You can buy park attractions in hopes of luring more suckers – err, I mean – visitors to the park.
You can buy DNA because DNA is like toilet paper: you never want to run out at the wrong time. In the Market phase, players get two purchases. Passing allows you to keep your scientist to be used in a later phase of the game. In the Research Phase, players use their hexagonal scientists to gather DNA from the crystalized amber dice, obtain a new dinosaur recipe in a flavor of your choice (herbivore, small carnivore, or large carnivore), increase your cold storage (i.e., capacity for holding DNA), or pass. Regardless of the objectives, the rounds themselves will play out the same way. You can also vary the length of the game by choosing from short, medium, or long game objects at setup. The game is played over a variable number of rounds dependent on how quickly players achieve objectives. The goal of Dinosaur Island is to build the most exciting dinosaur park you can and pack in more visitors than fire regulations allow. These morally questionable decisions are up to you to make as the owner and chief operator of your very own totally-not-Jurassic-Park-because-that’s-copyright-infringement dinosaur park. Or maybe there were an incomprehensible number of gift shops built. Maybe the lab was upgraded instead so more dinosaurs could come off the factory line to draw in visitors. Thankfully, the security at the park is top notch and there’s no way he’s going to eat you. Imagine that hot Tyrannosaurus Rex breath bearing down on you as you gaze up in awe at its comically tiny arms.
We all know they’d be a terrible idea, but that doesn’t stop us from dreaming about how awesome it would be to see those legendary creatures up close.