Tiny Epic Dinosaurs Review – An Exciting Dino Ranching Adventure

In the ever-expanding universe of board games, Tiny Epic Dinosaurs by Gamelyn Games is a standout title that combines strategic depth with thematic richness, all within a compact box. Designed by Scott Almes and illustrated by Nikoletta Vaszi and Benjamin Shulman, this game immerses players in the role of dinosaur ranchers who must balance resource management, breeding, and contract fulfillment over six rounds.

Playable in solo mode or with up to four players, this review delves into every facet of the game, from components to gameplay mechanics, and incorporates insights from multiple playthroughs with different groups to provide a comprehensive evaluation.

Components

Despite its small size, Tiny Epic Dinosaurs is packed with high-quality components that significantly enhance the gaming experience. The game consists of cards, meeples, tokens, action mats and dice. Here is a detailed breakdown :

• 30 Research Cards: These cards provide unique abilities and end-game bonuses.
• 28 Public Contract Cards: Contracts that players compete to fulfill for points.
• 8 Private Contract Cards: Secret objectives that add strategic depth.
• Notable Cards: Including EGG Incubator, Resource Converter, Rancher Biometrics, Security Force, Enclosure Upgrades, Laboratory Upgrade, Adreno-Injectors, Breeding Center, University Sponsor, Dino Food Additives, Super Food Research, Carnivore DNA-Log, Herbivore Hemo-Log, Maximum Habitat.
• 16 Ranchers in 4 Player Colors: Each player gets four ranchers (including 1 Lead Rancher).
• 5 Types of Dinosaur Meeples: Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Allosaurus.
• Barriers and Resource Tokens: For Plants, Meat, and Supplies.
• Player Mats and Action Mats: Double-sided for varied gameplay.
• Wrangler Die: Adds an element of chance when acquiring dinosaurs.

The components are thoughtfully designed to engage players in the theme of dinosaur ranching. The dinosaur meeples are delightful and add a tactile charm to the game. Each component serves a functional purpose while enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal.

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs Setup

Setting up Tiny Epic Dinosaurs is straightforward but requires careful attention to detail to ensure a smooth start. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Setting Up the Action Mats

The Action Mats are a crucial part of Tiny Epic Dinosaurs, providing various actions that players can take by placing their Ranchers. Here’s how to set them up and an overview of their layout:

Step 2: Placement of Action Mats

1. Arrange the Action Mats: Place the four Action Mats in a row in the middle of the table in alphabetical order from ‘A’ to ‘D.’ These mats are double-sided, so select the side that corresponds to the number of players (noted at the top left of each mat).
2. Position the Round Mat: Place the Round Mat to the left of the row of Action Mats. Position the Round Marker (a coffee cup) on the “1” space of the round track.
3. Set Up Contract and Research Cards: Place the Contract Mat above Action Mat A and shuffle and place Public and Private Contract cards on their designated spaces. Below Action Mat D, place the Research Mat and shuffle and deal three Research Cards face-up.
4. Phases and Medical Leave: On the left side of Action Mat A, you’ll find a list of phases (Resource Collection, Assign Ranchers, Retrieve Ranchers, Arrange Ranch, Feed Dinosaurs, Breed Dinosaurs). The Medical Leave section is also here for Ranchers sent to Medical Leave.

Step 3: Setting Up Player Components

Each player will receive a set of components to manage their ranch effectively. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what each player gets and how to set up their personal play area:

Ranch Mat and Player Mat

1 Ranch Mat and 1 Player Mat:

• Ranch Mat: Choose which side of the Ranch Mat you want to use (each side may offer different layouts or challenges). Place it in front of you.
• Player Mat: Place the Player Mat next to your Ranch Mat. This mat will help you track resources, Ranchers, and other key elements of the game.

Ranchers

4 Ranchers and 1 Lead Rancher in their chosen color:

• Placement: Place 4 Ranchers onto their designated spots on the Player Mat in the Ranchers area.
• Round Tracker: Place the final Rancher on the “4” space of the Round Mat’s track labeled “Gain a New Rancher….” This indicates that you will gain an additional Rancher in Round 4.

Resource Markers

1 Plant Marker (green leaf), 1 Meat Marker (red meat), and 1 Supply Marker (blue crate):

• Placement: Place these markers to the left of your Player Mat’s resource track. These markers will help you keep track of your available resources.
• Starting Value: When a marker is off the mat, its value is “0.” As you collect resources during gameplay, move these markers up the track accordingly.

Step 4: Set Up Contract Cards

Place the Contract Mat above the Action Mats. Separate Public Contract Cards and Private Contract Cards into their own decks based on their card backs:

• Shuffle and place the Public Contract Deck face-down on the “Public Contracts” space on the Contract Mat—deal cards from this deck into a face-up row equaling the number of players plus one.
• Shuffle and deal 2 Private Contract Cards face-down to each player. Players select one Private Contract to keep and return the other to the deck. Reshuffle this deck and place it face-down in its designated space.

Step 5: Set Up Research Cards

Place the Research Mat below the Action Mats. Shuffle all Research Cards into a face-down deck in its designated space on the Research Mat. Deal three cards face-up into a row next to this deck.

Step 6: Prepare Dinosaur Meeples and Barriers

Sort all Dinosaur meeples by color (Stegosaurus – green, Velociraptor – blue, Brachiosaurus – yellow, Allosaurus – red) and place them within easy reach of all players. Also, place Barriers nearby. Position the Wrangler Die near Action Mat “A.”

Step 7: Determine First Player

Give the First Player Marker to whoever last visited a natural history museum, or determine the first player using another method you prefer. In addition, give starting bonuses to other players clockwise from the first player:

• The second player places their Plant Marker on “1.”
• The third player places their Meat Marker on “1.”
• The fourth player places their Supply Marker on “1.”

With setup complete, you’re ready to play Tiny Epic Dinosaurs.

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs Gameplay Overview

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs is played over six rounds, each divided into seven phases: Resource Collection, Assign Ranchers, Retrieve Ranchers, Arrange Ranch, Feed Dinosaurs, Breed Dinosaurs, and Refresh for Next Round. The objective is accumulating victory points by efficiently managing resources and strategically placing ranchers.

Phases Breakdown

1. Resource Collection: Players gather resources based on uncovered symbols in their ranches. This phase sets up subsequent actions.
2. Assign Ranchers: In turn, players place their ranchers in action spaces to perform tasks such as acquiring dinosaurs from the wild or market, fulfilling contracts for points, building barriers for enclosures, or conducting research for special abilities.
3. Retrieve Ranchers: All ranchers are retrieved from action spaces and returned to player mats.
4. Arrange Ranch: Players organize their ranches by correctly placing acquired dinosaurs and barriers, ensuring secure enclosures prevent escapes.
5. Feed Dinosaurs: Each dinosaur must be fed according to its dietary needs (herbivores require plants, carnivores require meat). Unfed dinosaurs escape, causing penalties.
6. Breed Dinosaurs: Dinosaurs breed if there are two of the same species in an enclosure; newborns must be placed immediately, or they escape.
7. Refresh for Next Round: A new contract and research cards are drawn, and the round marker advances, ensuring new opportunities/challenges each round.

Detailed Component Breakdown

Let’s take a closer look at some of the game’s key components:

Research Cards

Research cards come in two types: Science and Genetics. Science cards provide ongoing benefits and one-time effects, turning the tide in favor during critical moments. Genetic cards grant unique dinosaurs with special abilities. For example:

• Adreno-Injectors: After placing all your ranchers, you may pay one resource to move one of them to different empty action spaces and take action.
• Breeding Center: If you have only a single regular dinosaur species, you may pay 1 add newborn dinosaur species to your ranch. Newborns cannot breed around when they are born.

These cards introduce a variety of strategies, ensuring all games play precisely the same.

Public & Private Contracts

Contracts form a backbone scoring system. Timing, crucial to fulfilling them efficiently, often determines the winner. Public contracts are made visible to everyone, creating a competitive dynamic, whereas private contracts have hidden objectives, adding a layer of secrecy and intrigue. Examples include:

• Public Contract – Triceratops: At the end game, gain additional points for each dinosaur orthogonally adjacent to Triceratops’ space.
• Private Contract – Maximum Habitat: At the end of the game, gain a point for every two dinosaurs on your ranch.

Balancing public and private contracts is essential to maximizing score.

Dinosaur Meeples & Barriers

Dinosaur meeples highlight the component design. Five types are represented: Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Allosaurus, and Ankylosaurus. Each type is distinct and visually functional, adding tactile enjoyment to handling pieces. Barriers create enclosures critical to preventing escapes and facilitating breeding phases. Properly managing space within constraints is key to successful gameplay.

How Can You Master the Breeding Process in Tiny Epic Dinosaurs

1. Same Species: To breed, you must have two regular dinosaurs of the same species. Different species cannot breed with each other.
2. Enclosures: The breeding dinosaurs must be in the same enclosure. An enclosure is defined as a space surrounded on all sides by barriers, mountains, or water. Each enclosure can hold multiple dinosaurs of a single species, with one dinosaur per space.
3. Fed Dinosaurs: Only fed dinosaurs can breed. If a dinosaur was not fed during the Feed Dinosaurs phase, it cannot participate in breeding.

Breeding Process

1. Check for Pairs: For every two regular dinosaurs of the same species in an enclosure, you gain one newborn dinosaur of that species. For example, if you have three Stegosauruses in an enclosure, only one pair will breed, resulting in one newborn Stegosaurus.
2. Place Newborns: Newborn dinosaurs must be placed immediately into your ranch. They need to be placed in an enclosure but do not have to be with their “parents.” If there is no room in any enclosure for the newborn dinosaur, it escapes immediately.
3. No Breeding for Newborns: Newborn dinosaurs cannot breed in the round they are born.

Special Considerations

• Limited Supply: If there are not enough dinosaur tokens of a particular species available in the supply, you cannot take more of that dinosaur. If multiple players are eligible for new dinosaurs but the supply is limited, each player takes one at a time in turn order starting with the first player until they are gone.
• Unique Dinosaurs: Unique dinosaurs gained through research cards usually cannot breed and do not need to be placed in enclosures.

Playthrough Experience

During our playthroughs with various groups ranging from experienced gamers to newcomers, we found Tiny Epic Dinosaurs engaging and accessible. Here’s a recount of one particularly memorable session:

In one game session, four players—each experienced different genres of board games—began setting up our ranch mix of herbivores and carnivores. The first round saw us scrambling resources trying to secure key action spaces. One player focused heavily on acquiring research cards, providing powerful abilities like preventing escapes and converting resources more efficiently. By mid-game competition, public contracts became fierce, and players tried to fulfill them before others could snatch them away. Tension is palpable with each move, potentially blocking another player’s strategy.

One player managed to secure Tyrannosaurus Rex through a private contract and struggled to keep it fed without sacrificing other valuable dinosaurs. In the final rounds, our ranches were bustling with activity. Strategic placement barriers ensured most dinosaurs were safely enclosed. The breeding phase saw a surge in newborns, which required careful placement to avoid escapes. Final scoring tight points coming fulfilled contracts research cards providing end-game bonuses (like having most carnivores) number dinosaurs successfully kept our ranches.

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs Solo Play Mode

For those who enjoy solo gaming experiences, Tiny Epic Dinosaurs includes a well-designed solo mode where players compete against Rival Rancher-controlled deck Rival Rancher Cards. This mode adds unique challenges. Rival performs actions based on card draws rather than strategic decisions made by human opponents. Solo play retains the core mechanics of the multiplayer version, ensuring a consistent experience across different formats.

Strategic Insights

Based on our extensive playtesting, here are some strategic insights tips to improve performance:

• Plan: Anticipate future needs, especially regarding resource management feeding phases. Shortages lead to costly escape penalties disrupting plans.

• Adapt Opponents: Monitor closely and adapt accordingly. Blocking critical actions secures valuable pivotal spots and turns the tides in favor.

• Maximize Research Benefits: Utilize effectively leveraging abilities provided science genetic cards optimize efficiency throughout rounds.

• Balance Immediate Long-Term Goals: While fulfilling immediate objectives is essential, keep sight of long-term strategies, particularly regarding breeding expanding operations.

Replayability in Tiny Epic Dinosaurs

Replayability is high thanks to a variety of elements, including diverse research cards, different contract combinations, and varying group dynamics. No two sessions feel identical, ensuring continued interest and excitement in multiple plays. Additionally, simple yet profound mechanics make it accessible to newcomers, rewarding experienced gamers alike and contributing to longevity shelf life collection.

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs Conclusion

Tiny Epic Dinosaurs is a stellar addition to any board game collection, combining strategic depth and thematic richness in a compact package that is easy to learn yet challenging to master. Whether you are a fan of dinosaur-themed games who enjoys worker placement mechanics or resource management twists, this game offers something everyone needs. Our multiple playthroughs consistently delivered engaging experiences filled with tense decision-making, satisfying moments, and clever tactical plays. Tiny Epic Dinosaurs stands out within the Tiny Epic series and among modern board games. The exemplary title brings epic fun to tiny boxes. If you are looking for a game that packs a punch without taking much space on a shelf table, Tiny Epic Dinosaurs is an excellent choice that provides countless hours of enjoyment for both casual gamers and strategists alike.