Paleo Pines is the perfect blend of Jurassic World Evolution, Ocarina of Time, and Stardew Valley

I'm not entirely sure whether things will change once I find whatever eats the carnivore kibble sold at the local shop, but things are very peaceful in Paleo Pines right now. I've spent the last 10 or so hours in the Paleo Pines preview demo crafting a little slice of paradise, with the help of dinosaurs. There are carrots, potatoes and spring onions growing quite happily, we're clearing more debris from the old ranch with each passing day, and more importantly, providing a loving home for adorable herbivores. 

Paleo Pines is a farming sim that's setting itself apart from the others by letting you care for and work alongside dinosaurs that you can find roaming around the land. You arrive in the titular Paleo Pines with your own pal, a parasaurolophus called Lucky, who's capable of clearing the rubbish and other junk from your new home. 

Before long though, you'll be able to add more dinos to your flock, but not until you've learned more about them and serenaded them with a pipe. 

Dino whisperer

Yes, you read that right. These majestic creatures are not only fond of the sound of a pipe but also have incredibly boopable snoots. Paleo Pines is all about dialing up the cute factor – so maybe I do want to see what a Paleo Pines T-Rex looks like in all its stubby-armed glory after all. 

Each dinosaur has its own special call that you'll have to learn how to mimic on the pipe. There are four notes, each emitting a colored bubble from the pipe when played. You can hold the note for longer to make a bigger bubble, and thus more accurately mimic each dinosaur's call. Once they start taking notice of you, you'll have to feed them the kind of food they like – think crunchy or juicy, for example – to make them trust you enough that you can feed them a special muffin, or poppin, to make them your pal. It's a sweet game that although probably not historically accurate, makes you want to research more of the dinos you see around Paleo Pines. 

Of course, you're not done yet though, as your new dino friend will need a home. That involves building them an enclosure, providing food, and shelter, which actually comes in the form of a dream stone. Again, I don't think that's a science thing but it's a cute gimmick that essentially slows your intake of dinos and lets you craft them a house or tent to pop up in their dens. Dream stones are pretty tricky to find, and actually come in two sizes – or at least as far as I've discovered. Large ones for, well, larger dinos like Styracosaurus or small ones for the lil' guys like a Psittacosaurus. 

Once they're all set up, making sure they're fed and patted each day will eventually mean they want to start helping you out on the ranch. They seemingly each have a specific job type – a Gallimimus, for example, can inhale a load of water and then water all your crops. It's not only an adorable addition that makes Paleo Pines feel unique, but it's also a really good way of balancing out your character's own, pretty limited stamina. Your dinos can be leveled up too, enhancing their stamina further, just by running around and working on the ranch. If you don't want to saddle up, you can also just use your trusty pipe to give them commands and move them around your ranch and the surrounding area. It's very Ocarina of Time and I'm here for it. 

Dino dreamin'

There are also the humans of Paleo Pines to befriend too. They're a quirky cast of people, from Pippin the poppin maker, your vegetable growing guru Granny, and Owynn and Mari, the duo of scientists who are your guides to getting closer to the dinos. The majority of people you'll meet will be quest givers, supplementing your quest to improve your dinosaur ranch with tales of Paleo Pines, its unique customs, and how to progress further inland. 

The demo ends with you accessing a second area beyond the initial meadows and it's left me desperate to see more. What other dinos will we befriend, how amazing will my ranch inevitably look? I have so many questions, and thankfully Paleo Pines is dropping on Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC on September 26, 2023, so there's not much longer to wait. 

There are tonnes of fantastic upcoming indie games on the horizon right now.