Holotype Mesozic North America Collect Fossils. Conduct Research. Publish Your Findings!

Unearth ancient fossil beds across the continent, advance academic research, and publish groundbreaking paleontological discoveries in a scientifically grounded worker placement strategy game that turns museum field expeditions into a tight race for academic prestige.

Holotype: Mesozoic North America (designed by Jason R. Hall and Brett J. Gilbert, published by Brexwerx Games) immerses players in the competitive field of modern vertebrate paleontology across the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Stepping into the roles of rival field research teams, players deploy specialized crews—including Principal Paleontologists, Graduate Students, and Field Assistants—to unearth genuine North American dinosaur and marine reptile specimens. The central objective is to advance scientific knowledge and claim academic glory by securing fossil traces, conducting laboratory research, and publishing papers on new holotype specimens in prestigious academic journals before rival institutions can monopolize the discoveries.

The core gameplay loop revolves around specialized worker placement, dynamic turn-order drafting, and strategic set collection built on real cladistics and taxonomy. Each worker tier brings distinct utility to the field: Field Assistants rapidly dig up raw fossil specimens, Graduate Students synthesize laboratory data, and Paleontologists coordinate expedition routes and publish completed research. Players must navigate a shifting marketplace of 60 unique prehistoric species cards, balancing individual hidden personal research goals against semi-collaborative global milestones shared across the scientific community. Mastery demands clever timing, agile management of fossil resource pools, and precise positioning to publish key holotypes that align with shifting taxonomy bonuses over a fast-paced 45-to-60 minute academic race.

Game Specs at a Glance:
Age Range: 12+ Years
Publisher: Brexwerx Games
Play Time: 45-60 Minutes
Player Count: 2-5 Players
Complexity: Light-Medium (Worker Placement, Set Collection, Objective Fulfillment, Resource Management, Variable Turn Order)

What's in the Box?

• 1 Central Field and Expedition Game Board
• 5 Player Research Boards
• 60 Specimen and Holotype Cards
• 15 Wooden Specialized Worker Meeples
• 40+ Fossil Specimen Tokens
• 30 Research and Cladistics Milestone Cards
• 1 First Player Marker and Era Phase Trackers
• 1 Scientific Companion Almanac and Official Rulebook