In Prehistories, you step into the role of a prehistoric tribe leader, tasked with guiding your people in hunting and cave art. Each round builds tension with a sealed-bid auction: you and fellow tribe leaders secretly bid to decide who hunts where. Speed is key; the player with the fewest hunters (lowest sum of hunter cards) goes first, but with fewer resources for the task. The hunt itself involves assigning your hunters to capture prey, represented by polyomino tiles. Larger tiles require more hunters. Be careful not to injure your hunters! If you use just enough hunters for a hunt, they might get wounded, resulting in fewer cards for your hand next round – after all, they don't trust leaders who get them hurt!

After the hunt, the tribe turns to art. You paint your cave, a 7x7 grid, using the animal tiles you've collected. The first tile goes in the leftmost column, and subsequent tiles must touch existing ones, always with the animals oriented upright. Fulfilling the Elders' wishes, such as completing horizontal lines, connecting opposite corners, or surrounding legendary animals, earns you totem tokens. The first leader to collect eight totems wins the tribal leadership contest. It's a quick game, lasting about 30 minutes, perfect for those who enjoy strategy with a touch of luck and resource management.