Choose Planet Zoo
Choose Planet Zoo if you want a Strategy game with HDR available. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.3% positive across 41,603 reviews.
Planet Zoo vs Zoo 2: Animal Park
Planet Zoo and Zoo 2: Animal Park both land in Simulation, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam. Planet Zoo (2019) is 1 year older than Zoo 2: Animal Park (2020). Planet Zoo scores higher on Steam reviews (91.3% positive) than Zoo 2: Animal Park (71.8% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Zoo 2: Animal Park
Choose Zoo 2: Animal Park if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Zoo 2: Animal Park launched in 2020.
Both Planet Zoo and Zoo 2: Animal Park sit in Simulation and Casual on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Planet Zoo |  Zoo 2: Animal Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, Casual | Simulation, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 44.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 91.3% positive (41,603 reviews) | 71.8% positive (648 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Frontier Developments | KING Art |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Planet Zoo (2019) is 1 year older than Zoo 2: Animal Park (2020).
- Planet Zoo scores higher on Steam reviews (91.3% positive) than Zoo 2: Animal Park (71.8% positive).
- Zoo 2: Animal Park is free; Planet Zoo is paid (44.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Planet Zoo is Deck Playable, Zoo 2: Animal Park is Deck Verified.
Planet Zoo vs Zoo 2: Animal Park — FAQ
- Which is better, Planet Zoo or Zoo 2: Animal Park?
- On Steam reviews Planet Zoo scores higher (91.3% positive) than Zoo 2: Animal Park (71.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Planet Zoo is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Planet Zoo or Zoo 2: Animal Park first?
- If you want chronology, Planet Zoo (2019) came out before Zoo 2: Animal Park (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Planet Zoo and Zoo 2: Animal Park similar?
- They overlap on Simulation, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is Zoo 2: Animal Park free?
- Yes — Zoo 2: Animal Park is a free-to-play Steam title. Planet Zoo is paid (44.99 USD).