Developer by Enlight Studios, Zoo Empire is an economic management strategy simulation that involves handling the economic management and development of a zoo, overseeing staff appointments, doing scientific research, coming up with new items for sale in the gift shop and developing animal enclosures and public facilities. Your goal is to design successful zoos that keep your animals, employees and visitors happy. Quite simply, when the animals are happy, the guests are happy, but it does go deeper then that.

The game offers either a standard campaign mode comprising of around 21 or so progressively harder levels (including a tutorial). The missions are relatively simple and initially you are required to fulfill criteria such as adopting a certain number of animals, creating a certain number of animal attractions or hiring a certain amount of staff. There's also a free (sandbox) mode that allows you to make the zoo of your dreams without having to satisfy any pre-conceived objectives. There are no limitations in what you can do. Free Game allows for some initial customization like your beginning cash level, wall color, entrance type and other tweaks.

Zoo Empire allowing you to choose from over 40 species and subspecies of animals including both rare and endangered species, over 150 types of visitors and animals objects, over 200 buildings, items and facilities. There are a dozen different terrain types, each with unique dynamic grass effects allows you to experience the subtle landscape changes as you progress in the game. There are also food booths, gift shops, toilets, bins, signs, first aid stations, security and vending machines, etc. As owner of your zoo, you can adopt animals, landscape and build exhibits, hire and manage employees.

If you have played Zoo Tycoon series, I feel you will be probably a bit disappointed with Zoo Empire. Not only is it quite different but you better study game manual before playing or else you'll miss out one some of the more complex features of the game. There are also glitches with the animal feeding and drinking, but they are fixed by installing the patch.

Overall, Zoo Empire offers a mediocre fun-packed game suitable for kids (+10years) and adults alike, while still managing to keep more advanced players busy in the later scenarios.

Related links: homepage / demo, patch v1.2 (13MB), trainer

System requirements:
Minimum: Intel Pentium III 800 MHz or processors of the same grade, 128 MB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce2, ATI Radeon, or 3D cards of the same grade, CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive 4x speed
Recommended: Intel Pentium III 1GHz or processors of the same grade, 256MB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 3 or above, ATI Radeon 8500 or above, or other 3D cards of the same grade