Jurassic Zoo^*

Jurassic Zoo is a flip-and-write game by Phil Walker-Harding and Matthew Dunstan for 1 to 6 players aged 8 and up. Number cards tell you what size of fence to draw on your sheet as you try to keep free-roaming dinosaurs apart.

What's it about?

The dinosaurs in your park are still wandering about. Your job is to fence them into separate enclosures. Each player has their own grid sheet showing dinosaurs and visitor centres scattered across it.

How a round plays

1. Flip the top two cards. Each shows a number from 1 to 6.
2. Those numbers set the size of a rectangle, say 2 x 4 or 6 x 3 squares.
3. Everyone draws that rectangle as a fence on their own grid.
4. When a dinosaur or visitor centre ends up alone in an area, you score.

After 15 rounds the deck runs out. Highest score wins.

At a glance

• 1 to 6 players, ages 8+
• from about 20 minutes
• everyone plays at once, so there's little waiting
• task cards offer bonus points

Who is it for?

Families and anyone who enjoys roll-and-write games. Because everyone draws at the same time, six players move as quickly as two. A solo game works too.

Conclusion

A simple idea with a satisfying puzzle at its heart, and almost no setup. Jurassic Zoo is a strong pick for family tables. If you want lots of player interaction or a big board, this isn't it.