Dino Dodge: Survival of the Fittest

Dino Dodge: Survival of the Fittest Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

8 Land Tiles
6 Meteor Tiles
32 Action Cards
6 Role Cards
1 Player Token
1 Safe Token
6 Dinosaur Meeples

Land Tile: the front is the Effect Icon side (Normal Side); the back is the Danger Icon side (Lava Side).

Meteor Tile: 1 Count Ticker, 2 Meteor Booms.

Action Card: 1 Effect Icon, 2 Dino Movement.

Role Card: 1 Dino Stats, 2 Dino Power.

Player Token: the front indicates the Active Player Phase; the back indicates the Sky Is Falling Phase.

Safe Token: indicates the last safe Land Tile.

Setup

Shuffle and layout the 8 Land Tiles on its front-side in a circle as shown with the top of its tiles facing outward. This will form the playing board.
Separate and shuffle the 8 MOVE YOU Action Cards and deal out one face-down to each player.
Then shuffle all the remaining MOVE YOU Action Cards together with the remaining Action Cards to form the Action Deck and deal out 4 cards face-down to each player. (NOTE: If playing a 4 or 5 Player game, give the last player 1 extra Action Card)
Place the deck face-down in the middle of the Land Tiles.
Make sure the Player Token is on its front-side and give it to the most prehistoric (oldest) player in the game. This indicates whose turn it is to start the round.
Shuffle the Meteor Tiles and give one to the player holding the Player Token who will immediately choose any Land Tile to place it above. Place it face-up starting on the highest axis.
Each player will choose a Dinosaur Meeple and place it on any Land Tile. Order does not matter and they can occupy the same tile.
Give each player their respective Role Card.
Set the Safe Token aside on the table to be used later in the game.
The player holding the Player Token starts the game!

2 Player Game

In a 2 player game, you will start with a total of 4 Meteors. Give 1 more to the active player to place and 2 to the 2nd player to place. Then start the game!

Rounds

Dino Dodge is played in Rounds consisting of up to three phases:

ACTIVE PLAYER PHASE
SKY IS FALLING PHASE
BOOM PHASE

IMPORTANT: Within each phase of the game, any action priority always starts with the player holding the Player Token, then moves left in rotation.

Active Player Phase

The player holding the Player Token will do the following in order:

ADD METEOR: You will reveal one Meteor Tile and place it above any Land Tile unoccupied by a meteor on its highest axis. (NOTE: Skip this step after Setup)
DRAW CHECK: If you have no Action Cards in hand, then draw back up to 5 cards.
PLAY ACTIONS: Here's what you can do:
- MUST perform at least one action through using Action Cards. (See page 8 for more details)
- May perform as many actions as you choose.
END TURN: When you decide that you are done performing actions you can:
- Draw 1 Action Card if your hand is empty.
- MUST flip over the Player Token to enter into the Sky is Falling Phase, while retaining the token.

NOTE: During this phase, no other players can play actions, so you have the advantage of decision.

IMPORTANT: During this phase you CANNOT end your turn on the Lava Side, otherwise you are immediately eliminated from the game! However you may perform your remaining actions.

IMPORTANT: If you are eliminated during this phase, skip the remaining phases and start a new round.

Sky Is Falling Phase

This phase marks the end of the Active Player Phase and the following occurs in order:

ROTATE METEORS: Rotate all active meteors down 1 on their axis (Clockwise).
DRAW CHECK: Any players under a meteor may draw one Action Card if they choose (Max Hand Size 5).
BOOM CHECK: Acknowledge if any active meteors are on their Boom axis.
- If no meteor(s) are booming, then flip & pass the Player Token to the player on the left and start a new round.
- If meteor(s) are booming, then enter the Boom Phase.
NOTE: If any meteors are booming but no players are underneath, then you can quickly have them impact by placing them in the meteor discard pile, flipping over the Land Tile to their Lava Side, and starting a new round.

Boom Phase

IMPORTANT: This phase only begins if any active meteor is on its booming axis; otherwise start a new round.

Players under a Booming Meteor MUST take turns to get out from under the Booming Meteor, starting with the player holding the Player Token. In order to escape, they MUST successfully move to a Land Tile with a non-Booming Meteor otherwise they are eliminated.

Players under a Booming Meteor and on the Normal Side of the Land Tile MUST resolve their situation by:

Successfully performing a SINGLE ACTION through any valid use of card(s).

Players under a Booming Meteor and on the Lava Side of the Land Tile, known as a Deadly Impact (See page 10), are in double the threat and MUST resolve differently by:

Successfully playing a PAIR of Action Cards with matching Effect Icons (See page 14) or matching Dino Movements (Dino Power) (See page 15).

NOTE: Players may play a pair of Action Cards on the Normal Side, it does not have to be in a Deadly Impact situation.

Any players who cannot escape a Booming Meteor successfully are immediately eliminated from the game, without playing any of their actions. Complete this process until no player is under a Booming Meteor, then take the steps to complete the phase in the following order:

Flip over the Land Tile(s) occupied by the Booming Meteor(s) to their Lava Side.
Place the boomed meteor(s) into the meteor discard pile.
Flip & Pass the Player Token to the player on the left and start a new round.

Ending the Game

The game ends when there is only one dinosaur left standing. Continue going through rounds until one player is left alive!

Action Cards

Players can play Action Cards together or separately in order to perform movements on themselves, enemies or the environment. There are two distinct times players can use Action Cards each round:

During the Active Player Phase (Only the player that is holding the Player Token)
During the Boom Phase (When player(s) are under a Booming Meteor)

The main difference between the two, is that during the Active Player Phase they can perform as many actions as they desire. Whereas, during the Boom Phase they can only perform a SINGLE ACTION to survive. During those phases, Action Cards can be played by themselves or in pairs to perform the following SINGLE ACTION:

MOVE YOU: Move yourself 1 tile space left or right.
MOVE YOU & BUMP: Move yourself 1 tile space left or right, then bump all players in the same direction if they share the same Land Tile.
MOVE ENEMY: Move an enemy 1 tile space left or right.
MOVE ENEMY & BUMP: Move an enemy 1 tile space left or right, then bump all players in the same direction if they share the same Land Tile.
LAND EFFECT (SINGLE): Play an Action Card if you are on the same Land Tile. (See page 14 to perform Land Effect)
LAND EFFECT (PAIR): Play a pair of Action Cards with matching Effect Icon if you are NOT on the same Land Tile. (See page 14 to perform Land Effects)
DINO POWER (PAIR): Play a pair of Action Cards with matching Dino Movement. (See page 15 to perform Dino Power)

NOTE: The Max Hand Size is 5. Card draw CANNOT take place that would give a player more than 5 Action Cards at once. Outside of these methods, you CANNOT accumulate any more Action Cards. Make sure you do these as much as possible to stay alive!

Discard Cards

Action Cards that are played during the game by players are discarded face-up in their own discard pile (This matters with Add-ons).

Card Draw

Action Cards are a precious resource for achieving victory in the Cretaceous Period. Card draw is always a choice when presented with the option. There are four methods for drawing cards:

REFRESH: Starting your turn with no cards during the Active Player Phase - draw 5.
EMPTY HAND: Ending your turn with no cards during the Active Player Phase - draw 1.
DINO POWER: Successfully performing your Dino Power - draw 1.
PLAYING CHICKEN: Being underneath a meteor during the Sky Is Falling Phase - draw 1.

Once all the cards have been used, shuffle every player's cards to create a new Action Deck.

Land Tiles

Every Land Tile and Action Card has an Effect Icon on it. There are 4 unique Effect Icons:

SWAP LAND TILES: Swap any 2 adjacent Land Tiles.
MOVE METEOR: Move any meteor 1 adjacent space.
ROTATE AXIS: Rotate any meteor's axis up 1 (Counterclockwise).
SWAP METEORS: Swap any 2 active meteors.

HOW TO USE: You can perform the Land Effect of the Land Tile you occupy by playing an Action Card with a matching Effect Icon from your hand. Alternatively, if you do not occupy the same Land Tile you can play a pair of cards with matching Effect Icons to perform that icon's effect. Also, when performing a Land Effect you do not perform the Dino Movement from the Action Card(s) text. (See page 12 for more details)

Meteors, Threats & Safety

Meteors

Players always have a chance to dodge a Booming Meteor in the Boom Phase. However, they MUST do so with a SINGLE ACTION. Rules of Meteors:

A meteor is added at the start of every round.
Meteors do NOT stack.
Meteors CANNOT rotate past its highest axis.
A meteor moved into a neighboring meteor is bumped over in the same direction.
Once all the meteors have been added, shuffle the discard pile to create a new Meteor Deck.

Lava

The Lava Side of Land Tiles can threaten elimination for players on them, so watch your claws! Rules of Lava:

Land Tile(s) hit with a meteor turn into lava by flipping the Land Tile over.
Being on a Lava Tile while under a Booming Meteor creates a Deadly Impact and requires multiple cards to survive (See below).
During the Active Player Phase, you cannot end your turn on lava otherwise you are eliminated. You can move to it during your turn and other players can be moved to it.
Once a Land Tile is on its Lava Side, it CANNOT flip back.
Lava during the Boom Phase is safe to occupy unless underneath a Booming Meteor.

Safe Token

As the game progresses down to only one safe Land Tile, place the Safe Token above this Land Tile to indicate that a threat CANNOT enter this Land Tile. Rules of the Safe Land Tile:

There MUST always be one Land Tile left in the game that is unoccupied by threats (no lava or meteor).
Once one safe Land Tile remains, place the Safe Token above it to remind players that it cannot gain a threat.
No action can take place that would cause every tile to have a threat, unless it simultaneously creates a new safe Land Tile.

Deadly Impact

The combination of being on the Lava Side of a Land Tile and underneath a Booming Meteor creates a Deadly Impact. In order to survive, players MUST perform a SINGLE ACTION by successfully playing a PAIR of Action Cards with matching Effect Icons or Matching Dino Movements (Dino Power).

Movements

All movements are performed over one tile space unless otherwise specified. Dinosaurs can occupy the same Land Tile, unless bumped.

BUMP is a keyword used to pass movement on players and meteors in the following manner:

Meteors always bump when moved. (See page 15)
Bumps happen to other players or meteors after the initial piece moved occupies the same tile space.
Players or meteors are bumped in the direction of the incoming movement.
A Bump only happens to other players when an Action Card with the keyword BUMP is successfully played.

Role Cards

Each dinosaur has their own unique Dino Power available to them. On the front of the dinosaur Role Card, you can see how to perform their Dino Power. Here's how it works:

MOVEMENT: The number indicates the maximum tile spaces your dinosaur MUST move.
RANGE: The number indicates within the maximum tile spaces from you that enemies will be affected. Your Range extends on both sides of your dinosaur's position.
HIT: The number indicates the maximum tile spaces the enemies MUST move if they are in range.
ACTION CARD: If you successfully perform your Dino Power, you MAY draw one Action Card.

The six dinosaurs and their Dino Powers:

BRUNO (Triceratops): Move yourself 2 tile spaces, then all enemies that are within 1 tile space away, move 1 tile space in the same direction.
GEORGE (Stegosaurus): Move yourself 2 tile spaces, then all enemies that are within 1 tile space away, move 1 tile space towards you.
DENNIS (Dilophosaurus): All enemies within 1 tile space away, move 2 tile spaces away from you, then move yourself 1 tile space in any direction. (Pick the direction if enemies share the same Land Tile)
PHOEBE (Brontosaurus): Move yourself 1 tile space, then all enemies that are within 2 tile spaces away, move 1 tile space in the opposite direction.
RUBY (Tyrannosaurus Rex): Move yourself 1 tile space, then all enemies that are within 2 tile spaces away, move 1 tile space in the same direction.
YARA (Ankylosaurus): Move yourself 1 tile space, then all enemies that are within 1 tile space away, move 2 tile spaces away from you. (Pick the direction if enemies share the same Land Tile)

How to Perform the Land Effects

Each Land Effect below is performed with the same two options:

SINGLE: If you are on the same Land Tile, play an Action Card with matching icons.
PAIR: If you are not on the same Land Tile, play 2 Action Cards with matching icons.

Swap Land Tiles Effect

NOTE: Dinosaur(s) that are on Land Tile(s) being swapped will move with the Land Tile(s). And Meteor(s) will stay in place.

Move Meteor Effect

Rotate Axis Effect

Swap Meteors Effect

Land Effects

How to Perform Dino Movements

Play MOVE YOU to move yourself.
Play MOVE YOU AND BUMP to move yourself, and bump enemies if they share the same Land Tile.

NOTE: MOVE ENEMY and MOVE ENEMY AND BUMP do the same actions but you move the enemy instead.

How to Perform Your Dino Power

PAIR: Play 2 Action Cards with matching Dino Movements.

NOTE: You may draw an Action Card after.

When Moving a Meteor and It Shares the Same Space

Bump that meteor 1 space in the same direction.

Add-on Rules

If you thought the danger was over, think again. Make way for "Dino Dodge: Survival of the Fittest" Add-Ons that include four sets of components that incorporate dynamic & strategic movements, unexpected events, enhanced powers, and environmental devastations. These Add-ons will overall empower players to expand on new tactics for survivability or wreck havoc.

Before learning and playing with any of the Add-ons listed below, first learn the Core Rules. The Core Rules are required to understand how Add-on content works.

Add-on components:

Mysteries of Mother Earth: 12 Unique Aura Tokens, 1 Velociraptor Meeple, 1 Dino Die (NOTE: There is only 1 die but is played in both Add-ons)
Primal Powers: 16 Power Tokens, 14 Unique Event Cards
Prehistoric Pals: 1 Dino Egg Meeple, 1 Pterodactyl Meeple, 1 Dino Die (NOTE: There is only 1 die but is played in both Add-ons), 10 Instinct Tokens (5 Eggcellent and 5 Free Bird)

Each Add-on can be played independently, mixed and matched, or with all of them together. The game is really fun with them all together and was designed to handle them that way! The game setup for each Add-on will occur after the core setup rules—please refer to the Core Rules.

Add-on Setup

Mysteries of Mother Earth

Aura Tokens: At the beginning of the game, shuffle all the Aura Tokens face-down and place 1 below each Land Tile until all are placed.
Velociraptor Meeple & Dino Die: Place the Velociraptor Meeple and the Dino Die to the side — it will come into play later in the game.

Primal Powers

Power Tokens: At the beginning of the game, give each player 1 Power Token.
Event Cards: At the beginning of the game, shuffle and place all the Event Cards face-down to the side. (NOTE: If you are NOT playing with the Mysteries of Mother Earth, then remove "Raptor Strike" from the Event Deck)

Prehistoric Pals

Pterodactyl Meeple: At the beginning of the game, the last player (right of Player Token) will place the Pterodactyl Meeple on any Land Tile of their choice.
Dino Egg: At the beginning of the game, the last player (right of Player Token) will place the Dino Egg Meeple on an unoccupied Land Tile of their choice.
Dino Die: Place the Dino Die to the side — it will come into play later in the game.
Instinct Tokens: At the beginning of the game, give each player 1 Eggcellent Token and 1 Free Bird Token.

Mysteries of Mother Earth

Mysteries of Mother Earth unlocks new threats and shakes up the Cretaceous Period. With these auras, each time a meteor strikes, what lays below the land will surface. Here's how they work:

That escalated quickly! Aura Tokens are revealed after the Land Tile above them is impacted by a meteor (BOOM!), releasing the unknown. Here's what you need to know:

CONTINUOUS: Some tokens (Colored) stay in play and the effect lasts for the rest of the game under the Land Tile.
ONE TIME: Other tokens (White) produce an effect or impact as soon as they are revealed and the token is removed from the game.

Each Aura Token has its own unique effect. (See the Aura Token list below for more details)

IMPORTANT: When using Land Shift with the Aura Tokens, the token position does NOT move with the Land Tile. Use this shifting of the tectonic plates to your advantage.

Velociraptor Meeple: Clever Girl! Once the Aura Token with the Velociraptor Icon flips over, immediately place the Velociraptor Meeple on the Land Tile where the token was.

The Velociraptor slashes and claws players, forcing players she shares a Land Tile with to discard an Action Card from their hand. Here's how she works:

When the Velociraptor is moved to a Land Tile occupied by players, they each discard 1 Action Card.
If you end your turn during the Active Player Phase with the Velociraptor then you will discard 1 Action Card.

IMPORTANT: If you have no cards left after using the Velociraptor, then your turn ends immediately.

Dino Dice: Here she comes! During the Active Player Phase, (anytime during your turn and once per turn), you can choose to roll the Dino Die for free to activate the Velociraptor in the following manner:

CLAIM: Declare you're using the Velociraptor Power anytime.
ROLL: Roll the Dino Die and perform the following Velociraptor action as shown:
- FOOTPRINT ICONS: Move the Velociraptor Meeple the # of footprints shown in the direction of your choice. All players where the Velociraptor moved to discard 1 Action Card from their hand (of their choice).
- EYE ICON: The Velociraptor will immediately move to YOU and all players on that Land Tile will discard 1 Action Card from their hand (of their choice).

Aura Tokens

Each Aura Token has its own unique effect. They affect ALL players during all phases of the game. Even if any other player moves them, it's fair game! Tokens that are "Continuous" mean they stay in play under the Land Tile until the end of the game. Tokens that are "One time" mean they happen as soon as they are revealed, then the token is removed from the game. The icons on the tokens translate to the following:

Continuous

ADRENALINE: Players occupying this aura will add an additional +1 space to their Dino Movement and the Bump as well.
BURIAL GROUNDS: Players occupying this aura, at the cost of discarding an Action Card with the same Land Effect Icon as the Land Tile they are on, may draw and place a meteor.
DINO POOP: After a player passes or exits this aura, discard an Action Card and draw a new one from the Action Deck.
MAGNETIC FIELD: Anytime a Meteor is placed or moved on this aura, its axis is automatically set to 1.
OIL SLICK: After a player passes or exits this aura, they must roll the Dino Die and add the # of footprints shown to their movement. If you roll the eye, then do nothing. (If Dino Power is used, add to the MOVEMENT stat)
POWER ZAP: After a player passes or exits this aura, they will lose all their Power Tokens.
TAR PIT: Players occupying this aura are immobilized and must use their Dino Power to exit. (Ignore this effect if you pass by this aura using or affected by Dino Powers)
TOXIC MUSHROOM: Players occupying this aura are intoxicated and their Dino Movements do the opposite action when played. E.g., ("MOVE YOU" moves the enemy)

One time

CONTINENTAL DRIFT: Swap the Land Tile of this aura with the opposite Land Tile from where it is. Then discard the token.
LAND SLIDE: All players in the game will immediately move to this aura. Then discard the token.
VELOCIRAPTOR: Place the Velociraptor Meeple on this Land Tile. Then discard the token.
VOLCANO: Flip the Land Tiles adjacent left and then right of this aura to the Lava Side. Then discard the token.

Primal Powers

Power Tokens: Enhance! These tokens allow you to tap into your inner prowess and enhance your Dino Power. Here's how it works:

These tokens allow you to add one digit to any one of your Dino Stats when using your Dino Power in the following manner:

CLAIM: Declare which stat you will be using your token(s) to enhance.
USAGE: Use as many tokens as you wish, then discard what you used.

Use it, Lose it, Get it back! There is only one way to get Power Tokens, and that is through using your Dino Power — get a token after! Use a token each time you use your Dino Power or hoard them for a gigantic play no one saw coming. (See the Power Tokens example below for more details)

Power Tokens example (Bruno's Dino Power, with 1 Power Token used towards MOVEMENT, 1 towards RANGE and 1 towards HIT): Move yourself 3 tile spaces, then all enemies that are within 2 tile spaces away, move 2 tile spaces in the same direction.

NOTE: When using tokens with your Dino Power and passing or exiting the Oil Slick, you must commit your tokens before you roll - you CANNOT modify them.

Event Cards: These events introduce dynamic and environmental disasters and unknown perils that affect all who call Earth home.

Chaos doesn't warn! Events happen once per round and are dangerously straight forward. Here's how it works:

At the Start of the Sky Is Falling Phase, draw an Event Card and immediately play it.
Do what the card says!
After play, place the card next to the Event Deck face-up.

Some events happen once while others stay in play until the next event comes out. The bottom of the card will tell you what to do! (See the Event list below for more details)

Once all the Event Cards have been played, shuffle the cards to create a new Event Deck.

Event list: Each Event Card has its own unique effect once it is revealed. Events may affect players, Land Tiles, or Meteors.

EARTHQUAKE: Flip over all Land Tiles that are occupied by a player. (If player(s) are on the Lava Side, then do nothing)
FLOOD: Each player will discard 1 ACTION CARD. (Players choose the card to discard)
HURRICANE: Each player will secretly pass an ACTION CARD of their choice to the player on their left. (Players choose the card to pass and must be simultaneously)
METEOR SHOWER: Add a meteor adjacent left then another right of the player holding the PLAYER TOKEN. (If meteor(s) already exist, then do nothing)
OFF COURSE (CLOCKWISE): Move all meteors clockwise one tile space. (If player(s) are under a meteor, then do nothing)
OFF COURSE (COUNTERCLOCKWISE): Move all meteors counterclockwise one tile space. (If player(s) are under a meteor, then do nothing)
RAPTOR STRIKE: Discard an ACTION CARD if you are within 2 tile spaces from the Velociraptor. (Players choose the card to discard)
SNOWING: Players cannot perform any LAND EFFECTS. (Duration lasts until the next EVENT PHASE)
SOLAR ECLIPSE: During the SKY IS FALLING PHASE, players cannot draw any type of cards. (Duration lasts until the next EVENT PHASE)
SOLAR FLARE: Rotate all meteors' axis down 1 rotation (Clockwise). (If meteor(s) are already on the 1 axis, then do nothing)
THUNDERSTORM: Players cannot perform their DINO POWERS. (Duration lasts until the next EVENT PHASE)

What if! There are rare conditions that may happen throughout the game. If the following does occur, here is how you would handle them:

Raptor Strike: If this event is played and the Velociraptor Aura Token has not been revealed, then do nothing.
Earthquake: If this event causes multiple Land Tiles to flip that would turn them all into threats, then only flip the Land Tiles of players in clockwise rotation starting from the player holding the Player Token until there is one safe Land Tile.
Tornado: When this event is played, players' movement does not trigger the auras.

Prehistoric Pals

Pterodactyl Meeple: Ptero-copter! The Pterodactyl introduces a new turn action to the game that calls the king of the sky to fly, picking up players it passes and avoiding any auras from triggering when they fly over the Land Tiles.

Dino Die: During the Active Player Phase, (anytime during your turn and once per turn), you can choose to roll the Dino Die for free to activate the Pterodactyl in the following manner:

CLAIM: Declare you're using the Pterodactyl.
ROLL: Roll the Dino Die and perform the following Pterodactyl action as shown:
- FOOTPRINT ICONS: Move the Pterodactyl Meeple the # of footprints shown in the direction of your choice. Pick up any player of your choice (or the Dino Egg) along the way (or choose no one) and drop them off where the Pterodactyl lands. (NOTE: The Pterodactyl can not pick up the Velociraptor)
- EYE ICON: You will immediately move to the Land Tile where the Pterodactyl Meeple is.

Dino Egg: How egg-citing! The Dino Egg introduces a new way to gain Action Cards by giving players who occupy the same tile as the egg, the option to draw from their discard pile. Here's how it works:

During the Sky Is Falling Phase, when draw checking, any player on the same Land Tile as the Dino Egg may draw 1 Action Card from their own discard pile.
It's mine! The Dino Egg may be moved by players during the Active Player Phase by going to the Land Tile where the Dino Egg Meeple is and moving to another Land Tile.

If the egg ever gets struck by a meteor, here's how it works: (the page 24 diagram is not reproduced)

Where did it go? If the Dino Egg Meeple is struck by a booming meteor during the Boom Phase, then the egg travels to the opposite Land Tile from where it is. (NOTE: The egg can only be struck once).

Instinct Tokens:

EGGCELLENT TOKEN: (Once per game and anytime during the game), you can draw a card from your discard for free. If you are with the Dino Egg, you may draw up to 3 cards.
FREE BIRD TOKEN: (Once per game and anytime during the game), you can play the Pterodactyl for free.

Game Modes

These modes are for players that want more of a challenge! Each mode can be played independently, mixed and matched, or with all of them together.

DINNER TIME! During the Active Player Phase, you are eliminated if:
- You end your turn with the Velociraptor
- If you have no Action Cards and the Velociraptor attacks you
DEADLY ALL THE TIME! During the Boom Phase, you MUST play a PAIR of matching Action Cards to survive any booming meteor.
HOT ALL THE TIME! During the Boom Phase, when dodging a booming meteor you CANNOT end your turn on Lava.