Paleo Pines: Everything We Know

Paleontologists are in for a real treat this year, thanks to Modus Games’ Paleo Pines, an upcoming life and farming simulation game slated for a global launch across all major platforms. Think Animal Crossing and Fae Farm mixed with a hearty dinosaur-studded aesthetic, and you’ll have a rough idea of what lies beneath its surprisingly sprightly fossil site. Turns out, such a primordial concept is on the brink of reaching its final form, which means both handheld and console gamers will have the opportunity to sink their teeth into it before year’s end. In September, to narrow it down.

So, introductory spiel set aside, what more do we actually know about the upcoming dinosaur chapter? Well, here’s everything we’ve been able to gather on the project since first hearing of its existence a fair ways back. Paleo Pines: what is it, and what can we expect to see when it eventually comes to consoles and PC? Let’s talk, dino fiends.

What Is Paleo Pines?

Paleo Pines is an upcoming farming and adventure game that will aim to fuse traditional property restoration elements with a series of dinosaur-centric adventures. As such, players will be invited to both live out their creative dreams of chalking up a bustling farmland, and embark on epic adventures across a mysterious island that’s evidently rife with charming locales and exotic lore. There’ll be dinosaurs — and a lot of them, by the looks of it. So again, quite the confection for any budding paleontologist.

In developer Italic Pig’s own words: “Welcome to Paleo Pines, a charming island known for its friendly dinosaurs, quirky townsfolk, and mysterious past. Befriend dinos and enlist their help to fix up your ranch and farm crops to create your cozy dino sanctuary! Then set out with your companion, Lucky, to uncover the island’s secrets.” Ranch? Crops? You get the idea. There isn’t a huge amount to unpack here, though it does fortify the statement, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Story

Paleo Pines will wash you ashore on the harbors of—you guessed it—Paleo Pines, a tropical island where dinosaurs and humans live in perfect harmony. As a settler on the island, you will need to transform an old plot of land into a thriving communal hub for both beasts and townsfolk alike. That’s where the help of a few toothy dinosaurs comes in; you’ll need to develop lifelong friendships with the countless species around the island in order to expand your ranch, unlock new routes, and essentially progress deeper into the lore-riddled island of Paleo Pines.

“Set off on a lively adventure with your dino pal, Lucky, who you’ve known since she was just an egg,” the Steam description reads in part. “Is she the last of her kind? The other parasaurolophus are missing, and it's up to you and Lucky to uncover their whereabouts. Explore Paleo Pines, a charming island filled with friendly townsfolk and hidden corners. Build a new home, make friends, and unravel the island's lost history. Get ready for a journey filled with delightful discoveries alongside your trusty steed Lucky!”

Gameplay

Paleo Pines has been described as a couple of things, though the general consensus is that it’ll steer more towards a farming sim, as opposed to a full-fledged action-adventure game. So, expect plenty of crops, yields, and other farmhand duties, basically.

In addition to the farming elements, Paleo Pines will also lean on various role-playing nodes, with options to communicate with other townies and essentially forge unique paths that will either bring new story arcs to flourish, or cause you to circle back and explore old crags and crevices several times over. Point is, Paleo Pines will allow players to stretch their legs a little, so don’t expect anything overly complicated or demanding.

”Set up your home base on the island as you go about your parasaurolophus quest,” the description adds. “Paleo Pines is a place where you can express your individuality and creativity; no two ranches are the same! Build square pens, or not (although the locals might have something to say about that!). Use decor to build a romantic garden, give your ranch a witchy vibe, or go full-on-farmer with rows and rows of tilled soil. Furthermore, customize your character as you like with a variety of features, curate a colorful collection of clothing—with different items to be found in each area—and change your style using the wardrobe!”

Development

The team behind Paleo Pines—Italic Pig, a relatively small indie outfit based in Northern Ireland, first introduced the concept art for the game back in January 2019, during a Global Game Jam session. It wasn’t long after the initial designs drew mass attention that the studio shook hands with its publishers and found the funds needed to put the project into production. And thus, a new world came to fruition.

“Everything we do at Italic Pig is a little bit different. It needs a passion behind it, not to mention a quirkiness and a twist on the every day,” Italic Pig commented back in 2019. “Jordan’s passion for dinosaurs as a life-long paleo artist, combined with the epic flair for storytelling and outrageous local talent of the studio will undoubtedly create something incredible.”

“It’s a real step up for significant finance and distribution to be attracted to a game and company almost from the start of development,” added Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen. “We’re very excited to see what this game can do for both Italic Pig and for the video games industry here generally.”

Trailer

Thanks to Modus Games and Italic Pig, we do have a solid idea of what Paleo Pines will at least look like, as well as what sorts of gameplay features it’ll bring to the table. You can check it out for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Paleo Pines will be shaping up for a launch across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC via Steam on September 26, 2023. So, no need to worry about where to find it when it eventually comes to blossom, then.

As it currently stands, Paleo Pines is only available as a standard edition, which comes in either a physical or digital format. You can pre-order your copy via the studio’s official site here.

If you’re interested in staying up to date on Paleo Pines’ development, then be sure to check in with the team’s official social feed for all the latest updates here. If anything changes ahead of its launch, we’ll be sure to share all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Paleo Pines when it arrives on consoles and PC later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.