Start with the land and build the whole zoo yourself in Planet Zoo 2, a zoo management game. You shape the terrain, lay paths and fences, and then fill each habitat with animals. Each animal needs enough room, the right food and enrichment items to stay healthy, so the layout matters as much as the animal you pick. The sequel also adds freshwater and saltwater aquariums and custom aviaries, so fully aquatic species and flying birds can join the zoo too.
Once the animals move in, guests start arriving. They need food, drinks, toilets and somewhere to sit, and when those are missing they grow unhappy and can leave. Entrance fees and donations are your income, and you spend it on keepers to look after the animals, mechanics to keep the buildings running, and new habitats and animals as the zoo grows.
Career mode is the best place to start. It follows the Fauna and Ecosystems Network (FEN) and ties your zoos to conservation projects and Wildlife Reserves, which are wild ecosystems you build outside the zoo. Each conservation project sets requirements, and once you meet them you can release animals into a reserve. Franchise mode links your zoos and reserves into one network and lets you trade animals with other players, and Sandbox mode is for building without limits.
- Developer
- Frontier Developments
- Publisher
- Frontier Developments
- Release
- Worldwide: 2026-10-13
- Platforms
- Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Game data
Animals
Planet Zoo 2's animals include mammals, birds, fish, sharks and rays, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Each one lives in a particular kind of enclosure, from fenced habitats and aquariums to aviaries and small exhibits, and needs the right food, water, space and company to stay healthy. Animals are added through Animal Trading, and they can be released to Wildlife Reserves to support conservation.
Biomes
Biomes are the natural environments Planet Zoo 2 uses to set up each animal's home. They cover land areas such as Desert, Grassland, and Tundra, and water areas such as Reef and Mangrove. Every animal lists the biomes it can live in, and its habitat has to suit one of them to keep it healthy. Aquariums, aviaries, and wildlife reserves all follow the same biome system.
Enrichment Items
Enrichment items are the toys and food you place in an animal's habitat to meet its needs and keep its mood up. Each animal tracks a habitat bar and a food bar, and the habitat menu only shows the items that suit its species. You unlock enrichment through research in the Enrichment category, and an item only raises its bar if the animal can reach it.
Planet Zoo 2 gameplay tips
- Start with Career mode. It ties zoo building to conservation projects and Wildlife Reserves, so you meet every major system before you build freely in Sandbox.
- Start with small, easy animals. Aardvarks, warthogs and meerkats need less space and fewer special items, so they are easier to get right. Save carnivores and the aquatic and flying species for later.
- Keep staff small at first. Money runs tight in the opening hours, and every keeper and mechanic adds to your costs. Start with one of each, and add more as guest numbers grow.
- Use the Workshop for ready-made pieces. Community buildings and scenery save the time that complex builds take, so your effort goes into layout and animals. Save any layout you like as a blueprint so you can reuse it elsewhere.
- Test your ideas in Sandbox mode. Sandbox gives you unlimited money and unlocks everything, so you can try a layout or exhibit without worrying about cost.
- Pick a theme. Focus on one biome, region or animal group, such as cats or canines. There are so many animals and building pieces that a theme gives your zoo a clear direction.