As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Full details on our Affiliate Disclosure page.
How to play Draftosaurus (2026): Draftosaurus is a 15-minute drafting game for two to five players, ages eight and up. Each round you grab six wooden dinosaurs from a bag, keep one, place it in a pen in your zoo and pass the rest to your neighbor. A placement die rolled each turn limits where everyone else can put their next dino. After two rounds of six turns, you score your pens and the biggest zoo score wins. This guide follows the official Ankama rulebook and uses the Summer side of the board.
The box you need: Draftosaurus
The box holds 60 dinosaur meeples in six species, five double-sided zoo boards, the placement die and a cloth draw bag. It plays two to five with no expansions needed.
Buying tip: the Draftosaurus listings we found on Amazon US in October 2026 are the Aerial Show and Marina expansions, which need this base game to play. Check that a listing says base game before you buy.
Setting up a game of Draftosaurus
- Give each player a zoo board. Everyone must use the same side; the Summer side is best for your first games.
- Put dinosaurs in the bag by player count. Five players use all 60. Four players leave 2 of each species in the box, so 48 go in the bag. Three players leave 4 of each species out (36 in the bag). Two players leave 2 of each species out (48 in the bag).
- The youngest player takes the placement die.
- Everyone draws six dinosaurs from the bag and keeps them hidden in their hand.
How a Draftosaurus turn works
- The player holding the die rolls it.
- Everyone secretly picks one dinosaur from their hand, then all reveal and place them at the same time.
- Every player except the one who rolled must obey the die. Anyone who cannot, or does not want to, may always place the dino in the River instead.
- Pass your remaining dinosaurs to the player on your left, and pass the die to the left as well.
Repeat until everyone has placed six dinosaurs. That ends round one. Draw six new dinosaurs each and play round two exactly the same way, so each zoo ends with twelve dinos.
What the placement die faces mean
| Die face | Where the dinosaur must go |
|---|---|
| Woodlands | A pen in the woodlands half of your zoo |
| Grasslands | A pen in the grasslands half of your zoo |
| Restrooms | A pen on the restroom side, right of the River |
| Food Court | A pen on the food court side, left of the River |
| Empty Pen | Any pen with no dinosaurs in it yet |
| Watch Out for T-Rex | A pen that does not already hold a T-Rex |
The six pens on the Summer board and how they score
Forest of Sameness
Only one species, filled left to right with no gaps. It scores 2, 4, 8, 12, 18 or 24 points for one to six dinosaurs.
Meadow of Differences
Only different species, filled left to right with no gaps. It scores 1, 3, 6, 10, 15 or 21 points for one to six dinosaurs.
Prairie of Love
Any species. Score 5 points for each pair of the same species, and more than one pair of a species is allowed.
Woody Trio
Up to three dinosaurs of any kind. Exactly three scores 7 points; anything else scores nothing.
King of the Jungle
Holds a single dinosaur. It scores 7 points if no opponent has more of that species in their zoo than you do.
Solitary Island
Holds a single dinosaur. It scores 7 points if that dino is the only one of its species in your whole zoo.
The River and the T-Rex bonus
The River is not a pen. It is your safety valve: any dinosaur can go there regardless of the die, and each one scores 1 point. The T-Rex is a normal species with a twist. Every pen holding at least one T-Rex earns 1 bonus point, but a pen with several T-Rexes still earns only that single bonus point.
Ending the game and breaking ties
After round two, add up your pens, River and T-Rex bonuses. The highest total wins. If players tie, the one with fewer T-Rexes wins; if it is still tied, they share the win.
The two-player Draftosaurus rules
With two, play four rounds instead of two. Each round both players draw six dinosaurs. Players take turns rolling the die, and it only affects the player who did not roll. On each turn you place one dinosaur, then choose a second to return to the box, then swap hands. Each player still ends with twelve dinos.
Tips for your first few zoos
- Watch what you pass. Handing your neighbor the fourth triceratops they need for the Forest of Sameness can swing the game.
- Fill the Woody Trio early or not at all. Two dinos there score zero.
- Use the River on purpose. A point in the River beats wrecking a pen you have been building.
- Try the Winter side once the Summer side feels easy. It adds pens like the Pyramid and Lovers’ Bridge.
If dinosaurs are a hit at your house, our best dinosaur board games list includes bigger park-building games, and our best family board games roundup has more quick picks for mixed ages.
Draftosaurus rules questions
Does the player who rolls the die have to follow it?
No. The die restriction applies to everyone except the player who rolled it that turn.
Can you always put a dinosaur in the River?
Yes. The River ignores the die, and each dinosaur there is worth 1 point at the end.
How long does Draftosaurus take?
About 15 minutes once everyone knows the pens.
What age is Draftosaurus for?
The box says eight and up. Younger kids can play with help counting the scores.
