Highlights

• Some dinosaur-themed games allow players to take on the role of dinosaurs and experience life as a prehistoric predator, offering a unique perspective.
• There is a variety of dinosaur-themed games available across different genres, including survival games, simulators, platformers, and fighters, catering to different preferences and age groups.
• Realism, gameplay variety, and difficulty levels are important factors to consider when choosing a dinosaur-themed game, as all the games offer different versions of those.

Plenty of games let you play in a prehistoric world or in the modern world, fighting against total destruction at the claws of giant dinos. However, few of these games let you play as the dinosaurs that are actually disrupting mankind. Occasionally, though, some break through and offer players a chance to inflict maximum damage as only a T. Rex can.

There are a variety of genres covered in the dino world, giving everyone a chance to fulfill their childhood dream of being a Brontosaurus. Some games are even kid-friendly, so you can potentially encourage the dinosaur phase in the kid in your life.

Updated November 5, 2023, by Rebecca Timberlake: There is always room for more dinosaur-inspired games in the world, and any that let you take on the role of the prehistoric predators are sure to offer hours of fun. That said, sometimes the theme and gameplay can get a bit monotonous, so variety in style, play, and difficulty are a must.

10 Ark: Survival Evolved (2015)

Ark: Survival Evolved is a game where you're tasked with surviving on an island inhabited by dinosaurs, and while you're doing your best to stay alive you can tame some of your island mates. While the game itself doesn't offer the ability to play as any of the dinosaurs, the Play As Dino mod on Steam opens up your worldview to that of a variety of dinosaurs.

You can choose to be the apex predator, the T. Rex, or any number of other smaller or aquatic dinosaurs and survive predators and rivals alike.

9 Lego: Jurassic World (2015)

Lego: Jurassic World brought the first four Jurassic Park movies together into a playable Lego game. While being cute and family-friendly, the game is also faithful to the film franchise, with all the notable characters to choose from when playing the main storyline. As you complete each level, look for the amber bricks (one per level), as each brick unlocks a playable dinosaur.

There are a total of 20 dinos you can unlock and play as, including the Velociraptor, with varatiations within the breed so you can play as the beloved Blue if you want.

8 Dinosaur Game (2014)

No, Dinosaur Game isn’t a full-length playable game for a console or anything, but it’s a classic for the generations growing up with the internet, especially if yours crashed a lot. Also known as Chrome Dino Runner, it’s a scroller where you control a T. Rex and navigate through a desert.

Dinosaur Game has since been made available to play whenever - not just when you’re offline - and its simplicity and old-school feel make it a nostalgic game for Google users. Besides, it’s a perfect time-killer when you’re bored and in between tasks or on a short break at work.

7 The Isle (2015)

An open-world survival game, The Isle has over a dozen different dinosaurs for you to choose from in its roster. If you've ever watched Jurassic Park and wanted to see things from the dinosaurs' perspective, this game is maybe as close as you can get to being a dino left to roam an island with its various prey and predators.

The graphics are incredibly life-like and immerse you in a world where it truly is live or die. When selecting your creature, you'll want to consider what they'll be running from (if anything), and what their size means in terms of hiding or commanding respect from everything else living on the Isle.

6 Saurian (2017)

Saurian is unique in that it puts you in the life of a dinosaur from start to finish. You hatch as a baby dinosaur and live your life through adulthood (hopefully) while avoiding predators and natural events that mimic prehistoric conditions.

The game touts itself as the ‘most accurate dinosaur simulator’ as it was made with the input of actual paleontologists who studied dinosaurs and the world they lived in 66 million years ago. The plant life and surrounding ecosystem are all accurate to the time period, allowing you to truly live out a dinosaur’s life.

5 Primal Rage (1994)

Primal Rage isn’t a dinosaur simulator but rather allows you to fight as one. This game includes a roster of seven different large beasts, including a dinosaur, set on an apocalyptic Earth. A traditional fighter, it’s gory and violent in the same vein as Mortal Kombat, so what you give up in realism you gain in action.

Since this is an older game, you’ll have to have an older system to play it, like a Sega or OG PlayStation, among others. If you do happen to have one handy, though, Primal Rage in all its ‘90s glory is a great monster-fighting game that gives you the opportunity to conduct your own epic battles akin to Godzilla vs. Kong.

4 Beasts Of Bermuda (2018)

In Beasts of Bermuda, you choose one of four dinosaur types to play airborne, aquatic, herbivore, or carnivore. The abilities and survival needs are different depending on which category you pick, giving you a variety of options and pros and cons for each.

On top of being a survival game, Beasts of Bermuda is an online multiplayer with an active com. You’ll also have variations in weather and ecosystems, making the game extremely customizable for your wants and needs.

3 Path Of Titans (2020)

Another survival game, Path of Titans is an MMO with realistic graphics that puts you in control of a dinosaur needing to fight its way through a prehistoric world. If you aren’t up for playing with others (the game can potentially have 200 active players), there is a single-player mode that allows you to fight against AI.

Path of Titans has tasks for you to complete while making your way through the complex ecosystem you’re in, creating an action-packed world where anything could happen. Think Among Us but with massive prehistoric beasts. You’ll also be able to hunt for food while you avoid being hunted yourself.

2 Gigantosaurus (2020)

If you want less intense gameplay as a dino, Gigantosaurus isn’t about realism or running from certain death. Instead, you’re one of a handful of cartoon dinosaurs setting to save the world from a volcano that’s about to erupt.

There are exploration aspects to this game as well as racing against other players, which gives everyone playing a chance to be good at something. It also changes the pace throughout the game to keep things interesting. Gigantosaurus is the perfect game for the young and old dino-lovers in the family to come together.

1 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1995)

Yoshi’s Island is a throwback, and one of many great Mario games centered around Yoshi. You play as the cute dinosaur as he escorts an equally adorable baby Mario through the world to save baby Luigi from his kidnaper.

This game was a complete departure from what Mario games had been previously, but kids and adults loved it just the same, making it a classic in the gaming world and a driving force behind the love we have for Yoshi. Yoshi’s Island has stood the test of time so well it’s been ported to the Switch for a new generation of players.

NEXT: Paleo Pines: Best Dinosaurs