Objective of the Game:
In Draftosaurus, players aim to create the best dinosaur parks by strategically placing dinosaurs to score the most points by the end of the game.
Game Components:
- 1 Cloth bag containing 60 dinosaur meeples in six different colors (10 of each color)
- 4 Player boards (one park per player)
- 1 Die
Setup:
- Each player takes a park board.
- All dinosaur meeples are placed in the bag.
- Depending on the number of players, each player draws a certain number of dinosaurs from the bag:
- With 2 players: 6 dinosaurs
- With 3 players: 7 dinosaurs
- With 4 players: 6 dinosaurs
- A starting player is chosen and receives the die.
Game Play:
A game of Draftosaurus lasts for two season rounds, each consisting of six turns.
Turn Structure:
- Rolling the Die: The player with the die rolls it, which determines a condition for all players except the one rolling.
- Placing a Dinosaur: Every player selects one dinosaur from their hand and places it in an enclosure on their park board, observing the rolled condition unless they are the rolling player.
- After placing, the remaining dinosaurs are passed to the next player clockwise.
Die Conditions:
- Forest side: The dinosaur must be placed in a Forest enclosure.
- Plain side: The dinosaur must be placed in a Plain enclosure.
- Empty enclosure: The dinosaur must be placed in an empty enclosure.
- Not alone: The dinosaur must be placed in an enclosure with dinosaurs of a different type.
- Limit of four: The dinosaur must be placed in an enclosure that allows a maximum of four dinosaurs.
- Anything goes: This is a wildcard condition that imposes no restriction.
End of a Season:
After six turns, the season ends. Players draw dinosaurs again, and the second season begins without changing the die.
End of the Game:
The game ends after the second season, and scores are calculated: - Each enclosure has specific scoring criteria (e.g., same type dinosaurs, complete sets, or individual dinosaurs in solo enclosures). - The player with the most points wins.
Strategic Tips:
- Planning Ahead: Anticipating your future enclosure needs can help you make optimal placement decisions.
- Die Choice: When rolling the die, try to set conditions that disadvantage your opponents.
- Flexibility: Stay adaptable and adjust your strategy according to the remaining dinosaurs.
Draftosaurus is a simple yet strategically engaging game that offers quick play and fun for the whole family.
