{"id":809,"date":"2026-04-20T03:26:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T03:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meerkatmobgames.com\/?p=809"},"modified":"2026-04-20T05:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T05:03:43","slug":"raptor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meerkatmobgames.com\/?p=809","title":{"rendered":"Raptor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Designers \/<\/strong> Publisher \/ Year:<\/strong> Bruno Cathala, Bruno Faidutti \/ Matagot<\/a> \/ 201<\/em>5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Player Count \/ Playtime<\/strong>: 2 Players \/ 30 mins<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genre \/ Type \/ Mechanics:<\/strong> Fighting, Action Selection, Action Points, Hand Management, Grid Movement, Take That<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Raptor<\/a><\/em> is one of my favorite two-player games. It’s fast, tense, and full of clever decision making. Also, who doesn’t love a dinosaur theme?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its core, it\u2019s an asymmetric cat-and-mouse game. One player controls a mother raptor trying to protect and escape with her babies, while the other controls a team of scientists trying to capture them. Each side has a different win condition, which makes every game feel dynamic and competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game runs on a really clever card system. Both players have the same set of numbered cards (1\u20139), and each round you secretly choose one to play (I love this mechanic in any game). The lower-value card gets to use its special action, while the higher-value card generates action points equal to the difference between the two cards, which you can spend on movement, capturing, or other abilities. This creates a constant push and pull: do you go low for a powerful ability, or go high to try and gain action points? It\u2019s a simple mechanic, but it leads to a lot of meaningful decisions that can affect the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I really enjoy is that even though there\u2019s some luck in not knowing what your opponent will play, there\u2019s also a strong mind-game element. You can see which cards your opponent has already used, so you can start to bluff, predict, and narrow down their options over time. That back-and-forth makes every round feel like a mini battle of wits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setup is quick, and I love that you can vary the board layout each time, which keeps the game feeling fresh and forces you to adapt your strategy. It\u2019s easy to learn in just a few minutes, but there\u2019s enough depth to keep it interesting game after game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raptor<\/em> plays fast, feels different every time, and always creates those \u201cjust one more game\u201d moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Score Breakdown<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n