Let's Build a Zoo

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,616 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • humor
Let's Build a Zoo Game Cover
Feel like running a zoo, populated with all manner of disturbing hybrids? Ever wonder if a rabbit would still be as cute if it had a snake’s head?
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"Let's Build a Zoo" is a business simulation game where players get to design and manage their own zoo. Create exhibits, collect and breed animals, set prices, and keep visitors happy to succeed. The game also features a morally ambiguous "gene splicing" mechanic, allowing players to create unique and exotic creatures.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,616 reviews
graphics148 positive mentions
grinding184 negative mentions
  • Cute pixel art style with a charming aesthetic.
  • Engaging gameplay with a unique morality system that allows players to choose between good and evil paths.
  • Variety of animals and the ability to splice them into hybrids adds depth and creativity to the game.
  • Clunky UI and navigation issues make managing the zoo tedious, especially as it expands.
  • Lack of clear tutorials and explanations for certain mechanics can lead to confusion.
  • Game can become repetitive and grindy, particularly in managing animal populations and fulfilling their needs.
  • graphics395 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that many players find adorable and nostalgic, reminiscent of classic titles like Zoo Tycoon. While some users appreciate the simplicity and cuteness of the visuals, others express a desire for more depth and customization options. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's cozy atmosphere, making it accessible for players with lower-end systems while still offering a surprising amount of gameplay complexity.

    • “The base game has lots of things to love, starting of course with the beautiful graphics and a bounty of variants to discover, 10 variants for each of 56 species if I am correct (the collector in me lives for this).”
    • “The game's pixel art style is adorable and adds to the overall charm of the game.”
    • “Cute pixel graphics for cute animals, relaxing theme, massive content, solid game mechanics -- this is a great tycoon build-a-zoo game.”
    • “I thought it was more fun than this... turned out pretty boring and the graphics are the bad kind of pixels, not cute.”
    • “This game fell short of other zoo games, and considering the graphics, there's really no excuse for the amount of bugs I encountered.”
    • “I'm playing on an older gaming laptop, that runs Hogwarts Legacy, and I feel this is a less graphic/memory intensive game, so I find it unacceptable.”
  • gameplay395 mentions

    The gameplay of "Let's Build a Zoo" is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics, including animal breeding and splicing, which add depth and variety to the experience. However, many players find the lack of clear tutorials and a clunky user interface detracts from enjoyment, leading to frustration with unbalanced mechanics and tedious management tasks. Despite these issues, the charming pixel art and innovative gameplay elements keep players invested, making it a fun, albeit sometimes overwhelming, zoo management simulation.

    • “The gameplay is engaging and addictive, with a variety of tasks and challenges to keep players entertained for hours on end.”
    • “The ability to splice animals together and create new species adds a unique twist to the tycoon game genre, and the cute pixel art style and easy-to-learn gameplay make it a joy to play.”
    • “Great gameplay and extremely interesting breeding and morality system.”
    • “The gameplay becomes a chore rather quickly.”
    • “The gameplay isn't a hot mess - it's several tepid messes piled on top of each other.”
    • “It can be fun and addicting at points, but the gameplay design and UI choices destroyed most of my enjoyment.”
  • humor196 mentions

    The humor in "Let's Build a Zoo" is a standout feature, blending dark and absurd elements with lighthearted, quirky fun. Players enjoy the hilarious interactions between animals, the absurdity of hybrid creations, and tongue-in-cheek writing that often pokes fun at capitalism and moral dilemmas. While some humor may be polarizing, the overall tone is described as charming and entertaining, making it a delightful experience for fans of simulation games.

    • “The animals are hilarious - each animal interacts with every enrichment item, so you end up with snakes jumping on trampolines and geese carrying around dog toys, and hippos jumping into cardboard boxes.”
    • “Absolutely great game with great humor, a bit dark and twisted at times but it can be cathartic and just hilarious seeing how many mutant animals you can breed/create and how much of an insane evil genius you can become.”
    • “The fact that it allows you to combine all animals together into over 300 thousand different hybrids is a really funny, fun and possibly cool mechanic that I can't wait to exploit more.”
    • “It's not funny, or witty, and creative: it's just dumb and constantly getting in the way of the rest of the game.”
  • grinding188 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the late game where micromanagement of animal populations and resource management becomes overwhelming. Players enjoy the initial fun but find that the repetitive tasks, slow progression, and cumbersome UI detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and a sense of monotony. While some appreciate the depth and complexity, many feel that the game could benefit from more automation and clearer tutorials to alleviate the grind.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “This game is tedious as heck.”
    • “It gets incredibly grindy in the late game and managing animals gets tedious with little to no option for automation.”
    • “All in all its fun for the first ~15 hours, then it becomes a tedious and frustrating experience with not much going on other than trading for a new animal after 5 hours of spam breeding with 30 nurseries.”
  • story154 mentions

    The story in "Let's Build a Zoo" is described as cute, humorous, and engaging, with a mix of realistic and fantastical elements that reflect the player's journey and interactions with others. Players appreciate the variety of quests and the whimsical atmosphere, although some find the quest structure and pacing frustrating, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Overall, the narrative is seen as a fun backdrop to the gameplay, enhancing the experience of managing and expanding a zoo.

    • “The story of the game tells both the past, present, and future of your own zoo.”
    • “The story of the game reflects both your own journey and your relationship with other players.”
    • “The game's atmosphere, graphics, sounds, and story are very cute and immersive.”
    • “The story/challenges got repetitive and it became more of a 'let's see how many animals I'll need to donate today in order to not have my zoo overflowing' kind of game.”
    • “You unlock quests in the early game that don't or won't benefit your zoo until mid to late game.”
    • “I feel like the specific quest triggers should be more closely related to the state of your park.”
  • music106 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its charm and creativity, describing it as funky, bubbly, and enjoyable. However, some users report issues with music glitches and repetitiveness, leading them to mute the game or switch to their own playlists. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the game's appeal, there are calls for improvements and more variety to keep it engaging.

    • “It's fun and colorful, and the music is funky and bubbly. The animal designs are adorable, and the decorations are super varied and pretty.”
    • “The music of the game is also very beautiful and appropriate.”
    • “Thanks to the combination of adorable design, solid gameplay, and pleasant music, this game can be dangerously addictive.”
    • “Additionally, music rarely, if ever, plays.”
    • “While playing, the music slows down and becomes very broken, which hurts the ears.”
    • “I also wasn't impressed by any of the audio in-game; the music is pretty basic and the animal/human noises are really lacking.”
  • optimization46 mentions

    The game's optimization is criticized for being poorly explained and implemented, leading to confusion about building efficiency and park scoring. While players can eventually achieve smooth gameplay, performance issues arise with increased guest numbers, causing lag and frustration. Overall, the lack of clarity and optimization detracts from the experience, despite the game running adequately on lower-end machines.

    • “Nothing about it is really difficult (you never really run out of money) but there is always more optimization to achieve and the achievements are time-consuming but fun grinds.”
    • “Once you get the hang of things, everything begins to run smoothly.”
    • “While there are still some bugs, the game is overall pretty solid and will likely run quite well, even on lower performance machines.”
    • “There is absolutely no explanation on building optimization and how it works.”
    • “With the sheer number of guests and employees roaming around swiftly increasing as your zoo grows, performance also quickly starts to suffer in lieu of the game’s simple presentation.”
    • “Honestly, this game would be so great if the devs used the time they put into their incomprehensible moral system on improved performance and a less clunky UI.”
  • replayability32 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting low replay value due to a lack of challenge and limited gameplay variations. However, others highlight the potential for diverse experiences through moral choices, animal genetics, and unique zoo layouts, suggesting that there are enough elements to encourage multiple playthroughs. Overall, while some find replayability lacking, others appreciate the opportunities for experimentation and decision-making.

    • “Given this broadness, the game also has a great deal of replayability and is good to talk about with friends - it’s nearly impossible for two zoos to be the same.”
    • “The combination of animals with genetics and variations is mind-boggling, offering great replay value.”
    • “Let’s Build a Zoo’s replayability is high, as you can experiment and try new layouts to generate as much income as possible.”
    • “The game has no challenge, and its only one playthrough really (no replay value, in my humble opinion).”
    • “It's an alright game; the only good thing about it is laughing at all the mutations you can make. Other than that, the replay value is nonexistent.”
    • “Maybe a less static animal trading system would be better for replay value?”
  • emotional24 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of wholesome and sad experiences, evoking strong feelings of attachment to the animals and the environment. Players express a deep emotional connection, often leading to tears, while also enjoying the game's cozy and addictive nature. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth in the narrative, suggesting that the emotional impact may not be fully realized despite the engaging gameplay.

    • “This game made me cry and is sad.”
    • “Do you have a deep emotional attachment to your pigs and would fly into a violent rage if anything happened to them?”
    • “No pay to win, just a wholesome game you can easily fall in love with.”
  • stability22 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with players frequently reporting crashes, bugs, and glitches that disrupt gameplay and lead to lost progress. While some users find the game enjoyable and believe it has potential, the overwhelming number of technical issues detracts from the overall experience, making it difficult to recommend until improvements are made. Many hope for future patches to address these stability problems.

    • “I love the game, but I cannot recommend it; it freezes on me on a daily basis.”
    • “Let's Build a Zoo had the potential to be an entertaining and engaging simulation game, but unfortunately, it falls flat due to its overwhelming number of bugs and glitches that hinder players from obtaining all the achievements.”
    • “There are so many annoying bugs and glitches; I had to restart a zoo I had 10+ hours in because the collision for one of my enclosures was broken.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is described as cute, immersive, and enhanced by its charming graphics and sound design, creating a whimsical, theme park-like experience. However, the flow of gameplay is disrupted by battles and poorly organized quests, which can lead to frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, while the potential for a captivating atmosphere is evident, improvements in user interface and quest management are needed to fully realize it.

    • “The game's atmosphere, graphics, sounds, and story are very cute and immersive.”
    • “Simple but effective, timeless pixel style, great tone & atmosphere.”
    • “Tl;dr: beautifully made, dark humor, beautiful theme park-like atmosphere and a bit overwhelming.”
    • “Battles spoil the atmosphere and fluency of the game.”
    • “Potential, atmosphere and art is there, it looks cute, but without UI and QoL improvements it's more frustrating than fun.”
    • “I do like the quest atmosphere of having different people come in and ask for things to urge you on for progress, but it feels like a lot of the tasks are out of order and can be quite daunting. For example, my first week in I got a quest to upgrade the bus, but I couldn't find the research option until my fifth month in the game.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and time-locked progression, offering a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic management sims without the feeling of being a cash grab. Reviewers appreciate the thoughtful design and creativity, indicating that the developers are committed to delivering a quality game meant for long-term enjoyment rather than exploiting players for additional content.

    • “The fully decked out zoo management sim/builder without microtransactions and time-locked progression I've been craving since my childhood trauma with my free zoo.”
    • “The fully decked out zoo management sim/builder without microtransactions and time-locked progression I've been craving after my childhood trauma with my free zoo.”
    • “Has something about it that reminds me of those wonderful Bullfrog games of old, you know, like Theme Hospital, Theme Park, Theme Park World etc. It doesn't feel phoned in, or like a cash grab/platform to sell you loads of content, or like it's lacking a soul, if that makes sense.”
    • “Lots of thoughtful touches like this show this is a creative team (or individual?) who isn't just trying to crank out the bare minimum for a cash grab but is actually trying to make a game you'll replay for years.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

12hMedian play time
23hAverage play time
8-41hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 40 analyzed playthroughs

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