Are we sailing or flying? – review of the “Plesiosaurs” and “Pterodactyls” add-ons for the game “Draftosaurus”

Draftosaurus is a cute family game with dinosaur mepels and simple draft mechanics. The board game won the hearts of players, so it’s no wonder that our bookstore decided to publish two additions.

 

Draftosaurus was very well received on my table and I recommend it to every fan of dinosaurs and family games. From the beginning I was counting on more boards or new figurines and luckily I didn’t have to wait long.

Our Bookstore couldn’t be in a better place, because plesiosaurs and pterodactyls are my favorite dinosaurs – I’ve always been more interested in flying and swimming ones than those wandering on land. Extras are in separate boxes and may or may not be introduced together.

In the sky

Pterodactyls contain 10 wooden individuals and double-sided boards that players place on the main board from the base. When preparing the components, each draws two dinos and places them in the egg nests. Then, depending on the number of players, throw pterodactyls into the bag with figures according to the table in the instructions.

The game follows the normal rules. Flying reptiles can be selected like other dinosaurs, but they can only be placed in nests, starting with zone A. Filling the lairs, of course, gives us perks. If a pterodactyl arrives on a space occupied by a figure drawn during setup, it is immediately moved to any free space on the main board. Other slots can provide us with additional points or the ability to ignore the result of the dice roll and place more dinos on the fields of our choice without restrictions.

In the depths

Plesiosaurs give us exactly the same number of components as Pterodactyls , but this time we get the titular underwater giants and double-sided boards that we put under the main board. During the preparation, put the plesiosaurs in the bag with the rest of the dinosaurs according to the table in the instructions.

If we choose a water reptile during the game, we always place it on the river above the branches. Later in the game, when we put a dinosaur on any field that is on the nearest log, we pass it and stop in front of the next one. If we meet the condition of the next stump, we can pass it again. Of course, the further we get with the plesiosaurs, the more points they will bring us.

Even more goodness

Two Draftosaurus expansions are an interesting option for extra points and optimal placement on the board. I like Plesiosaurs more , but after a few games I also started to appreciate Pterodactyls . The charming mepels are as pretty as those from the base game, and the new boards do not complicate the gameplay, but give us new possibilities to combine. We also have to choose whether we care more about meeting the scoring conditions on the main board, getting as far as possible, or filling the slots. We won’t be able to do everything and not every chosen dinosaur will fit into our plans, but this randomness is in the right dose.

The workmanship is at the same high level as before. The boards are nice and naturally extend the playing area up and down. Plesiosaurs and pterodactyls join the earlier well-made dinosaurs and the whole thing looks really nice.

If you have the basic version and want to increase its difficulty a bit, get the add-ons. The boards also have an easy side and a hard side, and can be attached individually or in a pack, so there are plenty of different options for players to play through. This has a positive effect on the replayability and freshness of the game.