Dinosaurs and video games go way back. There’s something timeless about giant lizards causing chaos, whether you’re fighting them, running from them, or trying to keep them alive in a park.
If you’ve ever wanted to tame a T-Rex, build your own Jurassic Zoo, or blast through waves of raptors, this list has you covered. Here are six of the best dinosaur games that still hold up.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | Video | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ARK Survival Evolved | 2015-06-02 | Adventure & Shooter | Efecto Studios | |
 | Jurassic World Evolution | 2018-06-12 | Simulator & Strategy | Frontier Developments | |
 | Turok | 1997-11-30 | Shooter & Platform | Iguana Entertainment | |
 | Second Extinction | 2020-10-13 | Shooter | Systemic Reaction | |
 | Primal Carnage: Extinction | 2015-04-03 | Action, FPS | Circle Five Studios |
ARK: Survival Evolved
| Release date: | 2015-06-02 |
| Genre: | Shooter & Role-playing (RPG) & Simulator & Adventure & Indie |
| Developer: | Efecto Studios |
ARK is a massive survival game that throws you onto a hostile island filled with prehistoric creatures. You wake up alone, unarmed, and freezing, and from that moment on, everything wants you dead.
The core loop revolves around taming dinosaurs, and that system is both deep and rewarding. The building system is complex, with support-based structures, electricity, water systems, and full customization tools for personal bases.
ARK’s multiplayer adds another layer of risk. Your character remains in the world while you’re offline, meaning you can be looted or killed unless protected. The social meta revolves around forming tribes, securing territory, and surviving not just the world, but each other.
| You may like it because |
|---|
|
Jurassic World Evolution 3
| Release date: | 2025-10-21 |
| Genre: | Simulator & Strategy |
| Developer: | Frontier Developments |
Jurassic World Evolution 3 puts you in charge of building and running your own dinosaur park. Unlike the survival chaos of ARK, this one is about control, balance, and spectacle. You’re the park manager, dealing with guests, budgets, disasters, and hungry carnivores.
The third entry introduces dinosaur families. You’ll raise juveniles into adults, manage genetics, and observe behavior across lifespans. Enclosures are more customizable than ever. You can sculpt terrain, build on slopes, and decorate enclosures with modular scenery elements to shape habitats.
Management goes beyond dinosaurs. You’ll need to handle guest satisfaction, deal with emergencies, and balance pressure from competing interest groups. Characters from the films, like Ian Malcolm, bring some story flavor to the campaign.
| You may like it because |
|---|
|
Turok
| Release date: | 1997-11-30 |
| Genre: | Shooter & Platform & Adventure |
| Developer: | Iguana Entertainment |
Turok is a classic first-person shooter that throws you into the Lost Land, a place where dinosaurs and tech weapons collide. Originally released in 1997, the game was later restored with modern visual updates and controller support.
You play as a time-traveling warrior hunting pieces of the Chronoscepter while battling everything from raptors to cyber-enhanced beasts.
The weapon selection is still one of the game’s highlights. You get everything from basic shotguns to the absurdly powerful Atomic Fusion Cannon.
| You may like it because |
|---|
|
Dino Crisis
| Release date: | 1999-07-01 |
| Genre: | Survival Horror |
| Developer: | Capcom Production Studio 4 |
A survival horror title from the same minds behind Resident Evil, but instead of zombies, you’re up against dinosaurs. The action unfolds on Ibis Island, where you control Regina, a special forces agent investigating a research facility.
The game’s tone is tense. Ammo is limited, health is scarce, and enemies are fast. Raptors can dodge attacks, pin you down, and even disarm you.
Danger events push your reflexes, requiring quick button presses to escape attacks or hazards. Story choices affect the ending, and while the level design is more minimal than Resident Evil, the pacing and encounter design keep the pressure on.
| You may like it because |
|---|
|
Second Extinction
| Release date: | 2020-10-13 |
| Genre: | Shooter |
| Developer: | Systemic Reaction |
Second Extinction is a cooperative shooter focused on wiping out mutated dinosaurs across large open maps. You drop in with a squad of up to three players, each with unique gear and roles. Going solo is possible, but not recommended.
Combat is chaotic and fast. Enemy types vary, from regular swarms to heavily armored specials. The dynamic map tracks player activity and adjusts regional threat levels.
Upgrades and loadouts provide some progression, but the real hook is the War Effort system. It’s a community-driven difficulty scale where player success or failure globally changes what happens next.
| You may like it because |
|---|
|
Primal Carnage
| Release date: | 2012-10-29 |
| Genre: | Shooter & Indie |
| Developer: | Lukewarm Media |
Primal Carnage is a team-based multiplayer shooter where humans face off against dinosaurs. It’s asymmetrical: one side plays as mercenaries with guns, the other as prehistoric predators with claws and brute strength.
Humans use class-based loadouts in first person. Dinosaurs play in third person and rely on mobility and timing. Each side has five classes, and winning comes down to smart coordination and knowing when to push or fall back.
Get to the Chopper is the highlight mode. Humans race to escape, dinosaurs try to stop them. It forces teamwork and builds toward tense, earned standoffs.
| You may like it because |
|---|
|
Dinosaur games have never followed one formula. From terrifying survival to chaotic shooters to sandbox simulators, developers have found all kinds of ways to make these creatures fun again.
No matter your playstyle, there’s a dino game out there that still hits the mark. Whether you’re in it for the management, the mayhem, or the nostalgia, these six prove that dinosaurs in games are far from extinct.