
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,550
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Syncanite Foundation
- 2–4 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2025

2019
Rules assistance for Zoocracy
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zoocracy is a board game released in 2019 for 2–6 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Simon Haas and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Area Majority / Influence.
Zoocracy is a highly interactive and language independent political strategy game. Each player will lead one of the animal parties using a clever strategy and their best negotiation tactics to make it successful. Trust your animalistic instincts to win elections and hold political offices or plot and pressure the government from the opposition. In the end, whoever has implemented the most political goals, will win. Every round there is a parliamentary election campaign where players can spend their food tokens on different animal species to win their votes for the next parliamentary election. The parliament usually gets elected every other round and after that players have to form a coalition with a majority of seats in the parliament. Obviously players with a better election result have an advantage during these negotiations, however it is also possible for weaker parties to form a coalition against stronger ones. The players simply have to agree on how the government offices get distributed and which political goals will be implemented. In case the government lost its majority of seats in the parliament, there is also the possibility for the opposition leader to initiate a no-confidence vote against the current government. However to be successful this vote needs a majority of seats as well to elect a new government. Moreover there are also presidential election that usually occur every 2 rounds in a direct vote. Here the winners takes it all! The president can also implement a political goal of his party and has some further advantages. Finally, some random events may always shake up the situation and force the players to change their plans. -description from designer
Zoocracy supports 2–6 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 Zoocracy is 60–120 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 Zoocracy for ages 12 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.
Zoocracy has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Zoocracy belongs to these categories: Animals, Bluffing, and Political. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Zoocracy are: Simon Haas. 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 Zoocracy 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.