iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
For the PC version, Planet Zoo has 38 Steam achievements. The fastest reliable route is to clear introductory Career milestones, maintain one long-running zoo for breeding and welfare goals, open Franchise zoos across continents and biomes, then complete every Career medal on normal and hard difficulty. Console Edition uses a separate achievement and trophy list, so the Steam checklist below is not a console checklist.
Planet Zoo is a single-player simulation from Frontier Developments, released on November 5, 2019. Its Steam listing includes achievements for Career, Franchise, Sandbox and Challenge play, but eligibility is defined separately for each achievement. Read the exact condition before assuming a mode will count.
The complete 38-achievement Steam checklist
Use Steam’s live achievement list as your final checklist. The table gives the official wording and a practical way to plan each unlock.
| # | Achievement | Official condition | Practical route |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome to Planet Zoo | Create your avatar and place them on the globe. | Complete avatar creation at the start of a new game and confirm the placement. |
| 2 | Welcome to the Family | Adopt your first animal. | Adopt any suitable animal as soon as the game introduces animal management. |
| 3 | Trainer | Fully train a member of staff. | Assign a staff member to training and finish the available training levels. |
| 4 | A superstar comes along | Have an animal reach a 5 star Animal Rating. | Keep one promising animal healthy, enriched and well cared for until its rating reaches five stars. |
| 5 | Bronze Award | Gain a bronze award in career mode. | Meet the objectives for any Career scenario at bronze standard. |
| 6 | Oh My! | Have a Lion, a Tiger and a Bear in your Zoo at any one time. | Keep all three species in the same zoo simultaneously; they do not need to share a habitat. |
| 7 | Silver Award | Gain a silver award in career mode. | Complete a Career scenario’s silver objectives. |
| 8 | Say Goodbye | Release your first animal. | Use the animal-management action to release an eligible animal to the wild. |
| 9 | Gold Award | Gain a gold award in career mode. | Finish a Career scenario at gold standard. |
| 10 | Life finds a way | Have your first baby animal born in your zoo. | Provide compatible adults with suitable welfare, habitat space and food, then wait for a birth. |
| 11 | Enriched | Place 25 different Enrichment Items. | Place 25 distinct enrichment-item types, not 25 copies of one item. |
| 12 | Franchise Zoo | Open your first Franchise zoo. | Create a Franchise and open its first zoo. |
| 13 | Baby Boom | Have 73 baby animals born. | Run a stable, multi-species breeding program and monitor the achievement counter. |
| 14 | Animal Research | Complete the research on one animal in Franchise mode. | In a Franchise zoo, assign a mechanic or veterinarian to research an animal until the research completes. |
| 15 | Redecorating | Enable all enrichment items in an exhibit. | Research and place every enrichment item that the selected exhibit can use, then verify each is enabled. |
| 16 | This one’s a Keeper | Have at least 3 Keepers, each with a different work zone, in a Sandbox, Franchise or Challenge zoo. | Create three keepers and three distinct work zones, assigning one keeper to each zone. |
| 17 | Wow, that’s a lot! | Build a habitat with 30 animals in it that all have welfare over 75%. | Use a species that tolerates group living, expand the habitat and keep food, space, cleanliness and enrichment above the threshold. |
| 18 | Ghost | Have an albino breed. | Breed animals repeatedly and inspect offspring genetics until an albino is born. |
| 19 | Zoologist | Complete the Zoopedia. | Fill every required Zoopedia entry; the sources do not establish whether downloadable-content animals are included, so check the live in-game requirement before buying anything. |
| 20 | Loaner | Repay $50,000 in loans. | Borrow money in a zoo, repay a cumulative $50,000 and keep enough operating cash for essential staff and welfare. |
| 21 | Tour Guide | Build 1km of a tracked ride. | Lay one continuous tracked-ride system until its total built distance reaches 1 kilometre. |
| 22 | Barrier Builder | Build 10km of barrier. | Accumulate 10 kilometres of habitat or facility barrier; the total is cumulative rather than one single wall. |
| 23 | Nerd | Achieve an Education Rating of 5 Stars in a Franchise zoo. | In Franchise, install education facilities, displays and speakers, keep them functional and improve coverage until the rating reaches five stars. |
| 24 | Circle of Life | Have a Juvenile Lion be born in a Zoo containing at least 10 species. | Ensure ten species are already present before the lion birth; the newborn must be a juvenile lion. |
| 25 | Rebuilding | Release 20 critically endangered animals to the wild. | Breed or acquire qualifying critically endangered animals, then release 20 of them rather than selling or trading them. |
| 26 | Community | Take part in a community challenge. | Join an available community challenge from the in-game online challenge interface and contribute an eligible action. |
| 27 | Natural Selection | Have an animal in your zoo with a genetic makeup of over 90% in all categories. | Use selective breeding and compare every genetic category; one animal must exceed 90% in each category at the same time. |
| 28 | An Elephant Never Forgets | Adopt the retiring Indian Elephants in Scenario 7. | Reach Scenario 7 and complete the objective involving the retiring Indian Elephants. |
| 29 | Career Complete | Complete all career levels to a bronze standard. | Earn at least bronze on every Career level. |
| 30 | The Elephant in the Room | Have two different breeds of Elephant born in your Zoo. | Breed two distinct elephant breeds in the same zoo; adoption alone does not satisfy the birth requirement. |
| 31 | Silver Career | Complete all career levels to a silver standard. | Earn at least silver on every Career level. |
| 32 | Gold Career | Complete all career levels to a gold standard. | Earn gold on every Career level. |
| 33 | Diversity | Open a zoo in every biome. | When creating Franchise zoos, choose locations so every biome is represented. |
| 34 | Global Zoo | Open 25 Franchise zoos. | Open 25 separate Franchise zoos; combine this with continent and biome planning. |
| 35 | Planet Zoo | Open a zoo on every continent. | Use Franchise location selection to cover every continent. |
| 36 | Hard – Career Complete | Complete all career levels to a bronze standard on hard difficulty. | Finish every Career level at bronze or better with hard difficulty selected. |
| 37 | Hard – Silver Career | Complete all career levels to a silver standard on hard difficulty. | Finish every Career level at silver or better on hard difficulty. |
| 38 | Hard – Gold Career | Complete all career levels to a gold standard on hard difficulty. | Earn gold on every Career level while playing on hard difficulty. |
Start with the low-risk Career achievements
Career mode teaches the systems needed for almost every later goal. Create and place your avatar, adopt an animal, train a staff member and earn the first bronze, silver and gold awards as scenarios introduce those mechanics. Releasing an animal and producing your first baby can also happen naturally during the early scenarios.
#1 Best Overall
![Planet Zoo: America's Animal Pack Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51o55qHXdkL._SL160_.jpg)
- Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the developers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim.
- Construct detailed habitats, manage your zoo, and meet authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them.
Do not leave a scenario immediately after an objective appears complete. Open Steam’s achievement display and verify the unlock, especially after switching modes or completing a multi-part scenario objective.
Build one long-running zoo for overlapping progress
A persistent zoo is more efficient than repeatedly starting over. Use it to work on births, enrichment, keeper work zones, welfare, research, education, genetic quality, elephant breeding and conservation releases. The official conditions name the eligible mode where it matters:
- Animal Research and Nerd require Franchise.
- This one’s a Keeper explicitly allows Sandbox, Franchise or Challenge.
- Other achievements should be checked individually rather than assumed to work in every mode.
Set up the management foundation
- Create a practical staff structure with separate work zones for keepers, mechanics and veterinarians.
- Place research facilities and assign staff early, because animal research and education improvements take time.
- Use distinct enrichment items as they become available; keep a running list so you do not place duplicates while chasing Enriched.
- Maintain clean habitats, reliable food delivery and sufficient shelter before expanding the animal count.
Prepare the 30-animal welfare habitat
For Wow, that’s a lot!, choose a species whose social requirements make a group of 30 realistic. Expand the habitat before the population peaks, add enough food and water points, and provide enrichment that remains accessible as the group moves. Welfare can fall when overcrowding, disease, hunger, thirst or poor cleanliness develops, so watch the welfare panel for every animal rather than relying on the average.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Make the keeper and work-zone requirement deliberate
For This one’s a Keeper, create three separate work zones and assign one keeper to each. A keeper shared across zones does not demonstrate the required three-keeper arrangement. Check the work-zone list after assigning staff, then leave the zoo running long enough for the game to register the configuration.
Rank #2
- Build on relationships with the world's most amazing animals through hands on interaction. Create unlimited animals with the Animal Creator
- Hours of play with mini-games, achievements and unlockables- Online connectivity and user generated content
- Create and customize your own zoo
- Experience over 90 different animal species
- Leanr about each animal with the National Geographic animal fact cards
Plan breeding, genetics and conservation together
Five achievements reward long-term animal management: Life finds a way, Baby Boom, Ghost, Natural Selection, The Elephant in the Room and Rebuilding. They can overlap, but each has its own threshold.
Birth volume and the albino goal
Maintain several compatible breeding groups instead of depending on one pair. Track total births toward 73, retain healthy adults for continued breeding and avoid selling every offspring before the game records the total. Albino offspring are chance-based, so repeated breeding and careful record-keeping are safer than expecting a particular pairing to produce one quickly.
Reach more than 90% in every genetic category
Natural Selection requires one animal to exceed 90% in all categories simultaneously. Inspect the genetics panel for each candidate, select parents with complementary strengths, and avoid pairing animals that improve one category while sharply lowering another. Keep the best offspring and repeat the process across generations.
Recommended Free Tools
Breed two elephant breeds
The Elephant in the Room counts births, not simply ownership. Plan for two different elephant breeds to be born in the same zoo and keep the breeding records that prove which offspring belong to each breed.
Rank #3
- Spectacular graphics with Zoo, animal, and plant simulation in real-time 3D
- Embark upon 20 missions around the world
- Experience realistic animal behavior including: individual social lives, birth and aging, aggression, and trainability
- Breed exotic and extinct animal and plant species in special research labs
- Create bridge systems, underwater tunnels, and command jeeps for a real safari adventure
Release critically endangered animals
Rebuilding requires 20 releases of critically endangered animals. Confirm the conservation status on each animal before release, then use the release-to-the-wild action. Selling, trading or retiring an animal does not substitute for a qualifying release. Breed this program alongside Baby Boom, but verify the release counter separately.
Complete Circle of Life without missing the timing
Circle of Life is a timing condition: the zoo must already contain at least 10 species when a juvenile lion is born. Add and retain ten species first, confirm they are present, then arrange the lion breeding. A lion born before the tenth species is added will not retroactively satisfy the condition.
Finish the education, enrichment and research systems
Enriched and Redecorating
Enriched counts 25 different enrichment-item types, so maintain a checklist of item names rather than counting placements. Redecorating is narrower: select one exhibit and enable every enrichment item that the exhibit supports. Research all relevant items, place them where animals can reach them and inspect the exhibit’s enrichment panel to confirm none is disabled or inaccessible.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Animal Research
In Franchise, assign the appropriate research staff to one animal and let the research reach completion. Partial progress is not enough. Keep the staff assigned and the facility operational until the animal’s research entry is marked complete.
Rank #4
- Build Your Own Zoo - Draw cards and place animals in your zoo to grow a lively collection of creatures. Choose develop build refresh or boost actions each turn to plan the smartest path to a thriving zoo.
- Feed and Care for Animals - Match meat and plant symbols to feed each animal and keep your exhibits happy. Combine animals in the same enclosure to score more points and pull ahead of the competition.
- Multiple Ways to Play - Choose family mode for a relaxed game or advanced mode for a faster deeper challenge. Play solo turns or team up with a partner for extra fun and friendly competition.
- Screen Free Family Fun - This game builds critical thinking planning and simple counting skills while keeping everyone talking and laughing together. A wonderful choice for game night with no phones or tablets needed.
- Easy to Learn Fun for All Ages - Colorful cards show lions tigers camels leopards and many more animals from forest desert savanna and jungle habitats. Quick to teach and quick to play for kids and adults alike.
Nerd
Nerd requires a five-star Education Rating in a Franchise zoo. Build a connected education network with speakers, boards or screens and other education facilities, then check coverage and staff reliability. Replace broken equipment and correct overlapping or poorly placed coverage rather than simply adding objects. The rating must reach five stars in Franchise, not merely in another mode.
Open zoos strategically across the world
Diversity, Global Zoo and Planet Zoo are best planned together. The user-authored Steam guide recommends opening Franchise zoos while deliberately selecting locations that fill missing biome and continent entries. Its operational advice is not an additional official rule, but it is a practical way to reduce duplicate openings.
- Before opening a new zoo, note which continents and biomes you have already covered.
- Select a location that fills at least one missing category.
- Keep a written count until you reach 25 Franchise zoos.
- Recheck the achievement counters after the final zoo opens.
Global Zoo is a count of 25 Franchise zoos, while Diversity and Planet Zoo are coverage goals. Opening 25 zoos in one biome or on one continent will not satisfy the coverage achievements.
Complete the Career medal ladder
There are six campaign-wide achievements. Career Complete, Silver Career and Gold Career require every Career level to reach the named standard. Hard – Career Complete, Hard – Silver Career and Hard – Gold Career repeat those requirements on hard difficulty.
Best Value
- Get up close and personal with nearly 200 visually stunning animals in 4K Ultra HD and HDR
- New wildlife from South America and Australia
- Create the Zoo of your dreams with the biggest, most detailed environments ever utilizing intuitive powerful controls designed for Zoo Tycoon fans of all ages
- It's Your Zoo - design and manage your ideal zoo from piece-by-piece road construction to the ability to adjust the enclosures and decorate them
Use a level-by-level tracker
- Record each Career level and its best medal on normal difficulty.
- Replay only levels below the target medal; a higher medal replaces a lower result.
- Repeat the entire list on hard, recording the hard-mode medal separately.
- Do not rely on an overall campaign impression; one missed level blocks the corresponding campaign achievement.
Hard-mode completion is the longest single part of the set. Reserve it for after you understand staff logistics, welfare, finances and scenario objectives, and pause between levels to confirm the medal has registered.
Scenario 7 and the remaining special conditions
An Elephant Never Forgets
Reach Scenario 7 and adopt the retiring Indian Elephants when that objective becomes available. Follow the scenario’s stated sequence; owning unrelated elephants elsewhere does not replace the specified adoption.
Oh My!
Keep a lion, tiger and bear in one zoo at the same time. They can occupy separate habitats, so build three manageable exhibits rather than forcing incompatible species together.
Tour Guide and Barrier Builder
For Tour Guide, build one tracked ride until its built distance totals 1 kilometre. For Barrier Builder, accumulate 10 kilometres of barrier. Long, well-planned paths and habitat perimeters can contribute naturally, but inspect the relevant build totals so decorative pieces are not mistaken for qualifying barrier or track.
Online and platform-specific cautions
Community
Community requires participation in a community challenge. Open the in-game challenge interface, join an available event and perform an eligible contribution. Challenge availability and server-dependent details can change, so use the current in-game listing rather than an old schedule.
Steam versus Console Edition
The 38 names and conditions in this article are the PC/Steam checklist. Frontier publishes a separate achievement and trophy list for Planet Zoo: Console Edition. Console players should use that list and should not assume that counts, names or requirements match the Steam version.
Zoopedia and downloadable content
The official wording for Zoologist is simply “Complete the Zoopedia.” Available information does not establish whether downloadable-content animals are required. Check the live Zoopedia completion indicator in your edition before purchasing any add-on solely for this achievement.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteQuick Recap
A completion order that minimizes rework
- Learn Career: create the avatar, adopt and train staff, earn early awards, release an animal and produce the first birth.
- Open Franchise: establish your main zoo, start animal research and build toward five-star education.
- Set up infrastructure: create three keeper work zones, research enrichment, install education equipment and prepare a large high-welfare habitat.
- Run the breeding program: target 73 births, an albino, superior genetics, two elephant breeds, a juvenile lion after ten species and 20 qualifying releases.
- Expand globally: open Franchise zoos to cover every biome and continent while progressing toward 25 zoos.
- Clean up special goals: complete the Zoopedia, tracked ride, barrier, lion-tiger-bear, Scenario 7 elephant and community requirements.
- Finish the campaign: earn all normal Career medals, then repeat the medal ladder on hard difficulty.
Achievement troubleshooting
- No unlock after meeting a condition: pause, save, return to the relevant zoo or scenario and check Steam’s achievement page.
- A mode-specific goal is not counting: confirm the official wording; Franchise is mandatory for Animal Research and Nerd, while This one’s a Keeper allows Sandbox, Franchise or Challenge.
- A breeding goal failed: verify that the event was a birth, not an adoption, purchase or transfer, and that the animal met the exact species, breed, age or genetic requirement.
- A cumulative counter seems stuck: keep the qualifying animals or structures in the same active zoo long enough for the game to update, then recheck the counter.
- Career completion did not unlock: review every level individually, including levels completed with a lower medal or on the wrong difficulty.
- Community progress is unavailable: check whether a challenge is currently listed and whether online services are connected.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
