Parkasaurus early access launch

Other dino-park management games may boast ‘authenticity’ to a cinematic ideal, but sometimes you just want to put silly hats on primary coloured dinosaurs. WashBear’s Parkasaurus made its early access debut today and looks to indulge that fantasy, as well as being a proper management sim.

Just because it’s bright and cute doesn’t mean that there’s no chance of dinosaur rampages and fangoriously devoured guests either, but at least it’ll be a funny story for the survivors. Below, a bright and very bouncy launch trailer.

The trailer is a bizarrely magical blend of the practical and the daft. Googly eyes and careful exhibit decoration. Improbable physics and complex research trees. Time travel and electrical installation. It reminds me a bit of the ruthlessly capitalist Theme Park from back in Bullfrog’s heyday, but sillier – back then, we didn’t even dream of ragdoll physics making their way into a management sim. Truly, we live in a gilded age.

While admittedly a self-selecting sample, the initial wave of user reviews for Parkasaurus seem very happy with it, with positive comparisons drawn to Zoo Tycoon 2 and Dinopark Tycoon. Still, the positive response is nice to see, given that WashBear admit that this is a pre-alpha build of the game. Right now, this is just Parkasaurus’s foundation, and they seem quite honest on their store page that people wanting a polished, complete game should hold off until launch.

WashBear reckon that launch is due 6-8 months from now. The current version contains customisable dino exhibits, budget and staff management, time travel (where else are you going to get dinosaur eggs? Clone them? Pfft) dino escapes and a first pass on the weather system. WashBear (a two-man outfit, so don’t expect miracles) hope to expand and polish that until next year. While plans are for the price to increase after its full launch, the early access price should remain the same until then.

Parkasaurus’s first early access build is out now on Steam, and costs £15.50/€20/$20.