Zooloretto is a game with a clever twist on spatial planning and drafting. On the surface, you’re placing cute animal tiles into enclosures to build the most charming zoo on the table. But beneath that peaceful theme lies a surprisingly cutthroat game of tile drafting and push-your-luck decisions. Even though it's nearly twenty years old, it doesn't feel dated at all and still delivers an awesome experience every time it hits the table
HOW IT PLAYS
- Load trucks: on your turn, you either draw an animal, coin, or vendor tile and load it onto an open delivery truck, or choose to claim a truck and take its contents into your zoo
- Expand zoo: place your drafted animals into matching enclosures, trying to fill them completely. If you draw a male and female pair, they’ll even produce offspring
Manage over crowding: use coins to expand your grounds, move animals around, or clear out overcrowded barns before they punish your score at the end of the game
Once all trucks are claimed, the round resets
The game ends when the draw pile runs out, player with the most successful zoo wins
WHAT MAKES ZOOLORETTO A KEEPER
The magic of Zooloretto is that you aren't just drafting for yourself, you're constantly watching what everyone else has room for. Loading a truck is a push-your-luck gamble. You might keep adding tiles hoping to get the exact animal you need, but you risk another player swooping in to claim it first
Alternatively, you can deliberately load unwanted animals onto a truck just to force an opponent to take them when they have zero enclosure space left. Sending an opponent home with a truck full of animals they have to dump directly into their barn for negative points is wonderfully mean
It also scales remarkably well across player counts. Whether you're playing at two or bringing it to a full table of five, the drafting tension remains tight and snappy
PROS
- Cute theme
- Easy to teach
- Language independent
- Plays well at every count
- Clever push-your-luck truck drafting
CONSIDERATIONS
- Overcrowded barns inflict heavy negative point penalties at endgame
- Random tile draws can occasionally starve you of the species you need
BOTTOM LINE
Zooloretto is a charming mix of strategy, spatial management, and luck. It takes simple drafting rules and turns them into a fast-paced game of chicken where every truck delivery matters. Though it’s close to twenty years old, it holds up exceptionally well as a family friendly classic that still packs enough friction for seasoned hobbyists. It easily earns its stay on our shelf and remains a go to recommendation for player groups of any size
IF YOU LIKE ZOOLORETTO, TRY
Coloretto – If you like the mechanism and want a portable version
Herbaceous – If you want another fast, push-your-luck set collection game with a cozy theme and tight community drafting decisions
Castle Combo – If you enjoy drafting cards into tight spatial grids while managing end game scoring conditions
About the Author
Coty is a board game blogger, reviewer, and accidental LEGO art collector. When she’s not testing rulebooks or trying to beat her wife at two-player games, she’s playing ice hockey. Follow her adventures on Instagram or read more at KaCo Plays.
