Overview: Zoo World is a zoo simulator, and is much more complex than it looks on the surface. While the visual style is cutesy and the interface seems geared towards the decoration and timer-management side of the game, there is actually quite a bit to do if you go digging.

The tutorial covers the very basics of feeding animals, buying new ones, and placing them. This is actually the least interesting part of the game – although there are dozens of animals available, and adding new ones increases your rate of experience gain. (If you’re willing to spend real money, it’s entirely possible to create a zoo filled with nothing but unicorns, pegasi, and dinosaurs…) After you gain a level or two, you get access to the rest of your first island, which is quite extensive, and should hold you for a while even if you don’t have enough friends playing to open up another one.

The simulation side is where things get really interesting. You can set ticket prices – if your zoo has more animals, rarer ones, the proper number of restrooms, etc, you can make a higher profit from fewer visitors, but charge too much and you’ll lose money. You also need to make sure your zoo is adequately staffed – kiosks need workers, and the animals need veterinarians, and someone has to pick up after all the tourists! There is also a new “Race” minigame for your birds. You can train them, race them, and win speed-boosting items. It’s a very simple Flash game, but gives you something new to do when you’re waiting to feed your animals.

Many of the other features require friends and/or gifting. There are upgradable decorative trees that you can “shake” daily for extra cash, and attractions, like the Bumper Car Ride, that require you to collect a variety of gifts from your friends. These aren’t necessary at all, but definitely give you a reason to find like-minded folks to play with.

If you’re looking for realism, the pink unicorns and hand-shaking eagles might put you off of Zoo World. But it is a fairly deep game, once you dig into the interface, and particularly if you have some friends to play with, it’s worth a shot.