Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write

I used to pass over roll-and-writes as a matter of habit, but they have earned more of my attention lately: they reach the table readily, and the youngster plays them with genuine enthusiasm. Dinosaur Island: Rawr ’n Write had been on my list for a while because it appeared to want more than dice and a sheet full of boxes.

Its engine is dice drafting and placement. You choose dice and put them to work, then let those choices drive the development of your park; this is not merely a matter of rolling and recording, but a compact sequence of decisions about where a turn’s effort is best spent.

Then the familiar roll-and-write grammar takes over: you draw on your sheet and fit things into space that rapidly becomes awkward. It is Tetris in Dinosaur Island overalls; the interesting decision is whether an easy placement now has quietly sealed off your best option later.

My first play confirmed a rather clever design, one that retains the flavour of the larger board game without mechanically photocopying it. My one reservation is that the special characters and buildings seem very strong, making the game noticeably easy — or, at least, they did on first acquaintance. Still, it is good: a roll-and-write with substance rather than merely a grid to fill.