November 30, 2009 | Posted by David Smith

Dice Maestro Jurassic Wars

Durability: 4/5
Longevity: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Score: 93%
Conclusion: A clever and original card game that draws on the enduring appeal of dinosaurs.

Imagine having your own private army of dinosaurs, and controlling them in battle with other prehistoric beasts, and you’ve gone a long way to understanding the appeal of Jurassic Wars. This card-and-dice game features some of the best-known dinos, presented with stunning computer-generated imagery.

Combat is resolved using dice – green for the herbivores and red for the carnivores. Depending on how strong your dinosaur is you will throw between one and three dice (for the carnivores) and one and four dice (for the herbivores).

Each dice has stars denoting hits. Red dice each have three stars and three blank faces, while green dice have two stars and four blank faces. After each roll of the dice, the hits are added up and the loser of that round must sacrifice one or more dice for the next round. When a dinosaur loses all of its dice, it has been defeated.

The red and green dice cleverly take into account the different characteristics of the dinosaurs. The red dice are more likely to inflict damage (as you would expect when it’s Tyrannosaurus rex and Utahraptor going into battle), but the herbivores are bigger and are able to withstand more punishment – hence the heavily armoured Ankylosaurus having a four-dice rating.

Gameplay is enhanced by Combat cards. These cards allow a weak dinosaur to match up against a tougher opponent, by adding the ability to throw dice twice in a single round, add an extra hit point or remove a die from the opponent.

Timeline cards also give a bonus to any dinosaur from the corresponding time period, so if you can field a Late Cretaceous dinosaur during a Late Cretaceous battle, you’ll receive a one-die bonus. Exploiting the Combat and Timeline cards can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

In action, the game proves easy to pick up. Although aimed at ages eight and up, we found that even a four-year-old was able to get to grips with the basic gameplay. Leaving out the Combat and Timeline cards makes it easier for very young children to join in and is probably a good way to introduce the game even for older kids, adding the strategy cards in later.

The game stimulates the imagination, with each victory being accompanied by enthusiastic roars. Battles that are over in one roll are hailed as particularly impressive (“he killed him with one bite!” was the delighted cry on one occasion), while drawn-out affairs generate increasing tension as the dinosaurs thrash it out.

The game can be played with two to five people, and the ability to tailor the length of the game by limiting the number of cards dealt out (two players can enjoy a very quick game with three dino cards each), means that Jurassic Wars can be enjoyed when you have just a few minutes to spare, or can be stretched out into a gruelling war of attrition.

The compact box makes it perfect for use as a travel game or for taking on holiday, and longevity is helped by the provision of alternate game rules for when you fancy a different challenge.

A simple concept that results in a lively, action-packed game, Jurassic Wars deserves to be a big hit.