Cozy life sims possess the ability to offer an immersive escape. The allure of becoming absorbed in the little details that shape their virtual worlds is undoubtedly one of my most beloved aspects of the genre. Each life sim provides its own distinctive charm, and Paleo Pines brilliantly incorporates the concept of humans forming friendships with adorable dinosaurs and a satisfying farming experience.
Given my profound love for dinosaurs since childhood, Paleo Pines brings out the kid in me. Witnessing these historically accurate dinosaurs come to life in this adorable interactive world is a delightful and refreshing twist on the classic farming life sim experience.
“Consequently, your primary mission is now set in motion: locate the other Parasaurolophuses.”
In Paleo Pines, your adventure begins with the growth of your loyal companion, Lucky, a Parasaurolophus. As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Lucky longs to connect with others of her species as she gets older. Therefore, you embark on a journey to Paleo Pines in search of potential friends for her.
Upon your arrival, you are greeted by the prospect of settling into your very own ranch, though it clearly requires some serious renovations. As you explore your new property, you meet Mari and Owynn, who have followed Lucky’s tracks and found their way to your doorstep. Their amazement at Lucky is noticeable, marking the beginning of a unique and heartwarming adventure.
They both reveal that Parasaurolophuses are extremely rare in the region, to the extent that they’ve never seen one, and have only witnessed tracks. They express particular unease about the most recent sighting of a Parasaurolophus but refrain from elaborating as to why, leaving you curious about their cryptic behaviour. Consequently, your primary mission is now set in motion: locate the other Parasaurolophuses.
“There is truly something for everyone in Paleo Pines”
You will be equipped with a journal that serves as a valuable tool for identifying dinosaurs, plants, artifacts, historic places, and natural features within the game. This journal not only aids in recognising and cataloguing these elements but also provides insightful information. When identifying dinosaurs, you’ll gain in-depth knowledge about their species, dietary preferences, and more. Identifying plants allows you to discover their seasonal growth patterns and potential flavours (for dinosaurs, of course).
As for uncovering artifacts, they serve as collectibles, often fragmented, and can be presented to the resident historian in exchange for valuable insights into the world you’re exploring. In Paleo Pines, no matter what you are doing there is always something new to discover.
While life simulation games offer boundless freedom, one common drawback is the potential for aimlessness. Sometimes, the desire for a purposeful quest or objective arises to combat this. Thankfully, Paleo Pines addresses this need by incorporating both main quests and simpler side quests, available via the town board in Pebble Plaza, which changes daily. This variety offers you a wealth of options for shaping your playthrough, ensuring that you are constantly engaged and working towards fulfilling goals within the game world.
In Paleo Pines, quests come in varying levels of complexity, each offering distinct rewards. This diversity ensures that you can find tasks that match your preferred level of commitment when exploring the world. The game boasts a great selection of activities, catering to a wide range of player preferences and playstyles. With its remarkable versatility, there is truly something for everyone in Paleo Pines.
“All the dinosaurs are unique”
One of the most enchanting aspects of Paleo Pines, a sentiment shared by many who will embark on this adventure, is the irresistibly cute and cuddly dinosaurs. I mean, who can resist the charm of dinosaurs, right? You’re bound to discover your very own favourite prehistoric companion within this charming game — I found mine in the form of the Stegosaurus. Witnessing this beloved dinosaur come to life right before my eyes triggered a wave of nostalgia and sheer delight. I was determined to forge a lasting friendship with it.
Fortunately, making a new dinosaur friend is a simple task. It all begins when Lucky stumbles upon your flute, inspiring you to play it once more. While you’re out exploring the world, Mari takes notice of your musical talents and seeks your assistance in debunking one of her theories. The ingenious idea of using music to expedite dinosaur friendships proves to be a resounding success.
By playing various notes of varying durations, you effectively mimic the dinosaur’s friendly melody, capturing its attention. Following this, offering it its preferred treats and providing comfort eventually culminates in you using a poppin, which seals your newfound friendship with a crunchy dessert.
“Integrating a dinosaur helper into your ranch requires a degree of patience.”
Giving these dinosaurs a home to stay in on your ranch is another aspect of this game that truly captivated me. Each dinosaur possesses its own distinct personality, and specific preferences for food, home, and favourite treat. This diversity keeps you actively engaged, ensuring you remain attentive to their needs in order to keep them happy and healthy. While Lucky remains your primary companion for cleaning duties, other dinosaurs can also lend a hand with various tasks around the ranch, from smashing boulders to tending to your gardens and much more.
Integrating a dinosaur helper into your ranch requires a degree of patience, as these prehistoric pals need to gain your trust. To ensure a pleasant environment, everything in the dinosaur’s pen needs to be kept in optimal condition.
This entails maintaining a steady supply of food, creating the appropriate biome, keeping the area clean from “fertiliser,” adjusting the population of dinosaurs to your friend’s liking, and ensuring the pen size is just right. Consistent interaction with your dinosaur friend, ideally on a daily basis, is also crucial. Once all these conditions are met, it’s a matter of waiting for your friend to decide to join the herd of helpers.
“If you don’t have a Dreamstone for a particular dinosaur, they will flee from your ranch.”
In Paleo Pines, regular visits to Pebble Plaza are a must for trading, a practice that not only supports the local community but also helps you amass shells, the in-game currency. When approaching the market stalls, you’ll encounter various vendors, each specialising in different categories, such as gardening, woodworking, and clothmaking. However, this trading system can be somewhat cumbersome. When engaging with these characters, you can only sell specific items from your inventory, lacking the option to approach a vendor and sell all the items in your inventory at once. This can consume a significant portion of your time, especially if you aim to progress quickly.
Along with this annoyance is the rarity of Dreamstones, particularly the large ones. The game emphasizes early on that dinosaurs require Dreamstones, highlighting their rarity. You’re also advisable to pick them up whenever you come across them. However, as you encounter a variety of dinosaurs that you’d like to befriend, the scarcity of Dreamstones becomes limiting. If you don’t have a Dreamstone for a particular dinosaur, they will flee from your ranch, which can be quite frustrating. During my playthrough, I wanted to befriend as many dinosaurs as possible but found my efforts limited by the rarity of these stones.
Ultimately, I’m someone with a simple desire: to have as many dinosaurs as possible on my ranch. Therefore, it saddens me that I can’t bring certain dinosaurs I want into my ranch due to the persistent shortage of the elusive Dreamstones.
“This opens up the opportunity to befriend additional dinosaur species and expand your dino entourage.”
In games like these, I’m typically not much of a farmer but Paleo Pines keeps it quick and simple, making it considerably more engaging for me. However, the simplicity and engagement of this game comes with a drawback: be prepared for a substantial amount of grinding and management, particularly at the beginning of your adventure. The straightforward mechanics provide a sense of control, yet you’ll often find yourself facing the challenge of prioritising various tasks, which can become frustrating at times.
Both your character and every dinosaur in the game possess a set amount of stamina. As your dinosaurs assist with ranch tasks, their levels increase rapidly, resulting in significant stamina boosts. However, when stamina reaches zero, you and your dinosaurs are unable to run or perform any actions for the remainder of the day. Fortunately, a good night’s sleep replenishes both your character’s and your dinosaurs’ stamina, underscoring the importance of strategic stamina management based on your daily activities.
Tasks within Paleo Pines often demand patience, such as tidying up your ranch and tending to your garden. Fortunately, as you level up your dinosaurs, these chores become notably more manageable. With enhanced abilities, you can broaden your exploration horizons and venture into diverse biomes previously inaccessible. This opens up the opportunity to befriend additional dinosaur species and expand your dino entourage.
“Paleo Pines is a wonderful addition to the farming life sim family.”
Paleo Pines is undeniably addictive, owing to its rich content and captivating art style. The game’s adorable and vibrant visuals make it incredibly appealing and continuously immerse me in the game. The interactions with villagers and dinosaurs are cut and straightforward, ensuring that players remain engaged as they explore the lands around their ranch.
The game offers an abundance of quests, allowing you to remain consistently engaged in purposeful activities. The never-ending selection of tasks also includes the new dinosaur friends you make. They assist you in exploring and unveiling new biomes, utilising their unique skills to unlock hidden passages that would otherwise remain inaccessible without their help.
Paleo Pines is a wonderful addition to the farming life sim family. For the low pricing of US$29.99 / AU$44.45, Paleo Pines is definitely worth it. You’ll be provided with an enchanting world inhabited by adorable dinosaurs that will capture your heart from the very start. Whether you’re seeking another endearing farming life simulation or simply have a soft spot for adorable dinosaurs, this game is definitely for you.
