Planet Zoo review

Planet Zoo has the deepest building toolkit on this list. Frontier, the studio behind Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon, gives each animal its own look, personality and needs, so habitats must match the species and welfare drives the score. Piece-by-piece construction uses hundreds of components, and terrain tools let you dig lakes and rivers or raise hills and caves. A campaign and a Sandbox mode cover both goal-driven and free play, and the Steam Workshop shares habitats, scenery and complete zoos. 91% of 43,170 English Steam reviews are positive, and the minimum spec is 8 GB of RAM with 16 GB of storage. It costs $44.99 on Steam. The detail cuts both ways: the tools take time to learn, the game is Windows only on Steam, and 22 DLC add more animals at extra cost.

Who it is for

builders who want animals and detailed construction tools

Price

$44.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

explore the world you create around them. $44.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Animals with their own looks, personalities and needs
• Piece-by-piece construction with hundreds of building components
• Terrain tools for lakes, rivers, hills, paths and caves
• Campaign and Sandbox modes
• Share habitats, scenery and whole zoos on the Steam Workshop

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 91% of 43,170 English Steam reviews are positive
• Strength: Breeding and release of animals back into the wild
• Strength: Steam Workshop sharing for habitats and zoos
• Weakness: $44.99 is one of the higher base prices here
• Weakness: Windows only on Steam
• Weakness: Steam lists 22 DLC, mostly animal packs

Key facts

• Developer: Frontier Developments
• Released on Steam: November 5, 2019
• Minimum RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 16 GB
• English Steam reviews: 91% positive of 43,170

Where it ranks

Planet Zoo is No. 5 in our Best PC Simulation Games verdict.