Frontier Developments released Planet Zoo on 5 November 2019 with 73 animals in the base game, well past the 50 originally promised. Four modes ship together: Career, Franchise, Challenge and Sandbox, with Franchise running on Conservation Credits earned by releasing well bred animals back to the wild. Career runs 12 scenarios, opening at Goodwin House and closing at the Bernie Goodwin Memorial Zoo in Upper Bay, New York.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Asia | A | Balanced | Best available |
| North America | A | Balanced | Best available |
| South America | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Australia | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Planet Zoo tier list.
A-Tier: Africa
Africa is a top-performing option in Planet Zoo.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Zookeeper | Feeds animals, cleans habitats and handles enrichment items. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Welfare from nutrition, social and suitability | Each animal scores welfare from access to food and water, social health covering group size and sex balance, and habitat suitability covering terrain types, temperature, plant cover and enrichment. |
How to Play Africa
Africa focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Zookeeper does the damage and Welfare from nutrition, social and suitability keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Asia
Asia is a strong option in Planet Zoo.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Veterinarian | Treats sick animals, handles contraception and runs species research from the Research Centre. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Conservation Credits from releasing animals | Releasing an animal to the wild converts it into Conservation Credits, the currency Franchise mode is built on. |
How to Play Asia
Asia focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Veterinarian with Conservation Credits from releasing animals and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: North America
North America is a strong option in Planet Zoo.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Mechanic | Repairs generators, water pumps and rides, and researches facility improvements. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Research at the Research Centre | Vets research animal species and mechanics research facilities and habitat items, both from a powered Research Centre with access to the relevant habitat. |
How to Play North America
North America focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Research at the Research Centre covers the gap Mechanic leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: South America
South America is a specialized option in Planet Zoo.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Caretaker | Empties bins, cleans paths and restocks vending machines. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Barriers and terrain shaping | A habitat needs an unbroken barrier the occupant cannot climb, jump, dig under or smash, and each species tests differently. |
How to Play South America
South America focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Barriers and terrain shaping rather than raw numbers, and Caretaker is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Australia
Australia is a specialized option in Planet Zoo.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Security Guard | Deters vandals and responds to escaped animals. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Guest education and donation bins | Education boards, speakers and Zoopedia entries raise guest education, and educated guests donate more at bins. |
How to Play Australia
Australia focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Security Guard and Guest education and donation bins pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Asia: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Africa once you understand core mechanics and have access to Zookeeper
- Keep a North America setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Australia for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Research enrichment tiers before you buy expensive animals. A species sitting in a habitat with tier one enrichment will never reach acceptable welfare, and welfare drives everything from breeding to Conservation Credits.
- Draw keeper work zones tightly around two or three neighbouring habitats. A keeper assigned across the whole zoo spends most of the day walking rather than feeding.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Planet Zoo Guides
- Planet Zoo Planet Zoo Overview
- Planet Zoo Tier List
- Planet Zoo Walkthrough
- Planet Zoo Beginner's Guide
- Planet Zoo Tips & Tricks
- Planet Zoo Weapons Guide
- Planet Zoo Combat Guide
- Planet Zoo Boss Guide
- Planet Zoo Maps & Locations
- Planet Zoo Crafting Guide
- Planet Zoo Classes & Characters
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