While players can truly let their imaginations run wild in Planet Zoo's Sandbox mode and create zoos unshackled by financial restraints and other factors, most players prefer the realistic mix of management and building that Franchise mode offers.

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Planet Zoo lets gamers experience running a simulated zoo, but take care with multispecies enclosures since some animals don't cohabitate well.

However, as fun and rewarding as Franchise mode can be, it is also highly challenging at times and players can often find themselves out of cash and will sometimes run into debt. With that in mind, the following is a selection of helpful tips to help players make money fast in Planet Zoo.

1 Have A Suitable Number Of Guest Facilities

If Players Have Too Few Or Too Many Amenities, They Won't Make A Profit

Food kiosks, restaurants, vending machines, and gift shops are all important for keeping guests happy and also provide an additional source of income for the zoo. If players have too few of these, their guests will get hungry and thirsty and the zoo's overall rating will go down, meaning fewer future visitors. Not having places for guests to spend their money is also a serious financial oversight and players will miss out on lots of cash.

However, if players go overboard on these amenities, they can end up screwing themselves over, as all these facilities have power costs, and in the case of kiosks and restaurants, there are staff wages to consider. It is balancing acts like this that make Planet Zoo one of the hardest management games.

2 Start With Simple Animals Which Are Cheaper To Feed & Look After

Herbivore Meals Are Typically Cheaper Than Buying Meat For Carnivores

In many ways, players looking to make money in Planet Zoo should look at ways to save money, as there will always be large costs to running a zoo. At the start of the game, one of the best ways to spend less and run a profitable zoo is to focus on simpler starting animals.

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While Planet Zoo features an expansive building system and challenging scenarios, its main draw will always be the animals themselves.

For example, while it can be tempting to jump straight into acquiring star attractions such as lions and elephants, these animals will not only cost players large upfront investments, but they are also more expensive to keep. Most notably, their food will be more expensive, in the case of lions and other carnivores as meat is dear, and in the case of large mammals like elephants, due to the sheer amount they need to eat. Instead, if players focus on smaller herbivores like Tortoises or Aardvarks at the start, they can turn a healthy profit by having guests pay to see happy and healthy animals that have low upkeep costs.

3 Place Lots Of Donation Boxes & Educate Guests For More Donations

Donation Boxes Provide Pure Profit After Their Initial Placement

Early on, donation boxes are one of the best forms of income and can help small starter zoos grow into financially independent businesses. Players will not only want to place plenty of these boxes, but they should also consider where they place them. For example, areas in front of habitats that see high amounts of traffic are ideal, as more guests equals more donations.

Another helpful tip concerning the placement of donation boxes is to have them in sight of enrichment items, as watching animals engage with toys or forage for food will make them more interested. Players will also want to make sure their guests are happy and educated, as visitors who are taught more about animals and conservation are more willing to donate. Therefore, having lots of educational items placed is another necessity.

4 Buy Animals With Conservation Credits & Sell Them For Cash

Players Should Only Do This When Desperate For Money

One of the easiest ways to get hold of money fast in Planet Zoo, even if it is not the most effective long-term strategy, is to buy animals on the market for Conservation Credits, and then sell them for cash. As these Conservation Credits are earned by breeding more endangered species, and should ideally be saved for permanent animal purchases, this tip should not be followed often. Furthermore, it is not an option in the early stages, as these credits are accumulated over time.

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However, in times of great need, such as when the zoo is in debt, it can be a good idea to effectively trade CC for cash. If players are patient with their market searches, they will find great deals and spend fewer credits while still selling for the same amount of money.

5 Breed & Sell Exhibit Animals Such As Butterflies

Once Set-Up, Players Will Have A Regular Income At No Effort

Easily one of the best ways to consistently churn out cash in Planet Zoo is to acquire exhibit animals that breed fast, and then have the surplus sold for surprising prices. To make more money, players will want to sell gold-tier individuals, which means they should first research the species to help breeding outcomes, and then acquire animals with good genes.

By making sure any lower-level individuals are sold and unable to contribute to the gene pool, players will eventually end up with only the best specimens and all subsequent offspring will be gold too. Once this has been achieved, players should look at the species' Zoopedia entry to find out the maximum number of males and females that should be placed in an exhibit. Heading into the management tab of the entry, players can then set it up so that any individuals beyond this number will be sold, prioritizing those with weaker genes first. This means that each time the animals breed, players will get a large sum of cash, and the process will repeat infinitely.

Planet Zoo

Platform(s)

PC

Released

November 5, 2019

Developer(s)

Frontier Developments

Genre(s)

Simulation