The Ludarium Academy · Full course · Free

Room to Roar

An unofficial Dinosaur Island course

Learn Dinosaur Island, teach it in ten minutes, and run a park where the dinosaurs draw crowds and the fences hold.

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Dinosaur Island setup: the research center with DNA dice, three face-up recipes that need a level 1, 2, or 3 scientist, and cold storage slots; the marketplace with rows priced $2 to $5, each holding an attraction, a lab upgrade, and a specialist; the track board with excitement at 1 and score at 10; objective cards and 2 plot twists; and the supply. Below, a player's lab with cold storage limits of 4 basic and 2 advanced, threat and security at 1, 3 scientists and 4 workers; a spot for up to 3 specialists; and a park with 1 dinosaur in the starting exhibit.Free printable teach sheetSetup, a turn, scoring, and three tips on one page.

Five levels, 18 lessons

Start with lesson one

  1. Level 0 · Learn to play

    Intern

    After this level: Set up, teach, and finish a full game, resolving every visitor, loose dinosaur, and final score by the rules without opening the booklet.

    1. 01How to Play Dinosaur Island
    2. 02How to Teach Dinosaur Island
    3. 03Dinosaur Island Threat and Security, Explained

  2. Level 1 · Beginner

    Keeper

    After this level: Open with a plan, spend scientists and market actions on purpose, and finish with no empty exhibits and no surprise visitors eaten.

    1. 04Your First Three Games of Dinosaur Island
    2. 05Dinosaur Island Openings: The First Two Rounds
    3. 06Dinosaur Island DNA and the Research Phase
    4. 07Dinosaur Island Market and Specialists

  3. Level 2 · Intermediate

    Geneticist

    After this level: Grow a lab that makes a dinosaur or two every round, pick recipes that pay at the end, fill your park to capacity, and count final scores before they happen.

    1. 08The Dinosaur Island Midgame: Building Your Lab Engine
    2. 09Dinosaur Island Recipes: Herbivores, Carnivores, and Paddocks
    3. 10Dinosaur Island Attractions and Visitors: Filling Your Park
    4. 11Dinosaur Island Endgame and Final Scoring Math

  4. Level 3 · Advanced

    Park Director

    After this level: Control when the game ends, read what rivals need from the research center and market, put odds on the visitor bag, and adjust for every player count.

    1. 12Dinosaur Island Objectives: Controlling When the Game Ends
    2. 13Reading Your Rivals in Dinosaur Island
    3. 14Dinosaur Island Odds: Hooligans, the Bag, and the Threat Die
    4. 15Dinosaur Island Player Counts, Plot Twists, and Variants

  5. Level 4 · Expert

    Founder

    After this level: Beat the seven round solo game with its bonus, add Totally Liquid with confidence, and follow a practice plan toward high scores at any table.

    1. 16Dinosaur Island Solo: Seven Rounds Against the Clock
    2. 17Dinosaur Island Expansions: Totally Liquid and the Spin-offs
    3. 18A Practice Plan for High Scores in Dinosaur Island

Every lesson is free to read here, any time. Sign up and they also arrive by email, one at a time, so the course keeps you learning between game nights.

Who it is for

  • New park managers who want the five phases clear before the first dice roll.
  • Hosts who teach Dinosaur Island to family, friends, or a new group.
  • Players whose parks keep losing visitors to loose dinosaurs, or whose exhibits sit empty at the end.
  • Anyone curious about solo play, Totally Liquid, and the spin-off games.
Players
1 to 4
Play time
60 to 120 minutes
Ages
Ages 8 and up
Rules as of
Dinosaur Island Rulebook 2.0, with solo rules (Pandasaurus Games, 2019)

Questions

How do you win Dinosaur Island?

Have the most victory points after final scoring. Points come from patrons each round, plus attractions, dinosaur exhibits, completed objectives, and leftover money at the end. If players tie, the one with more money left wins.

When does Dinosaur Island end?

The game ends when only one objective card is left unclaimed. Finish the round, then score. You choose short, medium, or long objectives at setup, which sets roughly how long the game runs.

What happens when threat is higher than security in Dinosaur Island?

Dinosaurs get loose. In the Park Phase, for each point your threat beats your security, one visitor is eaten, patrons before hooligans, and you lose 1 VP for each. Your threat that round includes the threat pips on the die in the holding area.

Can you play Dinosaur Island solo?

Yes. The base game has solo rules with 16 solo objective cards and a small AI deck that removes dice and market items each round. You play seven rounds, and objectives score more the earlier you finish them.

What does the Totally Liquid expansion add?

Totally Liquid adds a fifth player and several modules, including water dinosaurs, secret blueprints, executive workers, new facilities, and a Mega Rex. You need the base game to play it.

Teach sheet · PDF · Rules as described in the Dinosaur Island Rulebook 2.0, with solo rules (Pandasaurus Games, 2019); official rules.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with Pandasaurus Games. Dinosaur Island is a trademark of Pandasaurus Games.