Best Animal Board Games
Best Animal Board Games
If you’re an animal lover or simply looking for a new genre of games, here are some top picks for you. Creeping and crawling through each game, players can come across cuddly woodland creatures and ferocious dinosaurs!
These board games are also great educational tools for kids as they can teach them about all the animals. Here’s a list of the best animal board games to have on your shelf! Find board games for nature and wildlife lovers.
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Animal Board Games
In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.
Best Educational
Best Worker Placement
Best Overall
#1. Evolution / Evolution: The Beginning
The ecosystem is fragile and food is scarce; can you help grow species before a predator attacks?
A staple in the animal board game category, Evolution is an award-winning game about our ever-changing ecosystem. Set in prehistory where species started their first developments, Evolution will have players dodging carnivores who are constantly on the prowl.
Evolution is a brilliant game as the ways to evolve species are very versatile, leading to very high replayability. With over 12,000 different species to create, you can be sure to have a different adventure with each game.
Evolution: The Beginning is another NorthStar stand-alone game. Although it borrows mechanics and ideas from the original Evolution, it’s got faster gameplay that makes it a great option for kids.
#2. Evolutions: Oceans
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30 mins
Lurking deep below the surface lie bizarre and mysterious creatures you’d hardly believe are real…
Oceans is a collection of vibrant marine life through millions of years of evolution. At its heart. Evolutions: Oceans is a strategy game in which you’ll dive deep into the ocean through a vast underwater cosmos where adapting is key to your survival.
With a deck of 89 unique power cards, many games can be played and you’ll still be discovering new creatures with tentacles, teeth, and ink. Evolution: Oceans is a fantastic introduction to engine-building games because although it’s competitive, you have a lot of leeway to develop a species that works for you.
- Strategy Game for 2-4 Players, Ages 12 & Up: Create a vibrant web...
- Your Survival Depends on Your Ability to Adapt: Enter a vast,...
- Lurking Deep Below the Surface: Lies mysteries so bizarre they...
#3. Wingspan
Players: 1-5
Playing time: 40-70 mins
Bird watchers unite!
Wingspan is all about birds, birds, birds. In this competitive card game, you play a bird enthusiastically. Researchers, ornithologists, bird watchers, and collectors are all working to discover and attract the world’s best birds to their wildlife preserves.
Powerful combinations of birds can be created by gaining food, laying eggs, and drawing the most unique bird cards.
Wingspan contains hundreds of cards with beautiful artwork that’ll teach you about some of the world’s most unique birds.
- For 1-5 players. Ages 10+
- 40-70 minute playing time
- A competitive bird-collection, engine-building Game
#4. Trekking the National Parks
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 30-60 mins
Which national park will you travel to next?
Trekking the National Parks is a wonderful game for families to adventure and explore some of the best natural wonders in America. With 63 national parks and hundreds of beautiful photos, travel from Yellowstone all the way to the Everglades.
With great opportunities to add a bit of strategy, players move around pawns, tents, stones, and bears. Once you learn the rules, there will be a big competition to collect 5 national parks!
Winner of the Mensa and Parent’s Choice awards, this game is a good option for families with younger kids as it’s fun and educational!
- Best-Selling & Award-Winning National Parks Game: Winner Of The...
- Created By National Parks Enthusiasts: This couple traveled to...
- Fun + Educational: It’s the perfect recipe for a family game...
#5. Dominant Species
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 120-140 mins
It’s 90,000 B.C. The great ice age is approaching, can your species gain global supremacy?
Dominant Species is a fantastic game for learning about species as well as history. Taking you through the ages, from ancient times through the ice ages, the game shows the incredible length of time it takes for a species to develop and what each one needs to adapt to the slowly-changing earth.
Each player takes on the role of one of six major animals: reptiles, birds, mammals, amphibians, arachnids, and insects. Through building your area majority and developing your worker placement skills, you’ll have just what it takes to claim the title of survival of the fittest.
Can you become the ultimate dominant species?
- For 2-6 players
- Takes 2-4 hours to play
- Great strategy game
#6. Planet
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30-45 mins
Create the most diverse planet in the universe!
The world can be created in the palms of your hands. Planet has players taking on the role of super beings. Create perfect worlds that’ll have wildlife and flourishing nature. Planet has an interesting take on the animal board game category, a science fiction component gives this strategy game a unique edge.
Players are in charge of the arrangement of their planet. From oceans, desserts, mountains, you’ll fulfill your own ‘natural habit’ and hopefully win a few Animal cards.
Live out your Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fantasies and create planets that would compete with Slartibartfast’s creations!
- STRATEGY TABLETOP BOARD GAME: Planet is an environmental drafting...
- FAMILY OR ADULT STRATEGY GAME: This 2 to 4 players nature...
- HOW TO PLAY: Planet uses a Drafting and Tile Placement mechanism...
#7. Zooloretto
Players: 2-5
Playing time: 45 mins
Zoos have become a hot topic among animal lovers as to whether or not it’s ethical to keep animals in captivity. Fortunately, Zooleretto is all about trying to build and maintain a zoo and the importance of keeping animals healthy and happy.
Zooloretto has players breeding all sorts of exotic and wild animals. Make sure you collect sets of animals as well as big enough areas so the animals can thrive in their homes. Try to attract as many visitors as you can after carefully planning your zoo.
Zooloretto is a wonderful family game that teaches children about the importance of treating animals correctly, all while growing strategy and management skills. Can your family build an admirable zoo?
- Animal park theme
- For 2-5 players
- Takes about 45 minutes to play
#8. Mariposas
Players: 2-5
Playing time: 45-75 mins
Migrate butterflies across North America.
Mariposas takes players to experience the life of the monarch butterfly. Become a part of this amazing journey as you experience three seasons. At the end of each season, you’ll be scored as you strive to gather the flower tokens.
With beautiful artwork that depicts these beautiful creatures, you’ll find they aren’t so delicate as they breed future generations to continue the journey.
A game of movement and set collection, time will flutter by as you play this engaging and challenging game!
- For 2-5 Players. 45-75 minute playing time. Ages 14+
- A game of movement and set collection
- In Mariposas, experience the life of the monarch butterfly as you...
#9. Everdell
Players: 1-4
Playing time: 40-80 mins
Many peaceful years have passed in the lands of Everdell. As all cities must grow, the time has come for new areas to be established and territories gained. Deep in the forest, magical animals are planning their busiest year yet.
As task manager, you’ll have to oversee building constructions, hosting events among other tasks, ensuring everything runs smoothly. This may seem easy enough, but only if you focus on in-depth strategy and resource management.
Everdell adds a fun fantasy element to a worker placement game. Easy to learn, you’ll become immersed into the world of Everdell with the adorable critters and stunning artwork.
Who knows, maybe there’s a hidden Everdell near you?
- Everdell is a streamlined worker placement game that features a...
- Simple to learn gameplay with satisfying depth
- Dynamic tableau building and worker placement
#10. Root
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 60-90 mins
Root: a game Woodland Might and Right.
In another forest setting, Root also takes you deep into the forested terrain where four races are battling together to control the forest. Marquise de Cat has seized the woodlands and is harvesting its riches. Creatures must band together to overthrow the rule of Cats.
Filled with adventure, players drive the narrative giving a lot of player interaction. Alliances are a necessity as you move through the dangerous woodland paths. The fate of the woodlands is in your hands, it’s up to you to decide which group will ultimately take root.
With Root, there are loads of different tactics for players to develop a winning war strategy. For this type of game, the playing time is relatively short, giving you many chances to sharpen your skills.
- Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players battle...
- In Root, players drive the narrative and the differences between...
- Ages 10+, 90- 120 minute playing time
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best animal board games! With delightful artwork and educational information, these games will excite animal lovers of all ages.
Have you tried any of the games on our list? Do you have a favorite animal-themed board game that we missed? Drop us a comment below and let us know which animal board games you love to play!
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