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.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Goodwin House
Key resources: Core building tutorial, first animal handling, introduction to the Goodwin story Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Veterinarian upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Panda Park
Key resources: Breeding and welfare tutorial, research introduction, conservation basics Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Veterinarian upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Maple Leaf Wildlife Park
Key resources: Cold biome practice, larger budget management, first non tutorial objectives Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Veterinarian upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Great Caldera Safari Park
Key resources: Safari layout practice, African species roster, terrain problem solving Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Zookeeper max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Bernie Goodwin Memorial Zoo
Key resources: Campaign completion, full system test, gold star Career achievement Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Zookeeper max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Goodwin House to Panda Park)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Veterinarian once accessible
Mid Game (Maple Leaf Wildlife Park)
- Push Veterinarian to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Zookeeper
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Great Caldera Safari Park to Bernie Goodwin Memorial Zoo)
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Maple Leaf Wildlife Park farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- 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.
- Farm Maple Leaf Wildlife Park during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Planet Zoo Guides
- Planet Zoo Planet Zoo Overview
- Planet Zoo Best Builds
- 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 Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Planet Zoo, check out these related guides:
- Cities: Skylines Crafting Guide: city-builder game with similar mechanics
- Manor Lords Crafting Guide: city-builder game with similar mechanics
- Timberborn Crafting Guide: city-builder game with similar mechanics
