Rancher games are nothing new, and all generally seem to follow a common theme; manage animals, creatures, resources, and the like as you eke out a living an (often) calm setting. Like life sim games, they tend to be relaxing and low-maintenance. No titanic creatures to scale or battle, no waves of enemies to kill before they swarm you, no vicious brawls that leave your thumbs aching and ego as bruised as your character. And like life sim games, there’s plenty of rancher games.
But how many with dinosaurs?
Paleo Pines (FINALLY, it has a name) is an in-development dinosaur farming game by ItalicPig (based in Northern Ireland). Paleo Pines has been quit underground these last few months since concept art and bare-bones animations were shown on their Twitter page.
It’s only recently things have really started to pick up for the newly-named title, and so far it’s looking to be a contender for others of its ilk like Slime Rancher or the grandaddy of the genre, Monster Rancher.
Making the game even more fun and challenging are the attributes of the dinosaurs; the long-necked Apatosaurus, while hard to tame, can help you reach new heights on the frontier. Deinonychus, small raptors, get lonely and sad in a group of less than three. And of course, there’s your faithful steed, the Parasaurolophus, partner and best friend in the wilds.
For all your exploration out in the world of Paleo Pines, the crux remains your ranch, where you and your dinos can relax and design everything to your heart’s content.
Indie games are cropping up more and more, and while a lot of them might not have the pizzazz and backing games created by big name studios do, what they can definitely bring to the table is heart, passion, ingenuity, and freedom.
These traits, and more, are things we’re already seeing in Paleo Pines. As of now, no word what console(s) it’ll appear on , or a release date, but information will be provided as it becomes available. No fossils are appearing in this game, just what looks like an era of fun. Until next time, stay and play savvy, gamers!
