Indie zoo sim Let’s Build a Zoo generates $1 million on consoles in first week

Let’s Build a Zoo came out on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox on September 29. Here are some stats shared by Mike Rose, head of indie publisher No More Robots:

• The game reached $1 million in revenue in seven days, bringing its total earnings to $3 million;
• It is No More Robots’ best Switch launch, as Let’s Build a Zoo topped eShop charts in multiple regions;
• 80% of players who played the game went on to try a DLC, which is a pretty impressive rate;
• Over 250k users tried Let’s Build a Zoo on Game Pass.

One other thing I’d say:

We’ve had a notable number of people say to us “I played it on Game Pass, then picked it up on Switch because I wanted to play it on the bus/in bed/on the move etc”

The cross-promo between Xbox and Switch has been insane on this one

— Mike Rose (@RaveofRavendale) October 6, 2022

It is unclear how many copies were sold on consoles. Last year, Let’s Build a Zoo sold 32k units in its first week on PC, which helped it generate $500k and recoup the development costs.

What is Let’s Build a Zoo?

Launched on November 5, 2021, Let’s Build a Zoo is a pixel art management sim where players have to build their own zoo. In addition to common mechanics like hiring employees, building constructions, and managing visitors and animals, the game offers a fresh take on the city building genre.

One of its key features is the ability to breed different animals and create new species (say, “Owlybara”), with a total number of combinations surpassing 300k. The game also raises some ethical questions, allowing players to either be a good zookeeper or use immoral ways to make more money.

Let’s Build a Zoo received positive reviews from critics, with an average score of 78/100 on Metacritic. Players also seem to love the game, as it currently has a 90% rating on Steam.