Reviews / 6 October 2023

Paleo Pines – Cosy Vibes & Dinosaur Friends!

Paleo Pines is a beautiful and vibrant farming sim game released by Italic Pig and Modus Games, where both dinosaurs and humans live and work together in harmony. Farming sims are really thriving within the cosy gaming community, especially with the releases of Fae Farm, Sprout Valley and the announcement of a new update for Stardew Valley. Paleo Pines is one more cosy farming game to add to this list, and fans of the genre and dinosaurs are sure to enjoy.

In Paleo Pines you start with the usual faming sim story setup, you get an abandoned and unused farm filled with broken wood and stone that needs clearing out, you have no money to your name, and no friends. The difference in this game compared to other similar games is that you have Lucky, a Parasaurolophus who is ready to help you out in any way he can.

Welcome to Paleo Pines, a charming island known for its friendly dinosaurs, quirky townsfolk, and mysterious past. Befriend dinos and enlist their help to fix up your ranch and farm crops to create your cozy dino sanctuary! Then set out with your companion, Lucky, to uncover the island’s secrets.

Your daily life in Paleo Pines mainly consists from buying seeds, farming, chatting with locals and taking on quests. Eventually you can start to turn your run down farm into something to be proud about by crafting and buying new items to decorate with. There is a wonderful selection of custom items and decorations that allow you to get creative.

The dinosaurs are obviously the main draw to Paleo Pines, and I think that the developers have done an amazing job with incorporating them into the games experience, and making the dinosaurs absolutely adorable. They are the most perfect little helpers that you could ask for, and can help you with your daily farm life by clearing away debris, smashing rocks and watering fields, as each rideable dinosaur you can find has one of these useful abilities.

While there are various different quests you can take, you will also learn more about the island you inhabit, as well as unlock new areas to explore. There is no pressure for you to progress, which allows you to play at your own pace. You’re encouraged to explore and find things for yourself, chat to others and learn about everything the island has to offer.

As an avid fan of relaxing and cosy farming games, it was no surprise to me that Paleo Pines ticked all my boxes. The game is visually stunning, from its colour palette to the aesthetics of the world. There were plenty of moments where I found myself wandering around just admiring the beauty of what this game holds.

Paleo Pines is a great addition to the ever growing cosy genre. While the standard formula of farming simulators remain the same, the addition of the dinosaurs is just enough to keep the experience feeling new and fresh.

I played Paleo Pines on both Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch with a review copy. The game is available now on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. Thank you to Dead Good Media for the copy.