Pirates vs. Dinosaurs
Pirates vs. Dinosaurs is a game for 2-5 players by Richard Launius (designer of Arkham Horror) where players control pirate captains and their cutthroat crews, all with partial knowledge of the whereabouts of buried treasure on a forgotten Pacific island. The catch? They don't know the island is the final home of dinosaurs, survivors of millions of years, and they aren't happy to let outsiders explore their island. Of course, the pirates also don't know that the island is sinking or that there are other pirates looking for the same treasure. Who will get away with the most loot and become the pirate remembered by history? Before the game, players outfit themselves with a variety of crew, weapons, and gear before choosing the section of the island that they will explore, knowing that the jungle takes longer than the beach as they look for their parts of the map. The search can be interrupted as other players play dinosaur (and other) cards to cause mayhem and carnage. Once the treasure is located, players draw treasures from a bag, looking to avoid the pirate ghost and island sinking events, and return safe to their ship--a question of how far they'll go in pushing their luck.
User Reviews (1)
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You are pirates looking for a lost treasure on an island filled with dinosaurs and cannibals. The mechanics is play a card to hose your neighbor (have a t-rex attack them or a group of villagers steal some of their crew)..combat is dice based with crew numbers being both your attack strength and your health. You have a first mate with a special ability but all other crew are generic pirates. You are searching the island for the markers on the map to your treasure (and yes there are more then one hidden treasures on this same island)…once you get enough map makers you get to dig for the treasure and try to escape the island before you are killed or it sinks.
The game is likely slightly too hard for its target audience (5-8 year olds) but with a little help it can be played by them. It is a good game for 9-15 year olds and it playable by adults.
The rules work (at the 2-3 player level) more players would likely make for two long of wait between turns. It is a little to easy to get behind and if any player gets “picked” on early they can be out of the running quickly with no real chance to win or even come close. The game would likely work better if there was only one treasure and you had to deduce form other players actions where it might be buried and risk digging in the wrong spot. I think the captains in addition to the first mate should have some sort of “power” to have more replay value. The game components are fine but compared to AAA production values found in some games they are slightly lacking.