Summary
ARK: Survival Evolved allows players to tame, breed, and ride a variety of dinosaurs, each specially requiring a crafted saddle.
Games like World of Warcraft and No Man’s Sky have dinosaur-like creatures that can be used to traverse their respective game worlds.
Paleo Pines offers a cozy farming simulator experience with taming and riding diverse dinosaurs on an island.
Once the dominant creatures on Earth for over 100 million years, the long-extinct dinosaurs remain a fascination for us humans. Countless video games replicate their lives, putting players directly in control of the large reptiles, while others like Dino Crisis pit players against the formidable beasts in combat.
There are some occasions where humans and dinosaurs can coexist, and players can use these friendly creatures as mounts to traverse the landscape more efficiently or even call upon their assistance in various ways. These are the best games for riding dinosaurs, ranked based on a combination of the quality and popularity of the games, plus the enjoyability of journeying on the large reptilian vehicles.
8
PixARK
Survive, Thrive, & Ride Dinosaurs
There are over 100 species of dinosaurs in PixARK, a voxel-based survival game with procedurally generated worlds and quests. There is plenty to do in the large open world. Mining and crafting are key to survival, and the animals inhabiting the world can either be ferocious opponents, or can be tamed to become allies.
The mountable creatures range from fire-breathing dragons to the mighty T. rex, all of which can be tamed and ridden, then utilized for jobs like hunting, harvesting, and protecting the base. Players can also use many of these beasts as weapons of war, alongside the arsenal of firearms like rocket launchers and magic wands.
7
Paleo Pines
Humans & Dinosaurs Live In Harmony
Paleo Pines incorporates adorable dino friends into a cozy farming simulator. Moving onto the eponymous island with a trustworthy parasaurolophus companion called Lucky, players must explore the land, get to know its residents, develop their ranch, and befriend the wild dinosaurs roaming the land.
As the ranch grows and new dinos are tamed, each possessing unique skills useful for life on the farm, players will produce bountiful harvests that impress the local townsfolk. The diverse island is full of mysteries and can be easily traversed on the back of a dinosaur, though players can also ride them in the homely safety of the ranch.
6
Dino Storm
An MMO With Cowboys, Lasers, & Dinosaurs
Platform: PC
Released: 2012
Developer: Splitscreen Games
Genre: MMORPG
Replacing horses and pistols with dinosaurs and laser guns, Dino Storm is set in an alternate version of the Old West. As a free-to-play MMORPG, players should expect to come up against both friendly and hostile cowboys as they explore Dinoville and its surroundings, helping local townsfolk during the Gold Rush.
Dinosaurs are a key part of gameplay. Players can use them as mounts to get around the game world, but also for their offensive and defensive qualities in combat, which can be upgraded and enhanced with implants. Laser guns can also be improved, giving them more destructive capabilities. It’s a memorable experience, and those who are chosen to be Sheriff of Dinoville may utilize the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex.
5
Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Let’s Go, Eevee!
Traverse The Kanto Region On Dino-like Pokemon
Among the over 1000 unique Pokemon, there are countless that resemble dinosaurs, some of which appear in Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!, the remakes of the original Game Boy classics. Taking certain Pokemon out of their Pokeballs while traveling around Kanto allows players to ride them.
Lapras is based on a plesiosaur and is an excellent option for crossing any body of water, plus players can get it for free from a man in the Silph Co. building in Saffron City. After defeating the Elite Four, players can even fly above Kanto on the back of Aerodactyl, an ancient Pokemon bearing many characteristics of a pterosaur.
4
World of Warcraft
Get Around Azeroth On Dinosaurs
The ever-popular and long-running MMORPG World of Warcraft has countless potential mounts for players to use as a mode of transport, whether a member of the Horde or the Alliance. Among the hundreds of mounts, there are multiple species of dinosaurs. Most are found in areas with a pleasant climate and lush with life, such as the islands in the South Seas and the Un’Goro Crater.
Like other mounts in the game, players can obtain these dino-like creatures in myriad different ways. Many can be purchased with in-game currency or real-world money, but there are some that are acquired by earning specific achievements, completing certain raids, and other means.
3
No Man’s Sky
Dinosaurs In Space
Thanks to the multitude of updates since the launch of No Man’s Sky, there are countless intriguing gameplay features, including taming and riding creatures that are strikingly similar to dinosaurs. Given that there are quintillions of planets in the game’s procedurally generated universe, life is very diverse and finding a dinosaur is not guaranteed.
Those who discover such beasts can tame them using food, then ride them while exploring their planet, with dinosaurs possessing the same useful abilities as any other companions. If the player has any free companion slots, they may adopt their dino friends as permanent companions, then summoned as desired in completely different parts of the universe.
2
Horizon Forbidden West
Ride & Fly Robot Dinosaurs
There are countless machines roaming the wilderness in Horizon Forbidden West, adding to the vibrant and enigmatic nature of the post-apocalyptic world. Many of these metallic behemoths are designed to look like dinosaurs. Some live on land like the Plowhorn and Grimhorn, but others are amphibious machines like the Tiderippers.
Among the few creatures that Aloy can mount after unlocking the Override ability, the Clawstrider is similar to a dromaeosaur and can carry Aloy on land, though many find them quite slow moving. On the other hand, Sunwings are like pterosaurs. Players can use them to fly across the map, making them incredibly useful for taking on certain tall opponents, reach high ground, or travel long distances.
1
ARK: Survival Evolved
Over 100 Creatures Can Be Tamed, Bred, & Ridden
The whole purpose of ARK: Survival Evolved is to tame, breed, and ride dinosaurs, all while surviving on a harsh and mysterious island. Plenty of the primeval creatures roaming the landscape are hostile and must be battled even if players wish to tame them, which involves knocking them unconscious and nursing them back to health.
Before players can ride a dinosaur, they must craft an appropriate saddle for that particular species, from the relatively small velociraptors up to the formidable T. rexes and the gargantuan titanosaurs, the latter of which can even be used as a mobile base. Breeding tamed dinosaurs can even enhance the strength of future generations, making the player potentially unstoppable.
