Let's Build a Zoo

Create over 300,000 hybrid animals, make moral choices, and run and design your own zoo all in one game. A best-of-best-worlds mix of creativity and business management, Let’s Build a Zoo provides a lot to do, a ton of people to meet, and a crazy number of animals to adopt/splice.

Let’s Build a Zoo is a dangerous game. When I decided to take a break from playing The Centennial Case on PS5 to spend a few minutes with Let’s Build a Zoo on Switch, I ended up putting in over an hour and barely realizing it was 1:30 AM. It is a perfect fit for a portable as well, but hope the UI issues can be addressed over time with updates. If you can deal with the small text and some interface elements, this is an essential. I like the controls, gameplay, writing, and never got tired of the music. While I’m sure it runs better on more powerful systems, I don’t think I’d trade portability for anything else with Let’s Build a Zoo, and I hope it does hit iPad in the near future.

There is a lot to love about Let’s Build a Zoo. Players can get stuck into the minute details of managing their own zoo or they can take a more relaxed approach to building an animal empire, but the amount of freedom is really what makes this game stand out among other management sims on the market. The sheer variety of animals on offer and the charming visuals make up for the monotonous music and sparse tutorials. This is a solid choice for players who are looking for something fun to play at a bargain price.

Overall, Let's Build a Zoo is an in-depth and delightful tycoon management sim. Its mechanics are detailed, going above and beyond to create an enjoyable experience. Players will get lost in decorating their habitats, and revel in the difficult choices that shape their zoos. There is no denying the love and dedication put into crafting the game, and it is a true treat to play.

Let's Build a Zoo does not a bring a revolution to the building/management genre but it does its job in a competent, fun way. It's always amusing to try out combining different species, and with its colourful visual world and engaging mechanics, fans of the genre will have plenty to look forward to. Those less versed will find it more difficult, especially with the game's lack of tutorials or more in-game explanations.

This is a 2D pixel art game that is really visible in every way, because it has a beautiful color palette and incredible designs for animals. It is a game designed to be played on TV.

It feels overwhelming and too complex to play for a few quiet hours, and some of the features and choices are a bit odd. There are some cute animals and even dinosaurs are available with the DLC.