Dodos Riding Dinos is the name of the game, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin. And as silly and adorable as you expect. Go to your friendly neighborhood Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® right now and get it.
Ok, ok, I’ll go into more detail. Here, look at these goofy playing pieces:
Now go get it.
You still want more details? Your wish is our command…
Your Dodo and Dino team are in a race against other Dodos who are riding Dinos. You want to come in first.
The mechanics of the game revolve around deck-building. One card represents your Dodo and Dino team and includes the team’s special rule. These special rules can be opportunities for extra movement or card shenanigans.
Your hand will be built from Movement Cards, and these come in three different flavors. Normal Movement Cards are usually the best for getting distance on the board, while Aggressive Cards are best for messing with the other racers. The final flavor of Movement Cards are Reaction Cards, and they help you deal with difficulties presented by the track or your fellow players.
Each player starts with six cards, and in the Scheming Phase, each player picks a card from their hand and lays it face down. You can choose an Aggressive or Normal card, but not a Reaction. When all players have picked their card for that round, you flip them all up.
If two or more Aggressive Cards have been played, the effects cancel out, but the players still get to move the number of spaces listed in the dinosaur footprint in the bottom left of the card during the Running Phase. Normal cards are completed in their entirety on that player’s turn.
Among the wicked things that a card can let you do is unleash Projectiles at your fellow players. These Projectiles constitute dexterity challenges. The Meteorite, for instance, is dropped from a foot above the board. The Egg is flicked with your finger (but you don’t get to press your finger against your thumb for extra resistance and force). For the Banana, you put your elbow on the table and toss the Banana using only your wrist. The Feather is tossed from a foot away from the table in a wide arc.
The Log is rolled from your fingers right above the head of your meeple. The effects of these different Projectiles depends on the card that allowed you to unleash it.
If you ever run out of cards, you fall back three spaces and draw five more cards. At the end of a round, if a player has passed the finish line, they have won the race. If multiple players have passed the finish line, the one furthest past the finish line wins.
After you’ve mastered single-track races, you can take part in Cup Mode, where you’re races will compete on four different tracks, including the Ignis Volcano and magical Aurora Borealis paths through the sky. Some of these tracks have their own special rules. You’ll compete for Fans and special Power-up Cards. The player with the most Fans at the end of all four races is the winner of the Cup.
Dodos Riding Dinos combines clever card management with simple but tricky dexterity challenges. You’ll find that younger players with shorter arms will find some of the challenges simpler than their longer-armed opponents, making this an excellent game if your players include a wide range of ages. There are rules for solo play as well as having up to eight different players.
This is an adorable, and adorably silly, game with great art, a goofy premise, and lots of fun “gotcha” gameplay. If you don’t have any dexterity-based games in your collection, this is a good one to start with since the dexterity component is only part of the game and not all of it. Talk to the paleontological racing fans at your local Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy about adding Dodos Riding Dinos to your collection today!
