Planet Zoo taught me two main things as I tried to wrangle its beautiful animals and satisfying tycoon economy: running a wildlife preserve can be a lot of fun, and I would be absolutely terrible at it. I can’t blame any lack of tools or inability to find vital information, because those things were all at my fingertips and worked pretty well. But when the in-depth animal welfare screens told me my prized timber wolves were a little bit sad, of course I was going to throw money at them until their accommodations were heavenly and the accountants were in a panic. In that way, Planet Zoo even makes poor business decisions fun. Much like Frontier’s other theme park world, Planet Coaster, this sim wowed me with a huge amount of customization. The structure and terrain editors are incredibly powerful and easy to use. Which is good, because outside of a handful of pre-made story scenarios, you always start from a boring, flat plain. To give your non-story-mode zoos some drama and character, you’ll either spend a lot of time sculpting the land and placing foliage yourself, or browsing the Steam Workshop for a landscape someone else has made and shared that strikes your fancy. The possibilities go far beyond what I would ever have the skill or patience to make myself based on what I’ve seen other users create already, and it’s great to have access to it all. I did wish, though, that the franchise mode would have let me start on a map with a bit more realistic terrain without having to rely on other users. Animal Style The real stars, of course, are the more than 50 animals you can put on display. They’re all impressively modeled with lifelike fur and feathers, and their animations are excellent. I got a lot of enjoyment out of simply watching my apes climb, jump, and swing around a tropical canopy or dropping a cardboard box into the wolf enclosure to see what kind of games they would play with it. The sound design is also excellent, with every roar, howl, and screech adding atmosphere and authenticity. Each exhibit really comes to life, especially if you place multiple species with an affinity bonus together. And a clean, easy-to-navigate interface provides all the information you need on how to keep each species happy. Each animal has a diverse set of needs that made me think about them as living beings. “ These animals aren’t just props to bring in revenue, either. Each one has a diverse set of needs that made me think about them as living beings, from the amount of vegetation they need around them to enrichment activities for staving off boredom. These needs not only serve as an additional layer of puzzle to solve, but also helped nudge me into building better-looking exhibits that weren’t just grassy rectangles with a food bowl in the middle. There were a couple situations in which it could get a bit fiddly, though. Skittish animals like antelope can develop stress from being observed, and I’d often see them standing around quivering even when there was plenty of covered shelter readily available for them to retreat to. I once watched an elephant die of dehydration standing directly beside a generous watering hole with its own dedicated water treatment plant. The AI just can’t seem to handle it all sometimes. On the economic side, Planet Zoo has a well-balanced set of income sources and expenses to consider. My favorite new feature is the Conservation Rating. This score gives your zoo a bonus to popularity and guest happiness for housing and breeding endangered species, releasing good specimens back into the wild, and putting up informational displays and audio speakers to educate your guests. Doing so can also earn you Conservation Credits, which are sometimes the only way to acquire particularly rare specimens. My only disappointment with this system is that Conservation Credits can’t keep the lights on. There’s no way to acquire grants or anything for having a good conservation program, so investing entirely into these expensive animals will still mean you have to make cuts to staff and sell a bunch of hats like a ruthless capitalist or your important environmental work will get shut down. Menagerie of Modes Aside from a story mode with charming voice acting that does a decent job of teaching you important mechanics little by little, Planet Zoo has all the modes I’d expect. Franchise Mode is where I spent most of my time, in which you can build a multi-zoo franchise online and your Conservation Credits conveniently carry over from one to another and you can trade animals with other players. There’s also a welcome offline mode with the full economy enabled, and a sandbox mode that gives you unlimited money, which is great if you want to terraform your perfect landscape as a starting point before opening a zoo there. The online modes are a cool idea, but can sometimes get in their own way with sluggish menus. “ The online modes are a cool idea, but can sometimes get in their own way with sluggish menus compared to their offline counterparts. And in possibly my biggest “huh?” moment, I discovered you can’t actually visit other people’s zoos as a tourist unless they’re uploaded to the workshop and you download them to play in single-player on your own PC. You’ll see avatars from other players “visiting” your zoo, but they’re not actually there looking at it. That’s just their AI-controlled avatar. In-person visiting of other zoos seems like the best reason to make a game like this online enabled, so it’s very strange that they don’t allow it. There’s also a fairly in-depth breeding system that allows you to try to maximize traits like the size, fertility, and longevity of each species across the generations. Prime specimens attract more visitors and can be traded online for great profit if you want to go that route, but I found that it takes too long to really be satisfying. The online marketplace, at least as I’m writing this, is crowded with dozens of sickly, infertile disasters at bargain bin prices and a handful of uberfauna costing enough that they would take weeks to save up for. I hope that as more players come to understand the system better, the economy might level off a bit. Verdict Despite my soft heart bankrupting just about every zoo I touched because I refused to fire the Michelin Starred-chefs making three meals a day for my snow leopards, I had a great time with Planet Zoo. The environments look great and you’re given tons of tools to make them look better. The animals that inhabit them are lively and lifelike, and each presents a satisfying set of factors to balance if you want to max out their welfare. And while some of the online stuff feels half-baked, most of the modes are well-balanced and enjoyable – especially with the addition of conservation as a secondary goal to pure profit-making. I can see myself sinking dozens more hours into this rich sim… if I can ever force myself to put the bottom line before the silk-lined giraffe beds.

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Planet Zoo taught me two main things as I tried to wrangle its beautiful animals and satisfying tycoon economy: running a wildlife preserve can be a lot of fun, and I would be absolutely terrible at it. I can’t blame any lack of tools or inability to find vital information, because those things were all at my fingertips and worked pretty well. But when the in-depth animal welfare screens told me my prized timber wolves were a little bit sad, of course I was going to throw money at them until their accommodations were heavenly and the accountants were in a panic. In that way, Planet Zoo even makes poor business decisions fun. Much like Frontier’s other theme park world, Planet Coaster, this sim wowed me with a huge amount of customization. The structure and terrain editors are incredibly powerful and easy to use. Which is good, because outside of a handful of pre-made story scenarios, you always start from a boring, flat plain. To give your non-story-mode zoos some drama and character, you’ll either spend a lot of time sculpting the land and placing foliage yourself, or browsing the Steam Workshop for a landscape someone else has made and shared that strikes your fancy. The possibilities go far beyond what I would ever have the skill or patience to make myself based on what I’ve seen other users create already, and it’s great to have access to it all. I did wish, though, that the franchise mode would have let me start on a map with a bit more realistic terrain without having to rely on other users. Animal Style The real stars, of course, are the more than 50 animals you can put on display. They’re all impressively modeled with lifelike fur and feathers, and their animations are excellent. I got a lot of enjoyment out of simply watching my apes climb, jump, and swing around a tropical canopy or dropping a cardboard box into the wolf enclosure to see what kind of games they would play with it. The sound design is also excellent, with every roar, howl, and screech adding atmosphere and authenticity. Each exhibit really comes to life, especially if you place multiple species with an affinity bonus together. And a clean, easy-to-navigate interface provides all the information you need on how to keep each species happy. Each animal has a diverse set of needs that made me think about them as living beings. “ These animals aren’t just props to bring in revenue, either. Each one has a diverse set of needs that made me think about them as living beings, from the amount of vegetation they need around them to enrichment activities for staving off boredom. These needs not only serve as an additional layer of puzzle to solve, but also helped nudge me into building better-looking exhibits that weren’t just grassy rectangles with a food bowl in the middle. There were a couple situations in which it could get a bit fiddly, though. Skittish animals like antelope can develop stress from being observed, and I’d often see them standing around quivering even when there was plenty of covered shelter readily available for them to retreat to. I once watched an elephant die of dehydration standing directly beside a generous watering hole with its own dedicated water treatment plant. The AI just can’t seem to handle it all sometimes. On the economic side, Planet Zoo has a well-balanced set of income sources and expenses to consider. My favorite new feature is the Conservation Rating. This score gives your zoo a bonus to popularity and guest happiness for housing and breeding endangered species, releasing good specimens back into the wild, and putting up informational displays and audio speakers to educate your guests. Doing so can also earn you Conservation Credits, which are sometimes the only way to acquire particularly rare specimens. My only disappointment with this system is that Conservation Credits can’t keep the lights on. There’s no way to acquire grants or anything for having a good conservation program, so investing entirely into these expensive animals will still mean you have to make cuts to staff and sell a bunch of hats like a ruthless capitalist or your important environmental work will get shut down. Menagerie of Modes Aside from a story mode with charming voice acting that does a decent job of teaching you important mechanics little by little, Planet Zoo has all the modes I’d expect. Franchise Mode is where I spent most of my time, in which you can build a multi-zoo franchise online and your Conservation Credits conveniently carry over from one to another and you can trade animals with other players. There’s also a welcome offline mode with the full economy enabled, and a sandbox mode that gives you unlimited money, which is great if you want to terraform your perfect landscape as a starting point before opening a zoo there. The online modes are a cool idea, but can sometimes get in their own way with sluggish menus. “ The online modes are a cool idea, but can sometimes get in their own way with sluggish menus compared to their offline counterparts. And in possibly my biggest “huh?” moment, I discovered you can’t actually visit other people’s zoos as a tourist unless they’re uploaded to the workshop and you download them to play in single-player on your own PC. You’ll see avatars from other players “visiting” your zoo, but they’re not actually there looking at it. That’s just their AI-controlled avatar. In-person visiting of other zoos seems like the best reason to make a game like this online enabled, so it’s very strange that they don’t allow it. There’s also a fairly in-depth breeding system that allows you to try to maximize traits like the size, fertility, and longevity of each species across the generations. Prime specimens attract more visitors and can be traded online for great profit if you want to go that route, but I found that it takes too long to really be satisfying. The online marketplace, at least as I’m writing this, is crowded with dozens of sickly, infertile disasters at bargain bin prices and a handful of uberfauna costing enough that they would take weeks to save up for. I hope that as more players come to understand the system better, the economy might level off a bit. Verdict Despite my soft heart bankrupting just about every zoo I touched because I refused to fire the Michelin Starred-chefs making three meals a day for my snow leopards, I had a great time with Planet Zoo. The environments look great and you’re given tons of tools to make them look better. The animals that inhabit them are lively and lifelike, and each presents a satisfying set of factors to balance if you want to max out their welfare. And while some of the online stuff feels half-baked, most of the modes are well-balanced and enjoyable – especially with the addition of conservation as a secondary goal to pure profit-making. I can see myself sinking dozens more hours into this rich sim… if I can ever force myself to put the bottom line before the silk-lined giraffe beds.

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Math

The economic aspects of running a wildlife preserve in the game help in understanding income sources and expenses, providing real-life applications of mathematical concepts.
Calculating the cost-benefit analysis of investing in various aspects of the zoo, such as animal welfare, staff, and conservation efforts.
Managing the budget and expenses of the zoo simulates real-world financial management and budgeting skills.

Science

Learning about animal behavior and welfare through the game, understanding how different species have diverse needs and how to cater to them.
Exploring the idea of conservation and breeding strategies can introduce students to wildlife conservation and the importance of maintaining biodiversity.
Gaining insights into animal biology and ecology by understanding the impact of factors such as habitat, vegetation, and enrichment activities on animal well-being.

Social Studies

Understanding the role of zoos and wildlife preserves in society, including the educational and conservation aspects.
Exploring the concept of business ethics and the balance between profit-making and conservation efforts within the simulation.
Learning about the interconnections between economics, environmental conservation, and societal values in relation to wildlife preservation.

For continued development related to the activity, students can explore real-world wildlife preservation efforts, visit local zoos or wildlife sanctuaries, and engage in discussions about sustainable business practices and environmental stewardship.

Book Recommendations

The Call of the Wild by Jack London: A classic adventure novel that fosters an understanding of the natural world and the importance of animal welfare.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: A heartwarming tale that emphasizes the companionship between humans and animals and the moral responsibilities of caring for them.
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: A collection of stories that delves into human-animal relationships and the interconnectedness of all living creatures in the wild.

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