Overview

Giganten (also known as Dinosaures Giganti) is a two-player Stratego-like strategy game with a prehistoric dinosaur theme, designed by Herbert Pinthus and first published in 1981 by Carlit. Each player controls 23 stand-up cardboard dinosaur pieces with hidden identities. Pieces have strength values for land and water combat, and the goal is to find and capture the opponent’s eggs. The game won the Essener Feder prize for best rules in 1983. Multiple editions exist with varying board configurations and additional dinosaurs.

Components

• 1 game board (hex grid with land, water, and swamp terrain)
• 46 dinosaur stand-up pieces (23 per player), with rank/strength numbers printed on one side
• Egg pieces (hidden among each player’s army)
• Terrain tiles (large edition: 4 modular board sections)

Setup

1. Place the game board between the two players.
2. Each player takes their 23 dinosaur pieces.
3. Players secretly arrange their pieces on their side of the board with the numbered side facing them (opponent cannot see ranks).
4. The egg piece is placed among the other pieces.
5. Terrain configuration varies by edition: the small edition has fixed terrain with land, swamp, and lakes; the large edition uses 4 modular board sections for variable setup.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. On your turn:

1. Move One Piece

Move one of your dinosaur pieces to an adjacent hex according to its movement rules:

• Land dinosaurs: Move on land and swamp hexes.
• Water dinosaurs: Move in water hexes.
• Amphibious dinosaurs: Move on both land and water.
• Flying dinosaurs (pterodactyls): Can move over any terrain.

2. Resolve Combat (if applicable)

If your piece moves into a hex occupied by an opposing piece, combat occurs:

• Both players reveal their pieces’ strength values.
• The piece with the higher strength value in the current terrain type wins.
• The losing piece is removed from the game.
• If strength values are equal, both pieces are removed.

Actions

Movement

Each piece moves one hex per turn to any adjacent hex of valid terrain. Movement follows hex adjacency.

Combat Resolution

Combat depends on terrain:

• On land: Compare land strength values.
• In water: Compare water strength values.
• In swamp: Some editions treat swamp as land; others have special rules.

Each dinosaur type has different land and water strength values, making terrain positioning critical.

Dinosaur Types

Each player’s army of 23 includes various species:

• Large land predators (high land strength)
• Marine reptiles / plesiosaurs (high water strength)
• Pterodactyls (flying, moderate strength)
• Smaller dinosaurs (scouts with low strength but mobility)
• Eggs (no combat ability, must be protected)

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win: Capture the opponent’s egg piece.

Alternate victory: If a player has no pieces that can legally move, they lose.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Hidden Information

All pieces stand with their numbered side facing the owner. Opponents can only see the shape/silhouette of the piece. Identity is only revealed during combat, after which the losing piece is removed.

Terrain Effects

• Lakes: Impassable to land dinosaurs; only water creatures and flyers can enter.
• Swamp: Accessible to land creatures (in most editions), treated as water in high-water variants.
• Land: Standard movement for land dinosaurs.

Variable Board (Large Edition)

The large edition’s 4 modular board sections can be arranged differently each game, creating varied terrain layouts that change strategy.

Additional Dinosaurs (Large Edition)

The large edition adds 2 additional dinosaur types not found in the small edition, increasing tactical variety.

Egg Protection

The egg cannot fight. If an opposing piece moves onto the egg’s hex, the game is over. Players must balance aggressive exploration with defending their egg.

Player Reference

Turn: Move 1 piece to adjacent hex -> Combat if entering opponent’s hex

Combat: Compare strength values in current terrain type. Higher wins. Tie = both removed.

Victory: Capture opponent’s egg.

Key Numbers: | Item | Value | |——|——-| | Players | 2 | | Pieces per player | 23 | | Eggs per player | 1 | | Movement | 1 hex per turn | | Board type | Hex grid with terrain |