They got me with the name! I chased that bright and shiny name and saw the gameplay of it, even got to play it at Gencon, and I was hooked. As ridiculous as the name is the gameplay supports it. You are looking at Mariokart on your tabletop even if it doesn’t have the IP, seriously though Nintendo call these people and make it happen, I would pay you more money then CMON asks for in a Kickstarter to make that come to life.
You can support your Meeples while getting your own copy of Dodos Riding Dinos.
The premise is very simple, pick your racer, play a card and move forward while hampering your opponents. Only one person can win the race so good luck. This game combines card play and dexterity weapons in an extremely satisfying game with a lot of take that elements as well. It feels tense and rowdy as you clawing for position.
How to Play Dodos Riding Dinos
You first pick your racer, position on the race track starting line with the slowest runner in front. Then shuffle the cards and deal 6 cards.
There are 3 card types in the deck, Standard blue with move and ability, Aggressive red with move and bigger ability, and Reaction green cards that can only be played if you are attacked.
Everyone picks one card and plays it face down, once ready everyone flips the cards.
Once flipped, two or more red cards cancel out their abilities but still get to move, and blue cards always go off. Movement and ability happen from the first player around the table.
If you played a weapon you use it how it is described in the rulebook, and if damage is dealt you discard cards from your hand. You have to use a reaction card before they use a weapon.
After all cards and effects are finished, the leader moves forward 1 space, everyone else draws one card. If you have no cards in hand you draw 5 cards but move back 3 spaces as well.
The first one crossing the finish line wins. If multiple people cross then the person over the line the farthest wins.
The rulebook is really well laid out as well.
Final Thoughts
This is the game that I knew I needed once I heard about it. It also delivers on what it promises in the way that you are hoping it will. The components are amazing and done at an extremely high level. My only gripe is with the small cards because I have huge hands. I don’t see this game ever leaving the collection as it checks all the boxes I want in a racing game.
I didn’t know I wanted and needed Mariokart on my tabletop but Dodos Riding Dinos definitely delivers that experience and l couldn’t be happier that it is in my collection.
Phillip, an avid karter
We have a full playthrough of Dodos Riding Dinos on our YouTube series Table for Two
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Phil is an avid gamer who not only loves board games (he has played 100’s) but is one part of the “Table for Two” board game YouTube series and has designed several of his own board games. In addition to gaming he is all about the DIY life for creating gaming shelves or additional pieces and has a luck with dice that is mathematically infuriating to everyone else at the table most of the time.