creating dinosaurs. But don’t overlook security. It’s better to have a slower start with good security than to lose visitors to dinosaur threats.

2. Use Your Scientists Wisely: Scientists are critical for research and creating dinosaurs. Use them wisely. It’s not always best to use your highest-ranked scientist for every task.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Neglecting Security: Many players get excited about creating dinosaurs and neglect their park’s security. This is a common mistake that can lead to a loss of visitors and points.

2. Ignoring Research: Research is a crucial part of the game that some players overlook. It can significantly boost your park and provide you with essential benefits throughout the game.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

  1. Balance Your Priorities: A balanced approach is key to optimizing gameplay. This includes balancing the number of dinosaurs, your park’s security, and your research goals.
  2. Adapt Your Strategy: The game’s circumstances can change quickly. Be ready to adapt your strategy based on your current situation.
  3. Plan Your Turns: Take time to plan your turns ahead. This will allow you to use your resources more effectively and avoid costly mistakes.

Thematics

Mechanics

Download
Official Rules - EN