Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Dig for fossils, publish new species, and exploit the bitter Marsh–Cope rivalry to build a paleontological legacy.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Read the full game description
Bone Wars casts players as late-nineteenth-century paleontologists competing during the notorious rivalry between Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope. Multi-use action cards can activate a field team to excavate fossils and discover species or send the paleontologist to publish papers, challenge rivals, and pursue awards. Published species improve player-board bonuses, while papers contribute to shared patron rows whose final value depends on personal loyalty. The puzzle is both tactical and political: discoveries matter, but so does deciding whose scientific reputation they strengthen.
