Fossilis Review

boardgamequest.com:

We review Fossilis, a set collection and tile-laying game published by Kid Table Board Game. In Fossilis, players are trying to score the most points by digging for fossils.

Theme and toy factor are two of the things I look for in games for my son and I to play together. When I saw Fossilis, I saw a game with both. Sliding chunky tiles along a 3D board and collecting dinosaur bones? Sign me up. Add in the art and some educational information on the dinosaur cards? It’s a great opportunity to meld learning with playing.

Did it live up to expectations or get caught in the tar pits of rule minutiae?

Each player’s turn consists of three steps: Spend four energy taking actions, buy one card from the market, and claim one dinosaur into your lab.

The bulk of your turn is spending energy which can be spent to take the following actions • Gain 1 plaster from the plaster pool • Move up to two spaces orthogonally • Place one sand tile • Dig one tile at varying costs for Sand (1), Clay (2), and Stone (3) • Climb onto the dig site • Spend plaster to extract bones or a hammer

The digging action has you sliding tiles one space per dig action. A tile can’t push anything harder than itself, so sand can’t push stone, but can push as many tiles that are the same weight or lighter. Players get to collect tiles they push off the board using the symbols to buy cards from the market. There are a few other rules associated with the dig action explained in the rulebook.

Players can slide themselves or other players off the board or into bone pits as well. The player places their meeple on the side of the dig site they were pushed off of or pick a side if they were unceremoniously pushed into a pit by another player. And if there are no tiles on