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.
Planet Zoo features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goodwin House | Career scenario 1, tutorial | Core building tutorial, first animal handling, introduction to the Goodwin story | Asia |
| 2 | Panda Park | Career scenario 3, tutorial | Breeding and welfare tutorial, research introduction, conservation basics | Asia |
| 3 | Maple Leaf Wildlife Park | Career scenario 4 | Cold biome practice, larger budget management, first non tutorial objectives | Africa |
| 4 | Great Caldera Safari Park | Career scenario 5 | Safari layout practice, African species roster, terrain problem solving | Africa |
| 5 | Bernie Goodwin Memorial Zoo | Career scenario 12, finale | Campaign completion, full system test, gold star Career achievement | Africa |
Goodwin House: Starting Area
The opening Career scenario, Stately Home Schooling, built around the Goodwin family estate. It teaches habitat construction, staff hiring and guest paths one objective at a time.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Career scenario 1, tutorial |
| Key Rewards | Core building tutorial, first animal handling, introduction to the Goodwin story |
| Recommended Build | Asia |
| Key Equipment | Veterinarian |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of Welfare from nutrition, social and suitability. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to Panda Park.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
Panda Park: Early Game
The third tutorial scenario, Bear Essentials, centred on giant pandas. Pandas are demanding on habitat and breeding, which makes them a pointed lesson in welfare before the campaign opens up.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Career scenario 3, tutorial |
| Key Rewards | Breeding and welfare tutorial, research introduction, conservation basics |
| Recommended Build | Asia |
| Key Equipment | Veterinarian |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering Conservation Credits from releasing animals. It's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Veterinarian if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in Maple Leaf Wildlife Park.
Maple Leaf Wildlife Park: Mid Game
The Eye of the Taiga scenario in Canada, bordering Candy Lake. Cold climate species and taiga terrain replace the temperate defaults of the tutorials.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Career scenario 4 |
| Key Rewards | Cold biome practice, larger budget management, first non tutorial objectives |
| Recommended Build | Africa |
| Key Equipment | Veterinarian |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Zookeeper becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
- Master Research at the Research Centre for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Great Caldera Safari Park: Late Game
The Go to Crater Lengths scenario, an African safari park built in and around a crater. Terrain constraints force layouts that do not work anywhere else in the campaign.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Career scenario 5 |
| Key Rewards | Safari layout practice, African species roster, terrain problem solving |
| Recommended Build | Africa |
| Key Equipment | Zookeeper |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Zookeeper should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- Guest education and donation bins mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Bernie Goodwin Memorial Zoo.
Bernie Goodwin Memorial Zoo: Endgame
The Last Leg, the twelfth and final Career scenario, set in Upper Bay of New York. It expects competence in every system the previous eleven taught and closes the Goodwin family story.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Career scenario 12, finale |
| Key Rewards | Campaign completion, full system test, gold star Career achievement |
| Recommended Build | Africa |
| Key Equipment | Zookeeper |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Australia for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order: Goodwin House → Panda Park → Maple Leaf Wildlife Park → Great Caldera Safari Park → Bernie Goodwin Memorial Zoo. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your equipment: Some areas favor different equipment types.
- Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two 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 Crafting Guide
- Planet Zoo Classes & Characters
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