Paleo Pines The Dino Valley Nintendo Switch

This game is everything. I bought this as a game for my eight year old son, to give him a peace filled alternative when other games are frustrating him. He loves Dino’s so I figured it would be a great one for him! Turns out- I would end up playing this the most. I am so addicted to this game. It’s so beautiful. It reminds me of harvest moon, but without the romantic story line. I actually like this better then harvest moon! Which is saying a lot! The graphics are stunning and customizable. The settings are flexible. I love that you can change the game day length and speed. I love the characters and Dino’s. It was a little overwhelming at first- because there is soooo many hidden treasures within the game that are not included in the tutorial. So many cool ways to play this game. Whether you want to collect all the dinosaurs or create friendships with the other characters, or Work on your farm, the most- there is just so much to do and so much to explore! This is the kind of game that you can come back to whenever- and pick up right where you left off. There is hours and hours and hours of game play magic before your even halfway through the game. It’s long. It’s beautiful. It’s exploration friendly. I think the only downside was that there is an awful lot of reading in the game- which isn’t really a downside just more of a learning curve for my son who is still working on his reading skills. I do have to sit with him and explain a lot of things, unless your kid can read fluently it is not a game they can play on their own until they get the hang of things. They can. They just won’t “get it” and have to skip through stuff a lot. But phew. Amazing game. One I won’t let go of any time soon! Read more

Paleo Pines: The Dino Valley is such a cozy, feel-good Switch game. The dinosaurs are adorable, the farming’s relaxing, and it’s great for winding down after a long day. Pros: Wholesome gameplay, cute visuals, chill vibe Cons: Not super challenging Read more

I've been playing since launch and haven't run into any issues on Switch yet. I downloaded/installed the patch before playing, so that probably made a difference. My Switch is also a newer model, so I'm not dealing with any lag. This is a kid friendly game, but a lot of reading is involved so I would not recommend for super young kids (unless you're playing along with them and helping them through it). I will admit there was a bit of a learning curve at the beginning, but once you figure a few things out you're all good to go. My only complaint so far is the amount of loading screens is annoying. Leave ranch, loading screen. Go to the plaza, loading screen. When you're running around back and forth to get things done, the loading screens take up far too much time. I still recommend the game. It's just a farming sim, but with dinosaurs that help you on a day to day basis. Feed them, pet them, give them snacks, etc. Read more

This farming and dinosaur collection game does exactly what it sets out to do: provide a solid foundation to allow players to collect dinosaurs and mold their plot of land into their dream farm. While playing, you'll be greeted with a farming mechanic that includes crop rotation, and distinct and colorful designs for plenty of dinosaurs! However, on the switch I noticed significant frame rate drops within the farm after collection about 15 dinosaurs, and the textures on the dino models are noticeably reduced. This in addition to the slightly longer-than-usual load times can become aggravating over time, a fact that isn't helped by the questionable pacing of the tutorials. For example, the ability and tutorial for unlocking dinosaur helpers on the farm isn't available until the near-end of the story quests. If introduced sooner, players would have more time to spend exploring the maps and meeting new/rare dinosaurs. Read more

This is the most adorable game I’ve seen since little big planet! If you love dinosaurs and relaxing farming type games this is FOR YOU! I liked this game so much that I bought it as a gift for my sister in law who also loves Dinos and she loves it too! It’s not super difficult, but challenging enough to keep you engaged and the vast amount of dinosaurs and their different colors is the icing on the cake! I love that I can build and decorate my farm and pens for my dinosaurs exactly how I like! It’s super customizable and just overall amazing! I recommend this to any dinosaur lover in your life! Read more

This game is cozy and relaxing to play. It was my first Nintendo Switch game and it was the best choice. Very easy to play with fun story lines and cute dinos to take home. They even have updates every once in a while with new dino colors! They are also on TickTok and answered one of my questions right away! 100% recommend! Read more

This game has potential, but too many flaws. I'd be open to trying it again if they update it. Pros: + The dinos are cute, and there are tons of color variations that make it feel diverse + The way they help with the farming mechanics is neat + Farming yields are generous, which feels balanced considering how much produce you need for recipes, befriending dinos, quests, and selling + The characters have some depth via relationships and jobs + The general gameplay is relaxing and fun... when it works Cons: - Super glitchy: dinos fall through the ground or get stuck until map reload, poop spawns inside trees, game quits unexpectedly - Clunky controls: way too many button taps to use tools, awkward positioning to use skills, build stuff, or interact with dinos is often annoying and requires multiple attempts - Long loading screens - Small dinos don't really seem to have a purpose - The main questline barely exists and you can't really "collect" all the dinos due to limited dreamstones, so there's not really a driving reason to keep playing through all the issues Read more