Overview and gameplay loop
Break line of sight. Survive the chase.
Dryosaurus suits escapes built on awareness and terrain. Keep the pursuer in view, wait for the attack and dodge toward a route through brush or rocks. Once you break line of sight, change direction instead of continuing along a predictable path.
+Highly agile
+Easy to conceal
+Prime is easier than for large species
−Low damage
−A heavy hit can kill
−Poor resource control
Special abilities and controls
Verified against the current ability set in patch 0.21.772. Shown keys are defaults; players with custom binds should check Settings → Controls.
Combat and unique abilities
Two camera-directed dodge charges can turn almost 180 degrees. Each returns in roughly 10 seconds and costs no stamina.
A defensive kick used while facing forward at walking speed.
An attack used while sprinting; do not trade damage with heavier species.
Slow down for a tighter turn before spending the second dodge.
Survival and environmental interactions
Dense bushes conceal the small body
Rough terrain breaks a Carnotaurus charge
Sanctuary is safe while juvenile
Do not stand inside a large herbivore herd during combat
EInteractWallow at a mud pool to reduce tracks and scent for a while.
QScentScent while standing still to read water, diet, carcasses, tracks and distant zones.
GCarcass interactionCorpse handling: tap to tear off a chunk; hold to drag or carry it when mass allows.
HRestRest / safe logout: rest out of sight; never lie on a trail or directly between others and water.
All basic controls ＋
Use SHIFT to sprint and Z to switch trot or walk for tighter turns.
Hold longer for greater range; tap Q to open the compass.
Eat, drink, wallow, use nests and interact with resources.
Tap to tear off a chunk; hold to drag or carry a valid object.
Rest for faster recovery; hold H to sleep and log out safely.
View growth, diet, mutations, sex, group and asset location.
Broadcast · friendly · threaten · help. Loud calls reveal your position.
Use N to pair or place a nest; B builds a mound nest for supported species.
Damage by ability
Actual damage also depends on mass, hitbox, attack direction, bleed and server balance. The table separates fixed values from scaling abilities to avoid treating community figures as absolute damage.
Community reference for Bite; actual results still vary with mass, hitbox and server balance.
Community reference for Dodge; actual results still vary with mass, hitbox and server balance.
Community reference for Burrow interaction; actual results still vary with mass, hitbox and server balance.
Recommended mutations
This list is the species-wide foundation. After choosing a build below, follow its dedicated loadout order instead of keeping the general priority.
Improves stamina uptime for repeated movement and ability rotations.
Makes tracks disappear sooner after moving away.
Improves awareness while eating or drinking.
Reduces how often you must visit dangerous water sources.
Two builds & detailed guides
Choose the role you want to play in this life. These are EFG tactical recommendations, not universal meta builds for every matchup.
Escape artist
Escape longer pursuits.
Use dodges to break line of sight at obstacles, not both charges merely to gain distance in a straight line.
Choose in order from 01 → 04
Prioritize the first mutation in the list. If it is unavailable or slot-limited, use the next option and check again at the next milestone.
Lowers the stamina-regeneration threshold and requires an activity unlock.
UNLOCK REQUIRED · Slot 2 or 3Makes tracks fade faster to help break pursuit.
Applies fall damage to stamina before health.
Slows hydration drain.
TACTICAL GAMEPLAY LOOP
Complete Sanctuary and Perfect Diet immediately.
Keep the camera behind you → bait an attack → dodge late → break sight through bushes or rock → reverse when the predator loses vision.
Use dodges to break line of sight at obstacles, not both charges merely to gain distance in a straight line.
CONDITIONS FOR THIS BUILD
↗Dense bushes conceal the small body
↗Rough terrain breaks a Carnotaurus charge
+The only goal is to break pursuit and survive.
+Easy to conceal
−Low damage
−A heavy hit can kill
NOTE: A build guides decisions; it does not replace reading hitboxes, stamina, team numbers and server-specific settings.
Explorer
Travel across the map.
Every route should connect water, food and cover; never cross open ground on low stamina.
Choose in order from 01 → 04
Prioritize the first mutation in the list. If it is unavailable or slot-limited, use the next option and check again at the next milestone.
Makes tracks fade faster to help break pursuit.
Improves awareness and footstep detection while eating or drinking.
Restores hydration from plants during long Migration routes.
Slows hydration drain.
TACTICAL GAMEPLAY LOOP
Memorize two escape routes from every feeding area.
Keep the camera behind you → bait an attack → dodge late → break sight through bushes or rock → reverse when the predator loses vision.
Every route should connect water, food and cover; never cross open ground on low stamina.
CONDITIONS FOR THIS BUILD
↗Sanctuary is safe while juvenile
↗Do not stand inside a large herbivore herd during combat
+You need a long route connecting food and water without fighting.
+Highly agile
−A heavy hit can kill
−Poor resource control
NOTE: A build guides decisions; it does not replace reading hitboxes, stamina, team numbers and server-specific settings.
Mutation names, unlock conditions and effects may change with hotfixes. EFG prioritizes developer data; unclear items are treated as community recommendations and should be verified against the in-game description.
Growth time, mass and diet
Dryosaurus from 0% to 100%
Before Adult: one nutrient gives 100% growth speed, two give 200%, and all three give 300%. Diet does not speed up Elder ageing at 75–100%. The table assumes a 1× server.
Horned Melon
Chanterelle Mushroom, Sumac
Russula
Maintain α, β and γ together for 300% Growth. Each bar only needs a remaining value; when one reaches zero, speed immediately drops to the corresponding tier.
Prime stats for Dryosaurus
ADULT · 75%130 kg
→PRIME PEAK · ≈87,5%185 kg
ADULT · 75%45 km/h
→PRIME PEAK · ≈87,5%50.4 km/h
ADULT · 75%20
→PRIME PEAK · ≈87,5%23
Peak is the comparison point above. Prime usually rises from 75%, peaks around 87.5%, then enters Elder decline. Mass, speed and Bite Force use the Prime Peak value at roughly 87.5%; hotfixes may change these stats.
From first spawn to Prime
Complete Sanctuary and Perfect Diet immediately.
Memorize two escape routes from every feeding area.
Dodge after the enemy commits instead of spending it early.
Treat Prime as a survival goal and avoid unnecessary combat.
Sanctuary juvenile
Perfect Diet
2 Migration
4 Patrol
Avoid negative mutations
Read the Prime guideDryosaurus · Science & another perspective
Dryosaurus was a small bipedal herbivore from the Late Jurassic.
Reconstructing Dryosaurus
A Dryosaurus reconstruction by Nobu Tamura. The form reflects the artist’s interpretation of evidence; coloration and soft tissues should not be treated as a photograph of the living animal.
Long legs and a balancing tail
Dryosaurus altus skeletal mount at the Beneski Museum of Natural History. Examine hindlimb and tail proportions; the photo does not establish running speed or the game's dodge count.
A closer look at the head
Dryosaurus altus skull at the same Beneski museum. A close view reveals details that become small in a photograph of the whole skeleton.
Its name means 'oak lizard'; long hind legs suggest that speed was an important defense.
Two dodge charges exaggerate that mobility advantage into a clear survival playstyle.
