Play Fossil Dig online
Fossil Dig is a dig-site management arcade: you are the lead paleontologist at a 5x5 dig site with three soil layers per tile.
Thirty fossil bones from six original dinosaur species are buried in the dirt. Click tiles to dig — every bone you unearth pays $2 and fills that species' 5-bone skeleton.
Complete a skeleton and it goes on display in your museum park, earning ticket money every second. Spend it on upgrades: Pickaxe, X-ray Map, Drill.
Restore all six dinosaurs — Mossmaw, Thunderstep, Glimmerjaw, Puddleback, Windhorn, Duskclaw — before the 4-minute timer runs out. Your fastest full restoration is saved in your browser.
How to control Fossil Dig
- Mouse / touch: click a dirt tile to dig, click shop buttons to buy upgrades
- M: mute audio, Enter: start / play again
How to play
- 1
Click any dirt tile to dig one strike. Each tile has 3 soil layers: topsoil (soft), clay (tough), bedrock (very tough).
- 2
Bones are buried in random tiles and layers. Each bone pays $2 and fills one of 5 slots (skull, spine, ribs, leg, tail) for its species.
- 3
Complete all 5 bones of a species to restore its skeleton — it goes on display and earns ticket money every second.
- 4
Buy upgrades with earnings: Pickaxe ($40, 2 damage), X-ray Map ($60, reveals bone tiles), Drill ($120, 3 damage).
- 5
Restore all 6 species before 240 seconds run out to win. Your fastest full restoration is saved.
Tips for a better run
Buy the Pickaxe immediately: your starting $50 covers it and doubles dig speed.
Sweep the topsoil first — it is the cheapest layer and bones there pay for the X-ray Map fastest.
The X-ray Map ($60) is the run's turning point: stop digging empty tiles and chase glowing ones only.
The Drill ($120) triples your dig power — it pays for itself in the deep bedrock layer.
Watch the clock, not just the bones: a stalled run with no upgrades loses to the 4-minute timer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play?
Click a dirt tile to dig through its three soil layers (topsoil, clay, bedrock). Dinosaur bones are buried in some tiles. Collect all 5 bones of a species (skull, spine, ribs, leg, tail) to restore its skeleton in your museum park, which then earns ticket money. Spend earnings on a stronger Pickaxe, an X-ray Map that reveals bone tiles, and a Drill. Restore all 6 species before the 4-minute timer runs out.
Any strategy tips?
Buy the Pickaxe first (you start with $50 and it costs $40) — it doubles your dig speed. Then dig topsoil quickly to find your first bones: each bone pays $2, so five bones buy the X-ray Map ($60), which reveals every remaining bone tile. From there, dig only glowing tiles and save up for the Drill ($120).
Is Fossil Dig a copy of a dinosaur game?
No. Fossil Dig is fully original: the six dinosaur species (Mossmaw, Thunderstep, Glimmerjaw, Puddleback, Windhorn, Duskclaw), the dig-site/upgrade/museum economy, and all code, art, and audio are original works. It takes the general fossil-digging genre as inspiration but references no existing games, films, or franchises.
