Frontier's Planet Zoo is packed full of tiny hidden details and secrets. The game not only gives you the ability to build and manage a zoo but also the means to truly customize every single aspect of the experience. For this reason, many players can easily miss the secrets hidden in the game.
Here we take a look at the tiny elements of Planet Zoo. These details will help you learn more about your animals, enhance your gameplay experience and discover some things you still haven't noticed. From options you missed in the menu, to tiny details on your animals, these are just some of the secrets the game holds.
10 Animals Are All Unique
Every single animal in the game is unique, even in the same species. They have different markings, behaviors, and personalities. Each one also has a unique gene pool, which is important for breeding.
Knowing everything about your individual animals takes time but it can help to know which pairings will breed well, which animals are timid due to their past experiences and other such tiny details, revealed in personalities and even scars.
9 The Zoo Is Packed With Diverse Sounds
While exploring your zoo listen to the sounds of the rain and other everyday activities and occurrences. All the sounds are diverse and bespoke and rain will sound different, depending on where it is hitting.
This attention to detail was carefully crafted to ensure that the experience of creating your zoo is every bit as realistic as an animated zoo can be. If you want true immersion then turn down the music and crank up those sound effects.
8 You Can Watch Your Workers Inside Huts
Most players begin to build zoo keeper huts and then shift their focus onto the animals. However, did you know that you can follow your staff into the huts?
If you've ever wanted to see how animal food is prepared, watch a vet at work or find out just what those researchers do all day then Planet Zoo has you covered. Follow them, spy on them and more importantly make sure they are doing what you asked them to do!
7 Guests Can (And Will) Be Refunded
We all know that guest happiness is important but did you realize that your guests can ask for, and receive, a refund if they aren't happy?
Refunds can have a drastic effect on your finances over time so this detail is one you won't want to look over. Make sure guests are given access to reasonably priced food and drink, toilets, and of course high-quality exhibits with well cared for animals, to keep happiness high. The game handles these refunds for you so it's easy to miss them buried in your finances.
6 Education Is Important
While it seems obvious that guests will want to know more about the animals, it's more important than many players realize. Adding interactive boards and educational speakers can really help boost a guest's experience.
The game not only wants to teach players about the different types of animals available but also those who visit your virtual zoo.
5 Guests Are Fussy About Where They Spend Money
Most guests walk into the zoo with plenty of money in their pockets but they can be very fussy about where they spend it. The best ways to get them to part with their hard-earned cash are well-placed donation boxes and souvenir stalls.
Marking up food and drink often backfires, as guests may just refuse to pay and go home hungry and mad. However, a well laid out exhibit with a convenient donation box can convince them to put their pennies into your coffers. They are also more willing to pay a little extra for something they can take home, especially if their experience was a happy one.
4 You Can View The Zoopedia On An App
While the Zoopedia app is not official, and therefore not endorsed by Frontier, it is incredibly useful. Since animals rely so much on your understanding of their needs, having the information to hand without the need to keep going back and forth in the game is very helpful.
You'll still need to research to unlock appropriate items, such as specific enrichment toys, but the unofficial app can save you some time when you need information. Just search for Zoopedia in your phone's app store and download it at your own risk.
3 Breeding Is The Secret To Success
While running an efficient, profitable, and ethical zoo is the aim of the game, breeding will help you achieve all this. If you can breed and release animals into the wild then you'll begin to amass conservation points. Using these wisely will allow you to choose better and more appropriate animals for your zoo.
Animals that cost conservation points often have better genetics and are more suitable for breeding programs. You'll want to acquire these and keep hold of them. Make sure they are happy and healthy, so you can use them to produce genetically strong offspring that can be released into the wild.
2 Staff Efficiency Is Key
The key to a profitable zoo is an efficient zoo and staff are the secret behind this. By using staff paths and utility buildings hidden in a cluster with exhibits surrounding them, you can ensure that your zoo works like clockwork. Maximizing uptime and eliminating unnecessary staff travel is key to this game.
Utility buildings will always negatively affect customers within a certain radius, regardless of any decorations you place close by. Knowing this is the secret to success as you can use the knowledge to hide buildings in areas guests don't need to venture into, creating a network just for staff.
1 You Can Control Everything
Planet Zoo is one of the most in-depth simulation games around and this is reflected in just how much you can control. In order to discover all its secrets, you need to explore every single menu. Each aspect of the zoo is contained within the menus and opening them all and clicking those buttons will help you uncover all their secrets.
You can also use campaign mode to uncover some other things you may not have known. As the scenarios unfold they will guide you through lesser-known aspects of the game, including some mentioned above.