- BGG rating
- 7.5
Lands of the Mesozoic: Kickstarter Exclusive Cards
- 1–4 players
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,962
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Lands of the Mesozoic
2024
Rules assistance for Lands of the Mesozoic
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 20–120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Lands of the Mesozoic
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Lands of the Mesozoic is a board game released in 2024 for 1–4 players, 20–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Ander Guinea and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and End Game Bonuses.
Expansions
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About the game
The Mesozoic era spans between 252 and 66 million years ago and is subdivided into the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. This is the time that saw dinosaurs first appear, dominate the world, and go extinct (except for some groups of avian dinosaurs, i.e., birds). However, dinosaurs weren’t the only animals of the Mesozoic; they shared their habitats with amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and others. In Lands of the Mesozoic, 1 to 4 players will create and manage their own Mesozoic ecosystems using 3 main types of cards that symbolize the different levels of the food chain. The game comes with over 120 individual cards, all drawn by award winning Ukranian paleo-artist Sergey Krasovskiy. Players will first lay down Land cards that represent the habitats that provide shelter and plant/insect/fish food. Land cards in play are used to pay for the cost of Herbivore cards. These are the animals using the resources generated in those specific types of lands. In turn, Herbivore cards in play can generate the resources necessary for playing Carnivore cards. These are the animals at the top of the food chain, and they control the population size of herbivore species in the ecosystem. All 3 types of cards need to be in balance for the ecosystem to be sustainable in the long term. However, competition between species and the shifting nature of the surface of the Earth, will trigger extinction events of animals and habitats that will open niches for new species to appear and spread. At the end of the game, players will score points for played cards, collected Victory Point Tokens, and achieved common and personal goals. The winner is the player with the most points after 3 periods of 7, 6, and 5 rounds respectively. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Worthington Publishing, LLC
- Pungo Games
Questions and answers
Lands of the Mesozoic supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Lands of the Mesozoic is 20–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Lands of the Mesozoic for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Lands of the Mesozoic has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Lands of the Mesozoic belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Educational. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and End Game Bonuses. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Lands of the Mesozoic are: Ander Guinea. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Lands of the Mesozoic as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.