7.5
rating
Ludopedia
6.9
rating
BGG
Our Verdict
RECOMMENDED
If you enjoy quick auction and tile-placement games with a fun prehistoric theme, Prehistories is a great pick!
Highlights
- Clever sealed-bid auction
- Challenging tile placement
- Charismatic prehistoric theme
- Fast-paced gameplay
Keep in mind
- Managing injured hunters
- Planning cave patterns
- Auctions can be tense
Rules manual not indexed yet
Upload the PDF rulebook to ask questions about this game with AI.
About the game
What you do in a play session
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.
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.
Gallery
Box and component photos
Tap any photo to open fullscreen. Photos submitted by the community or publisher.
Rules videos
Learn by watching before you open the box
In English
Best player count
BGG community vote
2
REC
3
BEST
4
BEST
5
REC
Soundtrack
Ambience suggested by Melodice
Loading playlist...
Where to Buy
Prices monitored daily
Finding best prices...
Prices unavailable at this time.
Price history — last 6 months (lowest new offer)
Alert enabled!
Join the BoardGamesBot deals group
Get the best board game deals every day — without message spam.
Join the WhatsApp groupGame details
Mechanics, categories, families and credits
Mechanics
Categories
Families
Publisher
The Flying Games, 25th Century Games, Blackrock Games, Maldito Games, Playagame Edizioni, TLAMA games, Ігромаг
Designer
Alexandre Emerit, Benoit Turpin
Artist
Camille Chaussy
Community
Data from BoardGameGeek
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy
What is the average playtime for Prehistories?
A game of Prehistories typically lasts around 30 minutes, making it quite fast and dynamic.
How many players can participate?
The game is designed for 2 to 5 players and works well across different player counts.
Is the game very complex? What's its weight?
Prehistories has a weight of about 1.93 out of 5, classifying it as light. It's easy to learn but offers interesting strategic decisions.
Do I need a lot of components to play?
The game is primarily a card game with tiles representing prey, along with totem markers. Everything is quite compact and thematic.
Is it a good game for board game beginners?
Yes! With accessible rules and quick games, it's a great entry point to mechanics like auctions and tile placement.
What happens if my hunters return injured?
If your hunters return injured (because you used the exact number needed to catch prey), you'll draw fewer hunter cards to refill your hand at the end of the round, which can hinder you in subsequent hunts.
Other Games You'll Like
Based on mechanics and theme