Combining Decks | Dino Survival Card Game
Playing Dino Survival with Multiple Expansions
Published: February 5, 2026
Last Updated: February 5, 2026
Dino Survival (the red-boxed base game) is designed so expansions can be mixed in a few different ways depending on how long you want to play—and how much variety you want to see. Each expansion has its own name (the first coming soon is The Cambrian Explosion).
Choose the format that fits your group:
Option 1: Three-Era Campaign (Recommended)
Play three rounds in order: Paleozoic → Mesozoic → Cenozoic. At the end of each round, record each player’s score. After all three rounds, the player with the highest total score wins.
This is the long-term “final state” the game is being balanced around: you get a tour of prehistoric life across the eras without committing to a single massive deck.
Card backs by era: Blue-backed cards = Paleozoic. Yellow-backed cards = Mesozoic. The Cenozoic back color hasn’t been finalized yet, but it will be clearly distinct from the first two.
Option 2: One Massive Deck (Quick Setup)
Combine Dino Survival and all expansions into one draw pile and play a single game. The first player to reach the required points to win takes the victory.
The points-to-win target works the same way it normally does in Dino Survival: it varies based on player count.
Note: As more expansions release, the combined deck can get huge—games may run longer, you’ll see a smaller percentage of the full card pool each session, and cleanup/sorting will take more time.
Option 3: Set-by-Set Rounds (Most Variety, Cleanest Sorting)
Play one round with Dino Survival, then play one round for each expansion (for example: Dino Survival → The Cambrian Explosion → next expansion, etc.). After each round, record scores—then add them up at the end. The player with the highest total score wins (same scoring approach as Option 1).
This method gives your group the best chance to see a wide spread of cards from every set and keeps post-game organization straightforward—at the cost of the longest overall playtime.
Quick pick: New to expansions? Start with Option 1. Want instant variety? Choose Option 2. Want maximum “see the set” coverage and easy sorting? Go Option 3.