Dinosaurs. They may no longer exist in the real world, but in the video game world? They’re alive and well…mostly, it’s complicated. Anyway, if you’re hoping games with dinosaurs to take on the go, I got you covered with these 10 dino games for the Nintendo Switch.
#11 Minecraft Jurassic World DLC
You’re going to be seeing Jurassic World three times on this list, but the first one is solely a DLC kind of thing. Minecraft is the biggest game around, and it just keeps growing no matter what you do…seriously…it just…won’t…stop…
Anyway, the Minecraft Jurassic World DLC puts the theme park of Jurassic World into Minecraft asks you to do whatever it takes in order to keep the park open. So you’ll need to manage both the people and the dinosaurs in order to keep things running “smoothly” (as if that’s possible…). You’ll also have access to dinosaurs to build and more.
So if you’re looking for a new thrill in Minecraft, here you go.
#10 Gigantosaurus The Game
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
This Disney title turned game is one that is…well…mainly for kids, but you might enjoy it, or you might get it for them to enjoy it, either option works here.
Rocky, Tiny, Mazu and Bill are who you play as. These dinosaurs realize that a giant meteor has plugged up a volcano that houses Giganto. Now, working together you must go and race to the volcano, solve puzzles, and save the day!
Also, there are some actual races you’ll get to do in here. Didn’t know dinosaurs can race, but with Disney? Anything is possible. So try out Gigantosaurus The Game if you’re looking for some nice, simple fun.
#9 Parkasaurus
There are two “dino park simulation” games here, and the first one is that of Parkasaurus. In this tycoon-style game, you’ll get to start from scratch and make your own dino theme park to try and make money from.
As you might expect, every dino has a set of needs to be met. So make sure every single exhibit is able to match that. Then, as you do well in the park, you’ll get to expand, research new technologies to keep your dinos happy and healthy, and there’s even a campaign mode where you can help dinos ‘complete their destiny’.
Which…might mean the end of humanity? It’s hard to say. But if you’re in for a tycoon game with dinos, here you go!
#8 Dauntless
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
Dauntless is a title where you’ll take the role of a hunter, a hunter whose job it is to roam the vast land you are in on order to take on behemoths. Why? Because these behemoths are devouring the land, and that’s something you must stop!
But don’t worry, you won’t have to do it alone. You’ll be able to play co-op with players from all over the world. And if your own skills aren’t enough, you’ll get to go make powerful weapons and armor in order to fight back hard against the raging monsters.
Add that to a massive world you can explore, and the fact it’s free-to-play, and you’ll see why so many are trying this game out.
#7 Turok Dinosaur Hunter
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
Most people forget that the Turok games on the N64 were really good, and had a much deeper plot than they remember. For example, Turok himself isn’t just a dinosaur hunter, he’s a time traveler. He’s thrown into a savage land (not THE Savage Land to be clear) and must fight off the wicked plot of “The Campaigner” in order to save everything.
The 3D world of the remaster has been built from the ground up to make it even more fun to play the title. Go and wander the lands to find the lost shards of the Chronoscepter, all the while facing all sorts of threats, and getting better and better weapons to take them on.
Can you be the best hunter ever? Jump in and find out.
#6 Spyro Reignited Trilogy
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
While we know Spyro is technically a dragon, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy is sure to provide any and all dinosaur enthusiasts with a fun collectathon platformer with hours of content across all three games. These PlayStation classics are fully remade from the ground-up, with jaw-dropping visuals and a reinvigorated artstyle.
When the Dragon Kingdom is attacked by Gnasty Gnorc, it falls to Spyro to free the crystal encased rulers in a light-hearted and magic filled adventure across the five homelands of Dragon Kingdom. Players will run, jump, glide, and incinerate their way through levels as they collect gems and eventually build up to confronting Gnasty Gnorc himself. It’s a funny and heartfelt story that anyone can enjoy, with simple pick up and play gameplay that holds up to this day.
#5 ARK Survival Evolved
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
ARK Survival Evolved is very much on point with what you’re trying to do. You’re dropped naked onto an island known as ARK, and your job there is to survive at all costs. You’ll start small by collecting supplies and making a shelter. Then, as you explore the island, you’ll fight for your survival against creatures, other players, and more. You’ll need to evolve both yourself and what you use to defend yourselves in order to make it.
“Wait, were are the dinosaurs?” you ask? Well, they are what you can both fight, and ride on! Oh yeah, you can make companions with all sorts of creatures. So start your path of survival, and see how far you can go.
#4 Jurassic World Evolution
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
Here is the second of the Jurassic World games on the list, and this time you’re actually going to be going into the Jurassic World itself. As in, you’ll be asked to create and then run the park itself within Jurassic World Evolution.
If you’re looking for more depth there, you don’t need it. Because in the game you’ll get to construct and run the park as you need to. Make the pens to put the dinosaurs in, then get the dinosaurs in them and hope that they stay inside and play nice. Make the perfect good for customers, and then expand and grow the park so you can see just how grand you can make it. But when things do get wild, you’ll need to contain the dinosaurs…or else.
#3 LEGO: Jurassic World
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
What can you say about the LEGO games that have come around over the last few decades? Well, you can say that a lot of people play them, and thus they keep trying to expand the roster. And thus, we have LEGO: Jurassic World.
This take on the beginning of the new trilogy (which ends soon with Dominion) will be a bit more comedic than the film, but the fun is interacting with all the dinosaurs and witnessing the LEGO madness as you take things on one brick at a time.
With a bunch of characters and collectibles to get, you’ll have fun here no matter who you are. Just remember, dinosaurs can be “clever girls”.
#2 Yoshi’s Crafted World
Yoshi has been around for a long time, but in recent console generations, he’s been getting an “aesthetic change” that led to the Wooly World game, and now, Yoshi’s Crafted World. In it, you’ll be taken into a world of carboard, where Yoshi and his friends will have to go and retrieve the remnant of an artifact that Kamek and Baby Bowser are trying to get.
There’s more than one way to view this world, so go and see all the nooks and crannies that it has to offer, and when you do, you’ll get to find all sorts of collectibles.
Yes, this isn’t the deepest game out there, but you’ll find all sorts of charm and whimsy as you float around as everyone’s favorite green dinosaur.
#1 Monster Hunter Rise
I’m sure some of you are mad that this is put above Yoshi, but come on, you know you wanted something big and action-y to end this list! Monster Hunter Rise was the console-exclusive Capcom title for the Switch that many were unsure about. But once it arrived and was revealed to be really good? Everyone started getting it.
You’ll play as a new hunter in a village that has to be defended by the various Monster Hunter…uh…monsters. Then, you’ll explore the world to take on the monsters where they live.
Build yourself up with gear and weapons so you can better take on the threat, and soon, you’ll be able to get the Sunbreak DLC that’ll ensure you have even more to do in this robust title.
