The player takes control of a rancher tasked with collecting, cataloging, and caring for the various dinosaur species who inhabit the area along with their Parasaurolophus companion Lucky.

[3] In August 2023, Paleo Pines made an appearance at that year's Gamescom convention in Cologne,[4] as well as the MIX Next Showcase which revealed its release date the following September for all platforms.

[8] Screen Rant's Deven McClure felt that it "has all the right ingredients for a cozy game," but that the sometimes "uninviting" character designs and "shallow" features may put off some players.

[9] Gareth Newnham of Impulse Gamer remarked that "though not as sprawling or intense as something like Stardew Valley, [it's] still a great way to while away a few hours," calling it a good entry point to newcomers of the genre.

[10] Violet Plata of GameGrin similarly commented that "if you're looking for a life simulation with cute dinosaurs — kind of like Stardew Valley with reptiles — this is not it," adding that its gameplay was more focused on collecting and exploring.