Planet Zoo

41 Games like Planet Zoo that you should try

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Planet Zoo is hard to replace: few games combine deep simulation, vibe casual and sandbox world in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 12 gameplay attributes and found 41 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Planet Coaster, Rusty's Retirement and Minami Lane lead the list, with Planet Coaster reaching a 94/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Planet Zoo special.

iRank86/ 100

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GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

Tags

CasualCozySoloMultiplayer

Year 2019Dev Frontier Developments

Stores

Quick answer

The closest game to Planet Zoo is Planet Coaster — scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. Rusty's Retirement and Minami Lane follow close behind.

#1Planet Coaster94 #2Rusty's Retirement91 #3Minami Lane91 #4House Flipper95 #5Prison Architect93

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Games like Planet Zoo

41 similar games found

#1Planet Coaster

94

iRank84

Planet Coaster

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerCasualRelaxingSandbox WorldManagementBase Building

Steam👍 91%· 72KRAWG👍 74%· 294MC83IGDB83· 12OC85· 58

Year 2016Dev Frontier DevelopmentsPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, strong narrative focus and visual isometric, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

#2Rusty's Retirement

91

iRank97

Rusty's Retirement

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCozyCasualRelaxingSandbox WorldManagementBase Building

Steam👍 97%· 15K

Year 2024Dev Mister Morris GamesPlaytime ~18hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and cozy, relaxing feel

≠ Stands apart with fantasy world, setting scifi and post-apocalyptic world, while skipping open world exploration

91

iRank92

Minami Lane

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualCozyRelaxingManagementBase Building

Steam👍 98%· 6.4KOC80· 10

Year 2024Dev DootPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Linux

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, vibe casual and cozy, relaxing feel

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, visual isometric and visual 2d, while skipping sandbox freedom

#4House Flipper

95

iRank75

House Flipper

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerRelaxingCasualSandbox WorldOpen WorldManagementBase Building

Steam👍 94%· 109KRAWG👍 76%· 351MC62IGDB62· 4OC62· 27

Year 2018Dev Ultimate Games · PlayWayPlaytime ~7hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are city builders — sharing deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe relaxing

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus, visual first person and visual 3d, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

#5Prison Architect

93

iRank82

Prison Architect

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerCasualSandbox WorldManagementBase Building

Steam👍 89%· 73KRAWG👍 72%· 587MC83IGDB81· 12OC80· 62

Year 2015Dev Double Eleven · Introversion SoftwarePlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, visual 2d and visual topdown, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

#6Dyson Sphere Program

89

iRank93

Dyson Sphere Program

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloOpen WorldSandbox WorldBase BuildingExplorationManagement

Steam👍 98%· 91KRAWG👍 85%· 84

Year 2021Dev Youthcat Studio · Gamera GamePlaytime ~8hOn PC

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and open world exploration

≠ Stands apart with setting space, setting scifi and visual 3d, while skipping vibe casual

88

iRank96

shapez

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualSandbox WorldOpen WorldBase BuildingManagementExploration

Steam👍 96%· 15K

Year 2020Dev Tobias Springer · PrismatikaOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Same family of city builders: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and vibe casual

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, procedural generation and crafting mechanics, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

#8My Time at Portia

91

iRank82

My Time at Portia

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCozyCasualRelaxingOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationBase Building

Steam👍 92%· 44KIGDB70· 10OC75· 70

Year 2019Dev Pathea Games · Team17On PS4 · Android · PC

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and cozy, relaxing feel

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and survival mechanics, while skipping multiplayer gameplay

#9shapez 2 - Factory

87

iRank97

shapez 2 - Factory

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualRelaxingSandbox WorldManagementBase Building

Steam👍 97%· 14K

Dev tobspr Games · Gamera GamesPlaytime ~6hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Both are city builders — sharing deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, procedural generation and setting space, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

87

iRank95

WorldBox

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCozyRelaxingSandbox WorldBase BuildingManagement

Steam👍 95%· 54K

Year 2018Dev Maxim KarpenkoOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and cozy, relaxing feel

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, procedural generation and fantasy world, while skipping vibe casual

#11Mini Motorways

88

iRank90

Mini Motorways

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualRelaxingManagementBase Building

Steam👍 96%· 24KRAWG👍 92%· 132MC83OC81· 30

Year 2021Dev Dinosaur Polo ClubPlaytime ~5hOn PC · iOS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, vibe casual and vibe relaxing

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design and visual topdown, while skipping sandbox freedom

89

iRank86

Townscaper

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualRelaxingCozySandbox WorldOpen WorldBase BuildingExploration

Steam👍 95%· 21KIGDB80· 1OC73· 16

Year 2020Dev Oskar Stålberg · Raw FuryOn Xbox · Android · PC

✓ Both are city builders — sharing sandbox freedom, deep simulation and vibe casual

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus, procedural generation and visual isometric, while skipping multiplayer gameplay

95

iRank60

SimCity

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerSandbox WorldBase BuildingIsometric

IGDB60· 13

Year 2013Dev Maxis · Electronic ArtsOn PC · Mac

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and sandbox world

≠ Where it differs: brings visual isometric, while skipping vibe casual

#14Children of the Nile

90

iRank80

Children of the Nile

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloSandbox WorldBase BuildingManagementHistorical

Steam👍 85%· 465MC75IGDB75· 2

Year 2008Dev Tilted Mill EntertainmentPlaytime ~2hOn PC

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and sandbox world

≠ Where it differs: brings historical setting and visual isometric, while skipping vibe casual

86

iRank93

Caesar III

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloBase BuildingManagementHistoricalIsometric

Steam👍 93%· 2.2K

Year 1998Dev Impressions Games · Sierra EntertainmentOn PC

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, single-player focus and base building

≠ Where it differs: brings historical setting and visual isometric, while skipping sandbox freedom

Games like Planet Zoo

Tropico 3

Tropico 3

Simulation · Sandbox

Tropico Reloaded

Tropico Reloaded

Simulation · Sandbox

Dorfromantik

Dorfromantik

Puzzle · Simulation

Two Point Hospital

Two Point Hospital

Simulation · Sandbox

Mad Games Tycoon

Mad Games Tycoon

Simulation · Sandbox

Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines

Simulation · Sandbox

Tropico 5

Tropico 5

Simulation · RPG

The Promised Land

The Promised Land

Adventure · Simulation

Cities in Motion

Cities in Motion

Simulation · Sandbox

Space Colony: Steam Edition

Space Colony: Steam Edition

Simulation · Sandbox

Rankings in the same genre

Best City Builder Games Best Strategy Games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Planet Zoo?: The closest game to Planet Zoo is Planet Coaster, scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. They share 9 gameplay attributes, including deep simulation, sandbox freedom and single-player focus. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Planet Zoo?: The three closest games to Planet Zoo are: 1. Planet Coaster (94/100, 9 shared attributes) 2. Rusty's Retirement (91/100, 9 shared attributes) 3. Minami Lane (91/100, 7 shared attributes). All share Planet Zoo's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 41 candidates across 12 dimensions.
Is Rusty's Retirement similar to Planet Zoo?: Yes, very much so — Rusty's Retirement scores 91/100 similarity to Planet Zoo. They share 9 attributes, including deep simulation and sandbox freedom. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Simulation games are similar to Planet Zoo?: The best Simulation games similar to Planet Zoo are Planet Coaster, Rusty's Retirement, Minami Lane and House Flipper. All share the Simulation genre alongside other key Planet Zoo attributes like deep simulation, sandbox freedom and single-player focus.
How is similarity to Planet Zoo calculated?: We compare Planet Zoo against every game in our catalog using 12 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Planet Zoo experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to Planet Zoo?: Yes — Business Tour - Board Game with Online Multiplayer is free and scores well on similarity to Planet Zoo. It's a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.