Bone Wars (ML)

Bone Wars takes players to the late nineteenth century during one of the most famous scientific rivalries in paleontology history. Inspired by the real conflict between Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope, the game recreates the chaotic era when leading American scientists competed fiercely to discover new dinosaur species before their rivals. Corruption, sabotage, scientific espionage, and massive fossil excavations all become part of the race to build the greatest scientific reputation.

In Bone Wars, each player controls a team of paleontologists and explorers attempting to excavate fossils, publish research papers, and gain the support of either Marsh or Cope. The gameplay revolves around a highly strategic action card system. These cards may activate your field team to excavate and discover new species, or they may activate your lead scientist to publish papers, debunk rival discoveries, and earn prestigious rewards. Every choice directly influences the development of your scientific strategy throughout the game.

One of the game's most fascinating systems is the loyalty mechanic connected to the two legendary paleontologists. Published discoveries benefit all players associated with either Marsh or Cope, creating an unusual strategic balance where rival research may sometimes indirectly improve your own score. Players must carefully manage personal progress, scientific influence, and publication timing in order to maximize victory points. This layered design makes Bone Wars an especially rewarding experience for fans of expert strategy games and deep resource management.

You will probably enjoy Bone Wars if you appreciate historical strategy games filled with optimization, indirect interaction, and advanced resource management. Dinosaur enthusiasts, archaeology fans, and lovers of worker placement games will discover a deeply thematic experience where every scientific breakthrough can shift the balance of power.

The game is directly inspired by the real-life "Bone Wars," a historical scientific conflict that profoundly shaped the development of modern paleontology in the United States. This rivalry led to the discovery of famous dinosaurs such as Triceratops, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus, but also became infamous for the aggressive and controversial tactics used by competing scientists.

Bone Wars was designed by Wim Goossens and illustrated by Laura Bevon. The detailed artwork and visual style inspired by nineteenth-century scientific publications greatly reinforce immersion in this fascinating era of paleontological discovery.

Number of players: 1 to 4
Playing time: 60 to 120 minutes
Age: 12+