How to play: beginner guide
Your first goal is a clean catch and deposit: stampede, Required, pink heart, Jump refill, then pen.
First catch loop
Your first goal is a clean catch and deposit, not later zones. Join and Catch Them All, wait for a stampede, stay above Required, fill pink before green empties, then deposit.
Join and Catch Them All. Skip the same-name Dino Riders! place (eggs / hatch). Empty pen? Catch in the canyon, deposit, then train Grip. Free Gift steps are on Codes.
Deep links: Progression, Eras, Codes.
- Join the correct game. Open Ride a Dino by and Catch Them All and check the creator group before you farm.
- Mount a stampede herd. Start in the START ZONE. Mount a wild herd dino or one from your pen. Empty fields give nothing — wait for a stampede or ALL HERDS RESET in chat.
- Fill pink before green empties. Stay above Required, fill the pink catch heart before Stamina hits zero, and Jump to refill. Details in Catch HUD below.
- Deposit at your pen. Follow the pen prompts until you see a success line. Tray catches are not ranch stock until then.
- What next. Machine, Index, Fuse: Progression. Later zones: Eras.
Catch HUD
Meters while mounted, nameplate before you commit, run outcomes after a hop or buck, then hop tips for longer stampedes.
Meters
Bottom-left lightning is your Stamina / Grip. Secured tray and hotbar bank catches this run. Nameplate Required is a hard gate — below it and you get thrown.
| Meter | Meaning | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning Stamina | Grip / Stamina | Bottom-left lightning count is your power. Below nameplate Required and you get thrown. Jump onto another dino to refill the ride meter. |
| Secured tray | Catch bank | Left "SECURED" list and bottom hotbar hold dinos you banked this run. Deposit at your pen to move them into ranch stock. |
| Nameplate Required | Strength gate | Floating text like "Rare Triceratops Required: 150". Be above it or the throw is instant. |
Nameplate fields
Floating plates show rarity, species, size tags, and Required (for example "Required: 150"). Read Required before you commit.
| Field | What you see | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Size prefix | TINY, BIG, GIANT, and similar | Bigger size pays more Cash/s. Fuse on Progression pushes size up. |
| Rarity color | Common through Divine / Secret tiers | Match your Index. Higher rarity pays more and demands more Required. |
| Species name | The dino type | First catch unlocks Index Claim All on Progression. |
| Required | Lightning Stamina gate | Hard check before the ride starts. |
Run outcomes
Successful mounts land in the Secured list and hotbar. Finish the stampede, then deposit at your pen. REVIVE FREE is limited.
| Outcome | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pink heart filled | Catch banks into the run tray. Keep hopping for more before the herd ends. |
| Green hits zero | Bucked. Hop sooner or pick a lower Required target. |
| GREAT RUN! (and catch count) | End-of-run summary. Deposit so tray catches become ranch stock. |
| REVIVE FREE | Limited free revive (1 of 3 on the prompt). Save for close catches. |
Hop tips
Hop clean between dinos (Space / Jump), watch rocks and packed herds, and deposit after the run — not mid-stampede.
- Read the plate before you commit. Glance at Required and rarity before you mount. An instant throw costs a revive and breaks the chain.
- Chain for tray value. One stampede can feed several catches if you hop clean. Deposit after the run, not mid-herd.
- Obstacles matter. Rocks and packed dinos can break your path. Land Jump on a mount, not empty ground.
- Pen dinos as mounts. You can start from an owned pen dino when the wild herd is thin. Still need a stampede nearby to chain.
Grip vs Stamina
Listing says Grip; HUD says Stamina. Same number. Training is on Progression.
Controls
WASD to line up with the herd, Space or on-screen Jump to hop and fully refill Stamina, E or tap prompts for pens and machines.
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| WASD | Move on PC. Line up with the herd before you mount. |
| Space / Jump | Hop to another dino mid-run and fully refill Stamina. |
| E | Interact with pens, machines, shops, Index, and Airlines on PC. |
| Mobile Jump | On-screen Jump. Same full refill as Space. |
| Touch / tap prompts | Deposit, claim, buy, Airlines. Wait for GET CLOSER to clear before you spam tap. |
Deposit prompts
Catches sit in the tray until the pen success line appears. Walk back, clear GET CLOSER, tap or press E, and finish every tray dino.
| Prompt | Meaning |
|---|---|
| GO TO YOUR PEN TO DEPOSIT | Walk back with the tray. Skipping leaves catches undeposited. |
| TAP YOUR PEN TO DEPOSIT | Tap or press E. Wait for the success line. |
| GET CLOSER | Step nearer. Spamming does nothing until this clears. |
| "{Name} is in your pen!" | That catch is in. Keep depositing until the tray is empty. |
Common mistakes
Wrong game, empty fields, Required throws, skipped deposit, and wasted free revives.
- Joining Dino Riders! (eggs / hatch) instead of and Catch Them All
- Running into an empty field instead of waiting for a stampede
- Mounting below Required and burning free revives
- Starting another run with tray catches still undeposited
Deep links: Progression, Eras, Auras.
FAQ
Why am I always thrown?
At or below Required, or green emptied before the pink heart filled. See Catch HUD. Train Grip on Progression.
Does Jump refill Stamina?
Yes — a clean hop onto another dino fully refills it.
Where do Machine, Auras, and Fuse go?
Progression. Aura prices on Auras.
How do I reach later zones?
Buy a Jurassic Airlines Pteranodon flyer for that zone band, then keep Required high enough to catch. Full strip and flyer table on Eras.
What is Free Gift?
Lobby Stamina for Like, Favorite, and Join Ride a Dino Community — not a typed promo code. Steps on Codes.
What is the correct Place ID?
and Catch Them All Ride a Dino is place 93523763376122. Skip Dino Riders! place 131652231424227.