- BGG rank
- BGG #4,295
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Minerva
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,554
- BGG rating
- 7.0
5x5 Zoo
2020
Rules assistance for 5x5 Zoo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for 5x5 Zoo
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
5x5 Zoo is a board game released in 2020 for 1–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Hisashi Hayashi and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Tile Placement, and Square Grid.
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About the game
In 5x5 Zoo, each player creates their own zoo on a 5x5 game board. What will you fill that board with? Animals, of course, with the game including six types of animals on 1x1 tiles as well as a dozen animals on 1x2 and 2x1 tiles. In each of the three rounds, you're going to use a worker-placement style system to acquire animals tiles, guest cubes, special action cards, door tokens, and more. Guests come in six colors: five of which match five of the animal colors (and these guests only want to see those types of animals), and a sixth color (white) that doesn't care what type of animal they see. Those are the guests you want most, but of course to acquire them, you must give up other things. Many of the animal tiles have walls along one or more edge, and these tiles should be placed against other tiles with walls. During the round, you'll place the animal tiles that you've acquired on the board, with these tiles touching one of the four entrances around the perimeter of your zoo, and before the round ends, you'll "lead" the guests through your zoo, with the red cube stopping at the red (carnivorous) animal, the blue cube stopping at the blue animal, and so on. You might need to snake your way around doors that block direct access to an animal, or you might have a door token that lets you cut through. When you don't have a matching guest for the next animal (or vice versa), the tour that day is done. After three rounds, the game ends, with players possibly scoring extra points based on their final bonus card, such as the number of rows and columns in your zoo that are filled or the number of rows that have four or five different types of animals. Solitaire rules are included with 5x5 Zoo.
Questions and answers
5x5 Zoo supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 5x5 Zoo is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 5x5 Zoo for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
5x5 Zoo has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
5x5 Zoo belongs to these categories: Animals, Puzzle, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Tile Placement, and Square Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 5x5 Zoo are: Hisashi Hayashi. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 5x5 Zoo as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.