What are the best dinosaur games on PC? Ever since we watched Jurassic Park as kids, we've wondered what it would be like to co-habit with the most terrifying of Earth's creatures. Whether you want to battle them or befriend them, we have the best dinosaur games for every taste.
Traditionally, we have been subjected to dinosaurs as our enemies in various action games, and practically every genre out there. Terrifying behemoths or agile killers, they wanted our blood and usually got it. Recently, we've had the absolute pleasure of cohabiting with prehistoric creatures, a much more calming experience, and one that typically allows us to keep our limbs attached to our bodies.
The best dinosaur games on PC are:
Monster Hunter Wilds
Sure, they're not technically dinosaurs, but it's difficult to deny that the Apceros or Anjanath are based on real dinosaurs, even if some of the bigger beasts in the game aren't. In case you've let the series you by, Monster Hunter Wilds lets you play as a monster hunter, and you have a whole world teeming with fantastical creatures to identify, track, and bring down in cinematic boss battles. Once you've secured a kill, you can strip the carcass for resources, take them back to your camp, and craft tougher weapons and Monster Hunter Wilds armor that will let you take on even bigger beasties.
Aside from the seductive power creep, Monster Hunter Wilds also boasts some of the best action RPG combat around. There's a massive range of weapon types, from standard Monster Hunter Wilds review to see why we awarded this game an incredible 9/10 score.
Dino D-Day
Dino D-Day is, er, well. It's D-Day with dinos. But really, what more could you want? Adolf Hitler's been up to no good again, resurrecting our favorite 'terrible lizards' to secure victory on the Western and Mediterranean front. Whether you head into battle as a human or a dinosaur, these battlegrounds are a far cry from Call of Duty. Stalk the enemy through the streets as a velociraptor, set your M1 Garand's sights on a pterosaur swooping overhead, or cast yourself as a German soldier marching alongside an artillery-laden thunder lizard.
The online multiplayer is a lonely experience, so we recommend drafting a few friends into co-op to liven things up a little. Dino D-Day might not be the most historically accurate Steam sales, so it's well worth making room for it on your wishlist.
Dino Trauma
Dino Trauma takes its cue from landmark dinosaur games of the '90s such as Dino Crisis and Turok, then sprinkles in a little Doom and Quake for flavor. This indie boomer shooter whisks you away to a secret laboratory tucked away in the wilds of Eastern Europe, where our favorite thunder lizards roam free. Embrace PS1-style mayhem as you accumulate an arsenal of shotguns, tasers, and rocket launchers for a frenetic, low-poly prehistoric cull.
Paleo Pines
If you've ever wondered what a mix of Stardew Valley and The Flintstones would look like, then I have great news for you. Steam demo if you want to try it before you buy.
Ark: Survival Evolved
As the subtitle in its name implies, Ark belongs to the list of dinosaur survival games, which means the dino murdering can only commence after crafting your own spear to chuck at those pesky raptors. The shooting isn't the tightest, and there are still plenty of bugs even years after its initial launch, but the sheer range of creatures to fight, hunt, and tame in Ark will keep you exploring the game's many biomes for hundreds of hours.
After learning their quirks, you can even ride and Ark 2 release date is in limbo, you still have plenty of time to enjoy the original game.
Jurassic World Evolution 2
While most PC dinosaur games concern themselves with hunting dinos, Frontier Developments instead opted to create the opposite with the Jurassic World Evolution games: dino ranching. Rather than mowing down rare creatures with a minigun, you try to build a Jurassic Park that doesn't fall apart before its first day. Naturally, the whole enterprise is prone to all manner of disasters.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 adds plenty more management tools and a host of new dinosaurs with more complex behaviors and needs. In Chaos Theory mode, you get to test your crisis-handling chops in scenarios directly inspired by the films as you're handed the reins to parks on the brink of calamity. For a full report from corporate, check out Rich's Jurassic World Evolution 2 review.
Lego Jurassic World
Sticking with the Jurassic Park franchise, Lego Jurassic World marries the gameplay of action-adventure games specialist TT Games with the storylines of the Jurassic Park trilogy and the first Jurassic World movie. This is essentially the series' greatest hits, including more blocky Jeff Goldblum than you can handle.
The real treat here is that the Lego games are among the best co-op games available, making this a great dinosaur game to play with friends and family. Apart from the setting, there's not a vast amount that separates this Lego game from others, but you can play many different dinosaurs, which is a lot of fun.
The Isle
The Isle is a multiplayer dinosaur survival simulation game that's still a long way from leaving Steam Early Access, but there's nothing else quite like it on PC. The gameplay is pretty simple: you load into a server full of dinos that are all being played by other people and attempt to survive in the world by preying on smaller dinosaurs and avoiding predators at all costs.
The Isle gets interesting, however, when players start forming packs and groups in a server, leading to player-controlled herds, nests for growing your group, and inevitably massive dino battles.
Primal Carnage
Dinosaur-hunting games are all about the battle between man and beast, and that's precisely what you get with Primal Carnage. On one side, you have hunters in sunglasses toting big guns; on the other, you have giant reptiles ready to rumble.
While there are people who go in deep for the roleplay servers, Primal Carnage is at its best when both sides are just throwing everything they have at each other, resulting in a stupid, irresistible melee. Any game where you can play as a pterodactyl, swoop down, pick up a guy, and drop them to their death is worth checking out. Along with Dino D-Day, this multiplayer game lacks a player population, so you'll probably need a few friends if you want to guarantee a game.
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn
If you're looking for a triceratops-toppling experience that's a little closer to traditional hunting sims than the likes of Turok, this is your best bet. This remake of a beloved series from the late '90s focuses on tracking, hunting, and killing a variety of dinos.
You have to sneak up on these big boys and hold your breath to get accurate shots, and the size and condition of each target determine what rewards you get for a clean kill. It's a bit light on content, but if you're tired of hunting down deer, boar, and other harmless woodland critters, this could be the change of scenery you need.
Turok & Turok 2
Speaking of Turok, it might be hard to believe now, but before the one-two punch of Gears of War and Call of Duty 4 tethered the blockbuster shooter to beige reality, the genre had its fair share of colorful contenders. The first Turok, in particular, is a relic of the Quake era, packed with weapons that spin in mid-air, your dinosaur hunter's frantic footspeed, and endless canyons of baddies to blast through, but it offers some of the best dino-slaughter of its era.
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil is an altogether more sophisticated game, emphasizing non-linear labyrinths rather than the traditional corridor crawls of other shooters of the era. However, it's probably best known today for its creative weaponry, especially the fearsome Cerebral Bore, which performs exactly the gory deed it says on the tin. Overall, these two shooters are fondly ed for a reason, and they let you wreck some giant reptilians, so they're perfect for this list.
Far Cry: Primal
Yes, for all you amateur archaeologists cracking your knuckles to type a lengthy comment, we know that Primal is set in the Mesolithic era, millions of years after the dinosaurs were wiped out by a cataclysmic event. However, if you're a fan of dinosaurs, then woolly rhinos, mammoths, and formidable cave bears are the next best thing, and Far Cry Primal has the lot.
Primal lets you hunt all of these creatures and tame some of them as well, so you can send them charging into battle on your behalf. And if you find yourself tired of all the mammalian slaughter, this is still one of the Far Cry 6 review.
Saurian
This is a dino simulator with a difference – you hatch as a baby 'saur and must survive into adulthood, avoiding predators and scrounging for food every day. There's a huge amount of attention to detail going on here, with great effort to ensure Saurian's flora and fauna are as historically and scientifically accurate as possible – and yes, that means dinosaurs with feathers.
You're currently limited to playing as a Dakotaraptor with a fabulous feathery tail or the newly released Triceratops, but both are incredibly realistic. It's time to find out if you'd be able to make it as a dinosaur back in the day and survive the many challenges of Hell Creek.
Parkasaurus
No hunting, shooting, or wrestling with dinosaurs here – instead, we're going to put them in an adorable, brightly-colored theme park, pop a propeller cap and pair of shutter shades on their scaly little heads, and watch the money roll in. What's that? The unfeasibly purple T-Rex with the woolly hat has a visitor in his mouth? Oh dear. Oh, look, they're also on fire. Ah well.
Parkasaurus is a charming dino park chill game to wind down with after a long day of chomping and stomping their way through the Mesozoic era.
That's your lot, the very best dinosaur games on PC. If you're looking to dig up more classic-feeling greats, then check out our list of the best best PC games you can play today.