As the ultimate goal of the game is to earn revenue, players must also provide for visitors by building food/drink stands, sanitary facilities, picnic areas, and an aesthetically pleasing environment.

The Freestyle mode differs in each game, but usually leaves the player free to build a zoo from scratch however they see fit.

Within a year, Zoo Tycoon had sold over 1 million units, reaching the top-selling status on the software charts.

In 2003, Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection was released which included everything: the original game, the expansion packs, and the downloadable content.

Also available as a premium download was the Dino Danger Pack, available for purchase by credit card from the Zoo Tycoon website.

[4] Microsoft announced a remaster of the 2013 game, Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection, for Windows 10 and the Xbox One on August 20, 2017.

In April 2015, Microsoft permanently shut down Zoo Tycoon: Friends servers due to technical problems.

[7] Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game started its Kickstarter in October 2022 and eventually released in September 2023.