A type of construction game has particularly impressed MeinMMO author Ody this year: Parkbuilder. At the end of October, it was still Jurassic World Evolution 3 that he would crown as his personal game of the year. However, by the end of the year, the competition on Steam strikes back.
When Jurassic World Evolution 3 (JWE3) was released on October 21, 2025, I could hardly put it down: I played the game for a straight 8 hours on release night. Since then, I’ve been checking in every now and then. However, I am currently sinking hours into another parkbuilder.
This game, which competes for my time with JWE3, is Prehistoric Kingdom (PK). It was released on April 27, 2022, and is currently in Early Access. However, I’ve only been playing PK since early 2024, and I do so occasionally. I’ve really gotten active again in the past weeks and months, as it’s becoming quite exciting around the game again.
On December 23, Update 16 was released, packed with cool new content:
- 10 new animal species from various eras of earth history that you can place in vivariums (small designated enclosures that you can customize)
- Your animals can now get sick or sustain injuries, requiring veterinarians to take care of them
- With the Ferris wheel and observation tower, there are two new attractions that give visitors an even better view of the park
Here is the trailer for the new update:
The Dream Come True for Dino Nerds (like me)
Prehistoric Kingdom is the wet dream of every dino nerd. The animals in the game are living paleo art and are at the forefront of research. This makes PK stand out significantly from Jurassic World Evolution 3. While it has many very accurate designs, it also has many in the now outdated Jurassic Park/World aesthetic.
And it’s not just dinosaurs here: Mammoths and saber-toothed cats also have their place. Just like the Titanoboa, the largest snake of all time, or Tiktaalik – one of the first animals to leave the water (which ultimately led to us sitting here now having to deal with things like taxes). Unfortunately, only the large flying and sea reptiles are still completely missing.
Currently, it feels like the developers Blue Meridian are delivering one huge update after another. Since I started with PK, the AI of the animals has been fundamentally improved and expanded with new behaviors. Animals can have babies that you can actually watch growing up. Moreover, there are always new free animals.
A Real Bargain in Early Access
Currently, you can get Prehistoric Kingdom on Steam for €17.49. Considering what the game already offers, that’s a really good deal. However, keep in mind that PK is in Early Access. So, some areas still lack polish.
Despite classic Early Access complaints, I have already had a lot of fun with the game. And when I look at the developers’ roadmap (on trello.com), it seems that a lot of cool stuff is still ahead of us. I cannot say for sure whether Prehistoric Kingdom is my unexpected game of the year 2025.
A different kind of dinosaur experience is offered by Dinoblade. The action game is being developed by a solo dev and looks really crazy. A demo is available on Steam, you can find out more here: Gamers hype a solo project where dinos fight with swords – Now you can test it for free on Steam
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