Choose your game mode
Career introduces zoo management through scenario objectives and medals. Sandbox gives you room to practise building with adjustable animal and economy settings. Franchise connects multiple zoos and Wildlife Reserves, shares progression and requires an online connection.
To begin a Franchise, connect your Frontier account, choose Start New Franchise, set its name and emblem, and select your first zoo’s location. Choose the biome and continent that suit your plans.
Build a working first zoo
This is a practical starting order; you can adjust it as your zoo develops.
- Pause and plan. On PC, P pauses the game and O changes its speed. Connect the guest spawn point to entry gates and build paths to your main facilities. Staff Paths are for employees, so guests need their own accessible route.
- Choose an available species. Open the Zoopedia and check space, barrier strength and height, terrain, temperature, social group and food and water needs. In an existing habitat, use Animals → Pin Species to preview the group’s requirements. Flying animals need enclosed roof netting; fully aquatic species need suitable aquarium housing.
- Prepare staff and utilities. Add a Trade Centre, Keeper Hut and Staff Room, plus the power and water systems your facilities require. Caretakers or Vets transport ordinary habitat animals. Keepers feed and clean; Mechanics maintain barriers and facilities. Vets handle illness with a Vet Surgery.
- Adopt and move your animals. Use Animal Trading, then move the animals from Storage into their prepared housing. Check the staff gate and paths before expecting a delivery.
- Check the animals themselves. Use each animal’s Info Panel and heat maps to inspect accessible space, food, water and welfare. In aquariums, also check salinity and filtration. Deal with urgent welfare problems before adding more animals.
- Support your guests. Add food, drinks and toilets, and place Donation Bins near animal viewing areas. Use Management to monitor finances, guests and staff workload.
Know when to expand
Your first zoo is working when animals occupy suitable housing, staff can reach their workplaces and guests can enter, view animals and use services. Check Management → Overview, Finances, Guests and Staff before committing to another habitat.
When you start research, provide a powered Research Centre with a staff-accessible path and available research staff. A visually complete habitat alone does not tell you whether the zoo’s care systems are working.