Zoo Break (2019)

About this game

A modern, cooperative take on the classic zoo escape premise. EMERGENCY! A computer malfunction at the Bedlam Zoo has short-circuited the gates for all the enclosures and the animals are escaping and making their way to the zoo exit. You will work together with your fellow zookeepers to round up all the animals and lock their enclosures before it's too late. Zoo Break is a crisis-management game that requires dynamic and cooperative problem-solving. You will spend your turn deciding how to use limited actions to move about the board, collect and trade supplies, capture animals, and lock cages, all while evading injury and coping with other challenges caused by the animals marauding through the zoo. Escape and Move cards control the animals with maximum variability, leading to endlessly different game scenarios. Success hinges on the keepers' ability to anticipate, adapt, and make strategic decisions, applying their skills and resources to regain control of the zoo. It's complex and suspenseful enough to keep adults riveted, but also playful and inviting to ambitious, game-loving kids. (Difficulty can also be regulated using a simple card selection mechanism at the start of the game.) —description from the publisher

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 5.
• Rules load. At 2.2/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 8 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.