Once upon a time, dinosaurs roamed the earth. They lived in relative peace, going about their business. Despite this, however, it didn’t deter the cavemen from terrorizing these prehistoric creatures and showing them who’s really on top of the food chain. Armed with their tools and weapons, neanderthals would constantly attack the dinosaurs and even imprison some of them within large, wooden cages.
Such instances have happened so frequently that getting attacked by these hairy humans has become an everyday occurrence that the dinosaurs constantly read about it in the papers. Using their size and their natural abilities, the dinosaurs have begun to push back against the cavemen.
But one day, something strange happened: out of the blue, a wormhole opened, distorting time and space! Without warning, the dinosaurs found themselves being attacked even more frequently by cavemen of all sorts and from different places. Even more threatened by these hard-headed humans, Cory and his other dinosaur friends have made it their mission to protect dinosaur eggs from the encroaching cavemen while trying to make sense of the wormholes that have consequently opened up a myriad of timelines and islands.
As they battle against the horde of neanderthals out to destroy dinosaur eggs, Cory realizes that some of his dinosaur friends need rescuing so they can form an army of dinos that can send these pesky cavemen away so they can live in peace and find their way back to their own time.
From Pokoko Studio UG and released last year is a wacky yet challenging game in the form of Dino Bash: Travel Through Time.
Dino Bash: Travel Through Time is an action game that requires some measure of strategy so you and your dino friends can triumph over the pesky neanderthals who constantly attack and even imprison your kind.
In this world, dinosaurs come in all shapes and sizes—and you yourself are one! You’ll be playing as Cory, the designated hero of this prehistoric universe that’s littered with wormholes, magic, and a whole bunch of different projectiles falling from the sky. As Cory, you’re equipped with a staff that you can use to either bash enemy neanderthals with or channel a small projectile to perform ranged attacks.
Helping you along the way are an array of dino friends you need to rescue from the clutches of derpy-looking but surprisingly sturdy neanderthals. Your allies can be big or small, but each one has their own unique abilities that can help you win stages, collect rewards, and most importantly, protect the giant egg!
On the surface, the gameplay of Dino Bash: Travel Through Time looks fairly simple: when you enter a level, you, as Cory, get to, well, bash or shoot at neanderthals with your staff. You may move left or right at will.
As time passes, you can passively collect apples, which are used to summon the available dino friends in your roster. Apples can also fall from the battlefield to be collected. Summoning dino friends will bolster both your defensive and offensive capabilities. Each dinosaur ally requires a specific number of apples to be summoned. You may summon multiples of these dino friends provided you have enough apples to do so.
Like Cory, your allies have a health bar that can decrease upon being damaged. When you die as Cory, you may be resurrected three times, but you will have to begin walking from the stage’s starting point. When a dino friend dies, you can simply summon another if you have enough apples.
Ultimately, your goal is to protect the giant dinosaur egg found at the very beginning of the stage. If you become overrun by neanderthals, they will reach the egg and damage it until it breaks. Once the health bar of the egg is depleted, you’ve lost the stage and you can try again.
Entering a level requires a minimum of 1 energy unit. A single energy unit will refresh after 20 minutes. Depending on how many levels you’ve cleared, you will only have a limited number of maximum energy units, starting with 5 energy units.
Aside from having dino friends to summon, you may also use a maximum of three shots, which are mostly projectiles falling from the sky. Like your dino friends, each shot has a unique effect when used. You may click on a shot so that the projectile will fall on the enemy closest to you, or you may drag a particular shot’s icon toward a specific enemy or enemies you want to hit.
Upon being used, a shot will refresh and become available again after a cooldown period. Depending on the shot you’ve used, cooldown periods will vary. You can use a shot as many times as you want as long as they’re available and ready to fire.
As you push through the incoming neanderthals, you’ll occasionally encounter barriers along the path. You will have to get close enough to these barriers so you can bash them with your staff, destroying them and allowing you and your party to move forward.
From time to time, you will also see spells being dropped onto the battlefield, usually after killing enemies. Unlike shots, spells do not refresh and can only be used once you’ve acquired them as a battlefield drop or when you’ve selected them before entering a stage. In the case of the latter, you can only use spells for as long as you have enough of them.
Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait for another spell to drop. Each spell also has a unique effect, which may supplement the effects of your available shots or aid your party in pushing back against your foes.
Once a level has been cleared, you can collect rewards such as coins, which are the basic currency of the game, or gems, which are the premium currency. Other rewards include unlocking new dinosaur friends, equipment, new spells, and new shots.
The number of levels you have to clear may vary depending on the island in which they are situated. For instance, in the first island, you will have to clear three levels; in the second island, you will have to clear four. Unlocking the next island will require you to collect a specific number of stars, which you can get from clearing levels. You can gain a maximum of three stars per level.
For example, if you want to unlock Island 2, you need to collect at least eight stars from playing the three levels from Island 1. This means that you can unlock Island 2 even if you only gain two stars from one of Island 1’s levels.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to get down and dirty with the nitty-gritty of game progression! In this beginner’s guide for Dino Bash: Travel Through Time, we’ll teach you how to get three stars each level, how to pick the right dinosaurs for the job, how spells and shots can boost your offense and defense, how to earn more rewards, and how to ultimately push back against those neanderthals before they reach the precious egg!
Believe it or not, this game might look cute and colorful, but make no mistake—it’s not something you can simply bash your way through as you need to be a little more thoughtful with your strategy if you want to give those cavemen a run for their money!
Move Fast and Don’t Get Cornered!
In Dino Bash: Travel Through Time, successfully clearing any level lies in how fast you can move. This is because clashing with enemies can happen as quickly as three seconds into starting a level—and we’re not just talking about facing a single one. The first salvo you’ll be up against can be as many as five or more enemies all at once.
That said, as soon as you’re in the battlefield, move right and meet your foes head-on to ensure that you don’t get cornered. By pushing back the farthest you can from the egg, which is the starting point, you’ll have enough legroom to maneuver in case you need to dodge incoming attacks while keeping foes in line.
The problem with waiting for the enemy horde to attack you instead of launching an immediate offensive is that you’re unwittingly giving those pesky neanderthals an opportunity to damage the egg, which you should avoid at all costs! Do not—and we can’t emphasize this enough—DO NOT let your enemies get close to the egg at the starting point. Don’t wait for the enemy to come to you. Come to them and show them what for!
Another important benefit of moving as fast as you can to eliminate enemies and obstacles like barriers is that you have a bigger chance of acquiring three stars when you clear the level. This is because getting three stars is time-bound, though there isn’t any timer displayed to tell you how much you have left. You’ll only know that you’re not moving fast enough when you’re about to lose a star. When this happens, one of the three stars at the upper left-hand corner of the screen will become large then act as a timer for when you’re about to lose this particular star.
When you do lose a star, you won’t be able to open all three reward chests for that level. Chests, as you may have guessed, contain goodies such as coins, gems, cards for upgrades, equipment, and the like. You can still try again, though, preferably when you’ve accomplished some upgrades to give you and your dino friends a fighting chance.
We’ll provide a more in-depth discussion of upgrades later, but the bottom line is that having a strong hero with equally strong allies and more effective shots and spells will allow you to clear the stage in time to get those coveted three stars. Keep in mind, though, that replaying a level will still cost an energy unit.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, We Smell a Caveman on the Run!
In any kind of action or strategy game, knowing your enemies is half the battle won. When you know what kind of foes you’re up against, this makes it easier to formulate a battle plan that will guarantee your victory—and in the shortest time possible.
That said, you’ll be facing quite a number of different neanderthals as you progress through the levels of Dino Bash: Travel Through Time. Since this is a beginner’s guide, we’ll be covering enemies you will encounter in the first five islands of the game. Becoming acquainted with what your enemies can do will also let you figure out both their strengths and weaknesses. Below is a short breakdown of the enemies you will be facing during the beginner stages of the game:
- Cavemen: These short, stubby neanderthals compose the most basic enemy type of the game. They carry bone clubs or some other tool and can damage you or your dino friends at a close range. Being the most basic enemy type, they aren’t that strong, but what they lack in strength they make up for in numbers as it’s not uncommon to see a whole cluster of cavemen out to clash with you and your party.
They can be quite sturdy but are definitely at a disadvantage against ranged attacks. You can also defeat these basic cavemen by bashing them with your staff, though it can take more than just one hit if you haven’t upgraded your hero yet.
- Cavemen with shields: These guys are larger than your average cavemen and are distinctly marked by the shields they’re carrying. Cavemen with shields move quite slowly, but they can prove to be a pain in the backside as their sturdy shields buffer attacks and make up most of their health bar.
They’re considered the defensive force of the enemy contingent and if you make the mistake of letting them pass or not killing them fast enough, they can push past your own defenses and pave a way for other enemies to damage the egg. The best way to deal with cavemen with shields is to hit them with shots or slow them down with spells.
- Larger cavemen with melee weapons: Enemies in this classification are just as big as the cavemen with shields, but instead of being the defensive force, cavemen armed with various melee weapons like sickles or fans make up another wave of offensive enemies to bolster their smaller cavemen allies. Cavemen with melee weapons are rather slow to attack but also have a large health bar. Similar to their shielded counterparts, the best way to eliminate cavemen with melee weapons is to keep them at bay with shots or spells.
- Archers: Much like the smaller cavemen, archers may sometimes come in droves but they’re not as sturdy as their larger allies since they have a very small health bar that can be depleted with one or two hits. Their main advantage is, of course, being able to fire arrows from a distance. If you’re not careful, archers can cause some serious damage to your melee-type dino friends, eliminating them before they can even launch an attack.
When you see a few archers walking towards your party, you can break their formation by hitting them square in the face with your staff. With this, you get to weaken your enemy’s backline and secure your defense. Additionally, because of their small health, hitting archers with any kind of shot will definitely eliminate them.
- Spearmen: Though spearmen use a melee weapon, the length of their spear increases their range, thus making them dangerous—not to mention that their attacks can be quite strong. However, the one weakness spearmen have is that they’re as flimsy as paper: one good swing of your staff to their face and they’ll crumple into the dirt. Don’t wait before the spearmen reach any of your dinos—meet them head on and hit them before they start closing in!
- Giants with clubs: This type of enemy is fairly hard to miss because they’ll be occupying a big chunk of the screen. Big though they might be, they’re perhaps one of the slowest enemies to attack. Of course, it goes without saying that once that attack lands after a while, it packs a powerful punch. Unless you have a tank-type dino like a Tricer to buffer the incoming swing, your party can be flattened to bits. Make an effort to kill this lumbering caveman quickly before it turns you and your friends into prehistoric pancakes.
- Giants with bombs: Like their cousins with the clubs, giants with bombs are huge but slow to attack. Once they do toss their bomb, it can feel like you’ve been hit by an exploding freight train. The good news is that you, as Cory, can move around the battlefield and dodge those bombs.
Unfortunately for your dino friends, they aren’t programmed to move outside of their general area unless the entire party is treading forward. When you see these giants with bombs, return the favor by throwing as many shots as you can to wear them down and kill them quickly before things get nasty.
- Witch doctors: These small, masked cavemen don’t look very intimidating, but don’t underestimate them. In fact, we would say that they should be the first on your hit list! This is because witch doctors can heal their fellow neanderthals, which can be a big headache when you’ve got chunky cavemen with shields or melee weapons pushing back against your party.
When you notice a witch doctor among enemy ranks, particularly when enemies get healed by a green glow, make it a point to eliminate these witch doctors first so your party’s attacks are maximized.
One thing to note about incoming enemy attacks is that you will often find cavemen with shields rallying the enemy’s front lines. Behind them would typically be some basic cavemen, archers, and larger cavemen with melee weapons. A spearman or two might appear if you’ve been holding the line for too long.
Later into the level, you’ll encounter some witch doctors and giants alongside other enemy types. As a general tip, we recommend eliminating witch doctors first, then larger cavemen with shields or melee weapons so you can break through their ranks and have an easier time attacking basic cavemen or giants. If you have some room to maneuver, pick out some of the archers and incoming spearmen.
Of course, how you manage each level will greatly depend on what enemies you’re facing, what kind of spells or shots you have available, as well as the dino types that you’re allowed to use in that level. Don’t forget to be quick on your feet so you don’t lose those stars!
Be a Proactive Player on the Field
Being able to move left and right as Cory the heroic dinosaur will certainly give you some room to dodge or attack specific enemies, especially if you’re aiming to weaken your opposing team’s backline, which can be typically composed of ranged neanderthals. Thus, you have to be a very proactive player, going back and forth the battlefield. Basically, you can’t just stand in one place and have your hero attack from a static position. After all, Dino Bash: Travel Through Time isn’t an idle game—it’s an action game, so you need to move fast and keep moving all the time.
By being a proactive player, you don’t just help your allies secure victory—you’ll also be able to pick up coins, apples, and spell cards that drop from fallen enemies or barriers. With spell cards in your arsenal, you can deter or even eliminate pesky enemies, which can turn the tide of battle. But if you don’t walk around and start picking up these cards, you won’t be able to use them.
Rally your dino troops by taking the lead and maneuvering your way to clearing a level in no time!
Summoning Your Dino Crew
Just as enemies all have unique abilities, so do your dino friends! As you progress through the game, you’ll be able to unlock more allies that can help you fight the neanderthal plague and clear even harder stages. But just as it’s important to know your enemies, you also need to be firmly acquainted with what your dino friends can do as this can affect how and when you should summon them in battle.
As mentioned, different dinosaurs require a specific amount of apples to be summoned. The stronger the dino, the more apples you need to get them on the field. Each dino also has unique abilities that can help you decide whether to save up apples or pick another dino more suited for the job at hand. Since there is a considerable number of dinosaurs you can unlock, we’ll only be giving you a breakdown of those you will encounter in the first five islands of the game. These include the following:
Snappy
Type: Melee
Apple cost: 5
Snappy might be cute and small, but it’s certainly no coward! It’s the very first dino that you unlock by default. Once summoned on the field, Snappy will attack enemies with its fierce bite. As an early-game melee-type dino, Snappy will usually be the first dino you can summon as it doesn’t cost too many apples to do so.
Though it isn’t very strong by itself, having a cluster of Snappies launching an attack can help quickly wear down even the hardiest of neanderthals. Just make sure that there aren’t any archers around as Snappy doesn’t stand a chance against them.
Anky
Type: Tank
Apple cost: 12
Blue and bulky Anky is definitely your friend when you want an early-game dino to act as a meat shield for you and your allies. Sturdy and reliable, Anky can absorb a fair amount of attacks from basic cavemen and archers, though spearmen, larger cavemen, and giants can prove to be a bit too much. Summon an Anky or two as quick as you can so you can push back against the first salvo of neanderthal attacks with a strong frontline defense.
Lil’ Spitty
Type: Ranged
Apple cost: 8
Lil’ Spitty might be small, but it’s got your back! As a ranged-type dino, Lil’ Spitty can shoot green projectile balls from its snout, acting as your very own archer. Though the range isn’t that far, a cluster of Lil’ Spitties can eliminate a wave of basic cavemen or wear down other incoming melee-type neanderthals.
Much like Snappy, summoning multiple Lil’ Spitties is a more effective approach instead of just having one or two to act as your backline. If you get them during the start of a stage, make sure you also have an Anky with you to keep your Lil’ Spitties protected.
Raptor
Type: Melee
Apple cost: 22
The Raptor can be considered as Snappy’s bigger, more ferocious cousin. Tall and agile, the Raptor can make easy work of smaller cavemen while being able to go head-to-head with larger ones. When launching its attack, a Raptor will leap and bite an enemy, taking out a decent chunk of their health bar.
Being a melee-type, mid-game dino, Raptors can contend with cavemen with shields and melee weapons, though archers, spearmen, and giants can still be a bit of a challenge for them. Try to save up for a Raptor when you’ve got your hands full with those pesky large cavemen.
Spittosaurus
Type: Ranged
Apple cost: 48
While a little expensive to summon, having a Spittosaurus will certainly fortify your backline as attack is stronger and its range is farther than that of the Lil’ Spitty. Its health bar is also larger. Having at least one Spittosaurus dishing out attacks can already make a difference, especially if there are giants afoot.
Because of its cost in apples, a Spittosaurus can be considered a ranged, late-game dino, but the earlier you summon it, the better. Still, it isn’t invincible, so a Tricer will definitely prolong its life and keep it attacking from a safe distance.
Tricer
Type: Tank
Apple cost: 26
Tricer is probably Anky’s bigger, bulkier, older sibling. Both are tank-type dinos meant to take one for the team, but Tricer is much more durable and hardier than Anky. Tricer can weather most attacks and shrug them off, but you’ll be able to extend its life specifically if you eliminate spearmen, which can cause Tricer a pretty decent amount of damage.
Of course, Tricer is made to go toe-to-toe against giants, protecting your dino troops from those earth-shaking swings and bombastic blasts—but only for a time. Bring as many Tricers as you can into the field, especially during mid to late game. Not only will their presence protect your dino friends, but this will make sure that none of your enemies pass through your defense line.
T-Rex
Type: Melee
Apple cost: 75
A true terror, having a T-Rex in your team is like bringing a cannon to a squirt gun party. This big, bad, bulky dinosaur is basically your team’s version of a giant caveman as the T-Rex can deliver a powerful bite that damages and even eliminates multiple neanderthals in one go. Its Jurassic jaws aren’t for show as one bite from a T-Rex can tear away a fair chunk of a giant caveman’s health. Smaller cavemen basically stand no chance against this monster when they make the mistake of getting caught by its angry maw.
The only downside to the T-Rex is that it’s quite expensive to summon, which makes it a late-game dino. Usually, you really need to save up for a T-Rex, which means you need to have a pretty strong defense to ensure that it won’t arrive all by itself on the battlefield. For all that it can face giants, a T-Rex isn’t immune to attacks and even its large health bar can be worn down by smaller enemies if they prove to be far too many to handle. Before summoning a T-Rex, secure your defenses and your backline, then save up your apples to unleash this monster on your foes!
Para the Healer
Type: Healer
Apple cost: 26
Though you’ll only unlock it when you reach the fifth island, Para the Healer remains a crucial part of your dino team as its ability is focused on healing your friends. You can only summon Para the Healer once and, until it dies, you won’t be able to summon another. Para the Healer mostly stays in the backline, so you don’t have to worry too much about its safety.
Keep in mind that having Para the Healer in your team won’t necessarily guarantee that none of your allies will die. Still, it pays to have it around to mitigate damage while you summon more dino friends or save up apples.
Now that you know what your dino friends can do, here are some general tips that can make their presence even more effective on the battlefield:
Tips When Summoning Dinos
- Beware the little ones! While it might be tempting to simply save up apples to summon the larger, stronger dinos, don’t discount the power and might of the little ones either as they can become a force to be reckoned with when you have enough of them in the battlefield. If you just keep saving apples to summon bigger dinos, chances are, enemies will tear you down in no time as no one else is present to fortify your defenses or strengthen your offense.
On the other hand, if you keep summoning smaller dinos like Snappy, you might just be able to overrun enemy lines or at least hold your own line against them. Smaller dinos are cheaper and the cooldown period before summoning another is faster. If you really think about it, a single ant might be powerless, but banded together, they can be pretty tough to beat. The same is true for smaller dinos, so spam them on the battlefield as much as you can. In some cases, you might not even need bigger dinos if you have an army of smaller dinos around. - Always have a tank. Tank-type dinos like Anky and Tricer are extremely important so keep an eye on their health bars during clashes. If you don’t have a Para the Healer on your team and you notice that your tanks are dying, prioritize summoning another tank before summoning other offense-type dinos. Have at least two tanks to buffer enemy attacks so your melee and ranged dinos can focus on wearing your foes down.
- Time your summons. By this we mean keeping in mind that summoned dinos start walking from the beginning of the stage so if you’re far off into the path, it can take a while before they arrive at the frontlines. Thus, if you want to replenish dinos that are getting depleted, do so when they’re at half health if you have enough apples. Don’t wait until they’ve been eliminated as newly summoned dinos won’t immediately appear on ground zero.
- Better late than never. Though early and mid-game dinos may sometimes suffice to clear a level if you have enough of them to push enemies back, it doesn’t hurt to summon at least one late-game dino like the T-Rex just to speed things up. After all, clearing the stage in the fastest way you can will earn you those three stars.
Throw in Everything—Even the Kitchen Sink
Acquiring the aid of your dino friends isn’t enough to get rid of those pesky neanderthals trying to break your precious egg. The worst part about these hairy bipeds is that they just keep on coming and don’t seem to want to die! But you know what they say: desperate times call for desperate measures, so be prepared to throw everything you’ve got—even the kitchen sink!
Well, okay, you can’t really throw a kitchen sink at your enemies (that would have been fun, wouldn’t it?), but you can chuck something even better: shots and spells.
Shots and spells almost work similarly in that these both serve as boosters that help eliminate or slow enemies down. However, shots and spells have some distinct similarities, as well as different effects that can arise from their usage.
Below, we discuss what shots and spells are, as well as the different effects within each classification, and what’s the best way or time to use them. Similar to the other items in this guide, we will only be covering shots and spells you’ll unlock within the first five islands of the game.
Shots
Shots are typically projectiles or items that fall from the sky. In each level, you are limited to using three shots of your choice, which you may select before entering. To activate shots, all you need to do is click a particular shot’s corresponding icon on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. If you want to hit a specific enemy with a shot, drag the shot’s icon to your target.
Once used, shots have varying cooldown periods before they can be activated again. Like dinos, different kinds of shots can be unlocked as you progress through levels and islands. Below is a shortlist of shots and their effects:
- Large Stone: Quite literally a large stone that falls from the sky. This shot hits a single target and is good for delivering some blunt force trauma to a neanderthal’s noggin. A large stone can easily eliminate basic cavemen, archers, spearmen, witch doctors, and other enemies with a small health bar. Conversely, larger cavemen with longer health bars will only be damaged unless their health is really low. A large stone helps wear down bigger enemies when used in tandem with other attacks.
- Explosion: A large stone that explodes and hits multiple targets. This is quite effective when used on clusters of cavemen with smaller health bars, easily wiping them off the face of the earth. When targeting larger cavemen, an explosion will remove a decent chunk of their health while also damaging or eliminating smaller cavemen within the surrounding area. This is a great shot to use when you’re being swamped by basic cavemen or archers.
- Iceball: This works similarly to the large stone, except it freezes its target for a short duration. Since this affects only one enemy, we recommend using the iceball primarily to slow down giants or cavemen with shields or melee weapons.
- Spitty Barrel: The Spitty barrel isn’t exactly a projectile, but more like a paradrop of reinforcements in the form of three Spitties. Once activated, three Spitties will be catapulted into the battlefield, providing much needed cover and aid. Be careful about using this shot, though, as you need to make sure that the Spitty barrel is sent to your backline and not the frontline.
To do this, just drag the Spitty barrel’s icon to an area behind your hero for good measure. If you make the mistake of activating this shot just anywhere, the Spitties can become vulnerable to attacks from archers or other melee cavemen, rendering them useless in no time.
Spells
Unlike shots, spells are consumable items, which means that once you’ve run out of them, you can’t use them again unless you pick up spell cards dropped on the battlefield. You may start a level with three spells, provided you have enough spell cards in your pre-battle inventory. Otherwise, you’re just going to have to pick their cards up while fighting.
Spells can be activated by clicking on their icon, which will appear on the upper right-hand corner of the screen during battle. Keep an eye out for spell cards on the field and use them wisely. Spells can be used for offense or defense, depending on what you get. Below is a shortlist of what they are and what they can do:
- Power Hit: One big smash of your staff with a small area of effect. This is best used against a cluster of low-health enemies, kind of like detonating a smaller explosion. A power hit also does fairly well in taking out a small chunk of health from bigger enemies. To use this properly, your targets need to be within striking range.
- Blizzard: Freezes several enemies right in front of you for a short duration. A blizzard can come in handy when you’ve got an incoming horde of neanderthals, especially when giants are already in the field. This should give you some extra time to do serious damage while your foes are unable to move.
When using the blizzard, make sure you have some solid frontline dinos and rangers to really take advantage of the freezing period. This is also a good spell to activate when used in tandem with a power hit or dash, if you have an explosion, or if you’ve accumulated more than a handful of Spitties from barrels in your backline.
- Shield: Envelopes your hero in a shield for a short duration, making you immune to damage. The shield spell proves to be rather effective when you want to roam the battlefield safely to look for more spell cards or pick up apples and coins. You may also activate the shield if you want to infiltrate the enemy’s backline so you can pick off archers, witch doctors, and spearmen without incurring any damage.
- Dash: This spell turns you into a speeding bullet that damages or eliminates all enemies in front of you within a certain range. Much like the power hit, the dash spell is great for killing enemy clusters with small health bars, except the latter has a wider area of effect. The caveat with using the dash spell is that after speeding through enemies, you’ll find yourself transported to the end of the dash’s area of effect.
Thus, be cautious when dashing as you might find yourself suddenly face to face with a large caveman about to deliver a heavy attack. In that case, run back to regroup with your dino friends or activate a shield spell if you have one.
- Heal: This spell heals all dinos to full health, which can be a great supplement to when you have Para the Healer on the field. Save this spell for when your friends are in danger of dying.
Shots and spells can help turn the tide of battle when used properly. Thus, here are some general tips when you have these boosters on hand.
Tips When Using Shots and Spells
- Timing is key. It goes without saying that you can’t just activate shots and spells willy-nilly. Make them count by timing their activation, especially when it comes to spells precisely because they’re consumable items. For instance, wait until most of your dino friends are low on health before activating the heal spell. On the other hand, you might want to save that explosion shot if there aren’t too many enemies around.
- Get within attacking range. As you may have noticed, the dash, blizzard, and power hit spells require you to be within a certain distance from your enemies to truly maximize their effects. Thus, consider your position on the battlefield and whether or not you’re actually close enough to your targets to actually land the blow. If you can, get up close and personal with your foes to make sure that your spells affect as many enemies as possible.
- Always have a specific target. This applies to shots as they tend to be single-target projectiles, except for the explosion shot. Even then, make a habit of dragging the shot’s icon toward a specific enemy or area or else you might miss your mark, or hit an enemy that could have easily been eliminated by any of your dino friends instead. Keep in mind that shots have cooldown periods before they can be used again so pick your targets wisely and make sure to have them on your sights before firing.
Upgrade Dinos, Shots, and Your Hero, Too!
What do you do with all the coins and rewards you’ve gotten from clearing levels? Why, get upgrades, of course!
In the lobby screen of the game, you’ll see the Upgrade button on the lower right-hand corner. From here, you’ll be able to upgrade three things: your dino friends, your unlocked shots, and, most important of all, your hero.
All upgrades require coins, which you can earn by clearing levels. The higher your upgrades, the more expensive the next level becomes. Dino cards and shot cards, which you can also gain as rewards, are needed to upgrade your allies and shots. Cards you acquire are specific to a dino or shot, and the more you want to upgrade them, the more cards and coins you need.
Before upgrades can take full effect, you’ll need to fulfill a waiting period, which varies depending on the level of upgrades you’re getting. You may choose to skip these waiting periods by paying for them with gems, which is the game’s premium currency. Gems can also be earned as rewards, though rarely in a huge amount so spend these wisely.
From time to time, you may also obtain equipment that can only be worn by specific dinos. Equipping your dinos with these items will bolster their health and attack in addition to other upgrades you might have already given them.
Of course, don’t forget to upgrade your hero as well! For a certain amount of coins, you’ll be able to improve Cory’s health, ranged attack, and melee attack. It’s up to you which of these stats you want to prioritize. If you have enough coins, you can try to build your hero into a well-balanced character by upgrading all three stats equally. Keep in mind, though, that you’re going to need a lot of coins for upgrades so you may have to forgo some upgrades in favor of others.
However, the good news is that once you’ve unlocked the Events tab of the game, you have another avenue to primarily earn coins.
This is because when you enter the Events tab, you’ll be able to clear levels sans the restriction of a time limit, as the main reward in Event levels aren’t stars but coins. Additionally, entering an Event level will allow you to choose which dinos you want on your team as opposed to the default choices in regular levels.
However, Event levels can be pretty challenging, but it’s no surprise considering the amount of coins you can earn from clearing just one level. Like regular levels, Event levels still require energy units to be played. Overall, clearing Event levels is a great way to acquire coins for upgrades, allowing you to improve the capabilities of your allies, your shots, and yourself.
Get Those Daily Free Chests
After some time, you might feel like you want to take a break from Dino Bash: Travel Through Time—it happens. Even so, make an effort to login every day as you’ll be able to open daily free chests. These daily chests can contain a handful of rewards like coins, cards, gems, and equipment. You might not feel like playing, but check back in daily if only to open the chest. Besides, who can say no to freebies?
With that, we conclude our beginner’s guide for Dino Bash: Travel Through Time. Have you got a favorite dinosaur? Who’s the hardiest, sturdiest, peskiest neanderthal that really grinds your gears? Was there a level you got stuck at? Share your thoughts, comments, and even additional tips in our comment section below!