Dinosaur Island Openings: The First Two Rounds

Dinosaur Island has no fixed opening. The dice, the face-up recipes, and the market change every game. But the first two rounds still have a shape, and players who follow it finish round two with a working park instead of a pile of DNA and nothing to spend it on.

What you start with

Take stock before the dice roll:

• Cash: $15 to $18, depending on seat. Later seats get more money to offset going later.
• DNA: 1 of each basic type, nothing advanced, with limits of 4 basic and 2 advanced.
• A park with one dinosaur, excitement 1, threat 1, security 1.
• 4 workers and 3 scientists at levels 1, 2, and 3.
• A lab with DNA Refinement I, Dino Research I, the Tool Bench, Venture Capital, and two Under Construction spaces.

With excitement at 1, a park that creates no dinosaur in round one draws a single visitor. The money and points that matter start once you have more dinosaurs.

Round one research: one recipe, then DNA

You get three scientist placements. A sensible pattern:

• Take a recipe you can fill soon. The herbivore slot needs only a level 1 scientist. Herbivores add 1 threat instead of 2, and many need mostly basic DNA. A cheap recipe in round one means you can create a dinosaur in round one or two.
• Claim the die that fits it. Your level 3 scientist triples a die. A die with two basic DNA becomes six, but your limit is 4 and you already hold 1 of each basic type, so only 3 fit. Count before you claim.
• Raise storage if you plan a big claim. Your level 2 scientist on cold storage adds 2 to your limits, split however you like.

If a rare face shows up, an extra worker or a paddock upgrade, weigh it seriously. Both need your level 3 scientist, and an extra worker is permanent.

Round one market: workers and the right upgrade

Two actions, in turn order. Good opening targets:

• A specialist that brings a worker. Hiring specialists is the main way to gain workers. A cheap one in the $2 or $3 row is a strong first buy.
• Dino Research II for $3. It upgrades the lab action that creates dinosaurs. There are only 4 copies in the special stack.
• Buying DNA to finish a recipe this round. $2 buys 2 basic DNA, $3 buys 3 basic DNA, $4 buys 1 advanced, and $5 buys 2 advanced. You also discard one item from that row, which can deny a rival.

What to skip early: expensive attractions. Your park has almost no visitors yet, so an attraction has few people to hold. Its end-game VPs will still be there in a few rounds, and the price drops as it slides toward the $2 row.

Round one workers: one dinosaur, one level of security

With 4 workers, a typical round one or two Worker Phase looks like:

1. Refine DNA if your recipe needs an advanced type.
2. Create the dinosaur on Dino Research.
3. Raise security on the Tool Bench to match the new threat.
4. Use Venture Capital for $3 if a worker is left over.

Raising security from 1 to 2 costs $1. From 2 to 3 costs $2. Cheap levels are the best deal in the game.

Round two: your first real Park Phase

After a dinosaur or two, your excitement is a few points higher. Now visitors start to pay. Make sure every new visitor has somewhere to stand, and that your security covers your base threat plus whatever the holding die might add.

Turn order also starts to matter. The player with the fewest VPs goes first, picking first at the research center and in the market. Falling a little behind early is not a disaster; it buys first pick of the dice. Our article on catch-up mechanics explains why games like this reward the player in last place with tempo.

Reading the objectives at the start

The objectives are on the table from the start. In a short game with an objective like “Reach an excitement level of 10” or “Have 12 DNA in cold storage,” your opening should point at one of them. Each claimed objective is 6 to 8 VPs, as much as several rounds of patrons.

The opening in one line

Recipe you can fill, DNA to fill it, a level of security per dinosaur, and a plan for your fifth worker. Our explainer on worker placement has more on why the first extra worker is often the best buy in games like this.