Business doesn’t always have to be serious. Business can be fun. Also, business usually has a tight set of rules and revolves around resource allocation. So in a way, business in the real world already is a sort of game. But if you want to play that game, it’s actually much easier to just turn on your PC and play one of the many great business tycoon simulations out there.

17 Games Like Zoo Tycoon Our collection of games like Zoo Tycoon brings you other business management games with a focus on animal themed alternatives. Zoo Tycoon is a long running series of games that combines tycoon and business simulation together.

There is a special flavor for everyone. Historical business simulation? Done. Present day urban planning? Got it. Science fiction space station businesses? Yeah why not.

This is a very PC eccentric genre, there are few ports on consoles that are above anything but “passable”. Interestingly enough though, it seems mobile touch devices see the most innovative new entries here, leading to a small renaissance of a genre that was in a steady decline into obscurity for years now.

Honorable Mention

Satisfactory

• Developer: Coffee Stain
• Publisher: Coffee Stain
• Platforms: PC
• Release: Early Access March 2019

Currently available through early access at the time of writing this, Satisfactory is a unique look at factory building tycoon. Players are dropped into an alien planet and with just a few tools. Your job is simple, go around the planet, craft resources and construct a complex factory for your employer. As you gather more resources, you’ll be able to upgrade and build up your factory, but you’ll have to deal with the hostile aliens that inhabit the world. The game has already become a hit and it’s yet to fully launch.

Despite being in early access, there are updates going into the game with the latest tossing in new locomotive transportation units to even the addition of nuclear power sources. Outside of content, the developers have also been working on the actual environment locations as well such as tweaking the biomes to make it fleshed out in comparison to the other parts of the in-game world. Once this game does come out of early access, the developers plan to feature even more machines, resources, landmarks, creatures, mod support, and even a full narrative. So if you’re feeling that the game is lacking at the moment in any particular area, it should be rather full upon its release. Since this game is not fully out yet, we won’t rank it officially on this list, but instead make it an honorable mention.

Zoo Tycoon Series

• Developer: Blue Fang Games, Frontier Developments, Behaviour Interactive
• Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
• Platforms: PC, X360, XBO
• Release: 2001-2017

Main Games

• Zoo Tycoon
• Zoo Tycoon 2
• Zoo Tycoon (2013)
• Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection

The Zoo Tycoon series has a number of installments available across a variety of platforms. Initially, the game came into fruition in 2001 by development studio Blue Fang Games. Players are given the lead position when it comes to a functioning zoo. This means that players are constructing the design of the zoo, what animals are on display, businesses available within the zoo location along with other entertainment for its guests.

Throughout the game players are juggling maintenance of the zoo along with turning a profit which may mean listening to guests interests at the zoo and their dislikes. Over the years, the game series has exchanged different development studios but the games continued to follow the same overall groundwork that Blue Fang Games laid with the first installment.

As it stands right now, Frontier Developments released the last main installment to the series, with Zoo Tycoon, a reboot of the original video game title. This title released in 2013 for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 platforms and while both held the same overall mechanics that fans of the series is familiar with, there was a campaign mode that offered players a variety of challenges.

With that said if you’re looking to enjoy the classic main Zoo Tycoon titles and their various expansion packs then you’ll want to look at Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection which launched in 2017 for the Xbox One and PC platforms. This collection included the first two Zoo Tycoon games along with their expansion packs while also including a few new animals and HDR 4K resolution.

#15 Jurassic World Evolution

• Developer: Frontier Developments
• Publisher: Frontier Developments
• Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
• Release: June 12, 2018

If you enjoy building up parks and attractions while managing the business side of things then you’ll want to check out Jurassic World Evolution. The video game was also developed by Frontier Developments who had worked on other beloved tycoon franchises such as RollerCoaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon.

With this release, players are put in control of building their own Jurassic Park where you’ll manage the design while managing the business when it comes to bringing guests back to the Jurassic age.

Likewise, there will be a section based around developing new creatures, similar to the story of Jurassic World. Unfortunately, if you enjoy the more in-depth city building and managing titles put out into the market then you might find this game to be a bit disappointing but on the flip side, if you find some of the more popular city builder and simulation games to be too overwhelming then we suggest giving this game a try.

#14 Tropico 6

• Developer: Limbic Entertainment
• Publisher: Kalypso Media
• Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
• Release: March 29, 2019

Tropico received a new installment in 2019 and if you played past installments then you’ll be rather familiar with Tropico 6. This is a series where players take on the role of a leader, known as El Presidente, who is in control of a Caribbean island. Being the leader you’ll have control over a variety of aspects that range from political situations, laws, and overall management to the island itself. Now as done previously, gamers will be taking control of the island over a course of four eras, but depending on how you handle various situations will determine if your island flourishes or if you’ll end up dealing with a revolt.

#13 Surviving Mars

• Developer: Haemimont Games
• Publisher: Paradox Interactive
• Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
• Release: March 15, 2018

Within Surviving Mars players will be on the cold red planet where their sole goal is to manage and oversee the colonization of the new world. Of course, there will be some challenges that will come up giving players some tough obstacles to pass through.

This is a city-builder type game as well where players will have to build up their colony and gather resources to maintain their colonization. As a result, the game will have a bit of a strategy element to the gameplay.

#12 RollerCoaster Tycoon Series

• Developer: Chris Sawyer Productions, Frontier Developments, n-Space, On5, Nvizzio Creations
• Publisher: Hasbro Interactive, Infogames, Atari
• Platforms: PC, Xbox, iOS
• Release: 1999 – 2016

Main Games

• RollerCoaster Tycoon
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3
• RollerCoaster Tycoon World

The RollerCoaster Tycoon series plays out much like Zoo Tycoon. Players are in control of a theme park where they must design the layout, hire employees, bring in businesses and maintain the various rides. Essentially, instead of animals like Zoo Tycoon, you’re swapping them out for amusement park rides while still maintaining the behind-the-scenes ventures that goes into managing a business and keeping operations running smoothly.

RollerCoaster Tycoon also was an IP that exchanged hands across a few different development studios where it originated by Christ Sawyer Productions back in 1999 but even with the games being tossed around different development studios, the overall goal and mechanics are intact. For instance, the latest main video game release, RollerCoaster Tycoon World launched in 2016 where again players are building up rides, shops and managing the par while tweaking the visuals for the latest PC platform components.

This franchise is not slowing down as Atari made note of other installments that is currently in the works such as RollerCoaster Tycoon for the Nintendo Switch.

Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a city building simulation game set in the ancient Egypt, developed by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Entertainment in 1999 for Windows. The game uses the Ca...

Year: 1999Genre: StrategyUpdated: 2018-02-11Tags: ancient egyptbusiness simulationcity buildingconstruction simulationmanagementreal-time

Sid Meier's Civilization II

Sid Meier's Civilization II, or simply Civilization 2, is the second chapter of the most famous turn-based strategy video game ever created. The game's objective is to 'Build an empire to stand the test of time'.

Year: 1996Genre: StrategyUpdated: 2018-02-11Tags: 4xbusiness simulationmanagementturn-based

Theme Hospital

Theme Hospital is a business simulator developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts for the PC in 1997. It's the second game in Bullfrog Productions' Theme series, and was proceeded by Theme Park.

Year: 1997Genre: SimulationUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: business simulationcity buildingcomedyconstruction simulationhumourmanagementreal-time

Sim City 2000

SimCity 2000 is the city building game subsequent to Sim City, developed and published by Maxis Software and released in 1993. It made its way onto many platforms following its initial release.

Year: 1993Genre: SimulationUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: agabusiness simulationcity buildingconstruction simulationmanagementreal-timesim city

Sim Theme Park

Sim Theme Park (also known as Theme Park World) is the sequel to Theme Park and the second game in the series. It is a theme park management game where players build their own theme park with roller coasters, rides and food stalls.

Year: 1999Genre: SimulationUpdated: 2020-03-22Tags: business simulationmanagementreal-time

Championship Manager 97/98

Championship Manager 97/98 is the final update to the Championship Manager 2 series. It was developed by Sports Interactive and released in October 1997. Data was updated for the 97/98 season and includes several European leagues.

Year: 1997Genre: SportsUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: business simulationfootballmanagementsoccer

The Settlers II

The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici is the second chapter of the popular series of city building real time strategy games created by Blue Byte software. It was published by Blue Byte...

Year: 1997Genre: StrategyUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: business simulationcity buildingclassical antiquityreal-time

Theme Park

Theme Park is a strategy game about running your amusement park developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1994 for Mac, 3DO, Amiga, and DOS. It was port...

Year: 1994Genre: SimulationUpdated: 2020-02-06Tags: agabusiness simulationcity buildingconstruction simulationhumourmanagementreal-time

Caesar III

Caesar III is a city-building historical sim created by Impression Games and published by Sierra in 1998. It's the third chapter of the popular series created by David Lester. The...

Year: 1998Genre: StrategyUpdated: 2020-03-14Tags: business simulationcity buildingclassical antiquityconstruction simulationeuropehistoryisometricmanagementreal-timeroman

Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares

Master of Orion II: Battle At Antares, the sequel to Master of Orion, is a popular turn-based 4x space empire game designed by Steve Barcia and Ken Burd and developed by Simtex. Th...

Year: 1996Genre: StrategyUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: 4xbusiness simulationmanagementscience fictionturn-based

PC Calcio 6.0

PC Fútbol (PC Calcio in Italian) is a series of soccer management sim created by Spanish developers Dinamic Multimedia, sold at a budget price and very successful in Spain and Italy.

Year: 1998Genre: SportsUpdated: 2016-09-20Tags: business simulationfootballmanagementsoccer

Transport Tycoon Deluxe

Business Simulation Games For Mac

Transport Tycoon Deluxe (or TTD) is an improved version of Transport Tycoon, a business simulation game developed by Chris Sawyer and published by MicroProse in 1995 for MS-DOS. A Windows version was released in 1996.

Year: 1995Genre: SimulationUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: aviationbusiness simulationflighthovercraftisometricmanagementnavalreal-timetraintransportwatercraft

The Settlers

The Settlers is a medieval city building simulation game by Blue Byte Software, first released in 1993 for Commodore Amiga and in 1994 for MS-DOS. In America, it was published as Serf City: Life Is Feudal.

Year: 1994Genre: StrategyUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: amiga original gamebusiness simulationcity buildingmanagementmultiplayerreal-time

Championship Manager 96/97

Business Games For Mac

Championship Manager 96/97 is a new version of Championship Manager 2, the popular football management sim created by Sports Interactive. As you can imagine this re-release includ...

Best Business Simulation Games Mac Online

Year: 1996Genre: SportsUpdated: 2019-10-22Tags: business simulationfootballmanagementsoccer