Planet Zoo 2 Maps Guide – Full Selection and Unlocks

Planet Zoo 2 invites players to craft zoos in stunning environments that range from frozen tundras to lush grasslands. The variety of maps shapes your building experience, making it essential to understand how each option influences your zoo’s look and feel.

There are 15 Planet Zoo 2 maps available for Franchise and Sandbox modes alongside six wildlife reserves, and even more unique locations in Career mode. Instead of selecting maps directly by name, you pick a biome, a continent, and decide between a flat or sculpted layout. An interesting quirk is that some grassland maps feature baobab trees regardless of continent, a detail that can surprise players aiming for geographical accuracy.

How Planet Zoo 2 Map Selection Works

Your first step in choosing a map is to select a biome and then a continent. The interface conveniently shows which continents each biome is available on. Finally, you decide between a flat or sculpted map.

Flat maps provide a complete 1 km by 1 km square with neutral backdrops. They even come with a bus and entrance gates by default, which you can remove to start with a clean slate.

Sculpted maps offer richer aesthetics, boasting unique backdrops, pre-placed flora, and sometimes buildings. These maps don’t use the entire space, and certain features outside the zoo boundary are locked, limiting how much you can modify your surroundings. While they look more atmospheric, flat maps give you more room to experiment.

Note: Planet Zoo 2 doesn’t assign official names to these maps; the ones referenced here are community-adopted nicknames to help with identification.

Planet Zoo 2 Flat Maps

Below are all the flat maps you can build on from scratch, offering the full map space and maximum customization freedom.

Temperate Flat Map

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Select Temperate biome on any continent, choose Flat map option.

This map returns as a fan favorite from the original game with a much greener appearance. The rolling hills in the distance evoke the British countryside, and the grass textures up close have noticeably improved. It provides a picturesque setting without feeling bland.

You’ll start with the usual bus and entrance gates but can delete those for an empty canvas. One slight downside is the lack of a hill-free horizon, so if you prefer a completely flat backdrop like a Dutch zoo, this might not fit your vision.

Tundra Flat Map

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Tundra biome on any continent, Flat option.

This version of the Antarctic tundra has no trees, perfect for Arctic zoo builds above the tree line akin to Spitsbergen. Rivers border the map’s edges, and the nearby mountains are modest, keeping the focus on the central build area.

The open center provides a generous building space, and snowfall adds atmospheric effects. While it’s a straightforward map, its simplicity is a strength for clean, crisp exhibits.

Grassland Flat Map

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Grassland biome on any continent, Flat option.

This expansive grassland mimics a classic African savannah with hazy mountains in the distance. It offers plenty of space, but its natural beauty might make you hesitate to develop it extensively.

A prominent mountain anchors the map visually, often dominating zoo layouts and making builds feel a bit repetitive across players. Interestingly, this map remains the same worldwide, resulting in baobab trees appearing even in North America, which can be a little jarring.

Taiga Flat Map

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Taiga biome in Asia, Europe, or North America with Flat option.

Despite its name, the map’s edges aren’t flat at all. It’s ringed by detailed, towering mountains with snow-covered slopes and drifting clouds, which perfectly suits the taiga biome’s chilly aesthetic.

The central section is an expansive open area ideal for advanced zoo layouts, making this a popular choice for cold climate-themed parks.

Tropical Flat Map

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Tropical biome on continents where tropical areas exist, Flat option.

The subtler, more organic mountains contrast with the towering backdrops of Planet Zoo 1. The land masses have a natural flow, breaking away from the perfect squares of classic flat maps.

This map comes highly recommended for beginners due to its forgiving layout, making it a smart starting point for your first zoo project.

Desert Flat Map

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Desert biome on any supporting continent, Flat option.

The only desert map available, it features a quintessential sandy desert landscape with crisp sand and rock textures and towering mountains far off. There isn’t a sculpted desert option yet, limiting choices for desert-themed zoos.

Because it’s the same map worldwide, Oceania doesn’t receive a distinctive red desert version this time. Hopefully, future updates will expand this region’s offerings like the original game did.

Planet Zoo 2 Sculpted Maps

Sculpted maps in Planet Zoo 2 offer unique landscapes with rich environmental storytelling through their built features and scenic design.

Temperate Sculpted Map (Europe)

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Temperate biome in Europe with Sculpted option.

This map is distinctive for a castle ruin perched atop a hill overlooking a flat grazing area below, encircled by a river with several bridges. Guests enter through a cave, creating an immersive arrival experience.

The castle lies within your zoo boundary, allowing removal or renovation. A natural trail complements the setting but requires manual path construction, encouraging creative customization.

Temperate Sculpted Map (Asia)

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Temperate biome in Asia with Sculpted option.

Massive mountains flank a central plateau with valleys between. Guests use a lift to ascend into the zoo, adding a vertical element that’s visually impressive though somewhat limiting.

The elevated platform starts small but can expand through clearing. External features like rice fields and a boathouse sit outside your buildable area and remain locked, which can frustrate players wanting full control.

Temperate Sculpted Map (Americas and Oceania)

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Temperate biome in North America, South America, or Oceania on Sculpted option.

Think of this as a stately home map featuring a European-style village by a large lake. Guests start from the village area and stream into your zoo, imparting a unique flavor that feels distinctly French despite the wide continental coverage.

Unfortunately, everything around the village, including the lake, is off-limits — locked and uneditable. The restricted lake space causes tight boundaries and less building room.

Tundra Sculpted Map (Europe)

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Tundra biome in Europe with Sculpted option.

This is the only sculpted tundra map and exclusive to Europe, since other continents with tundra biomes don’t have one.

Unlike pure tundra, this map features farmhouses, gentle hills reminiscent of taiga and temperate zones, and dirt roads that lead directly into your build space, making it look like a remote, approachable zoo. Its spacious design is unusual for sculpted maps and appreciated by builders.

Taiga Sculpted Map

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Taiga biome on any continent with one, Sculpted option.

There’s just this one sculpted taiga map, identical across continents. It centers on a bay beneath misty mountains, creating a moody atmosphere.

Guests arrive via a seaplane at a pre-built entrance building, which you can remove if you prefer. The boundary hugs the water’s edge, preventing building in the bay, and the map features a narrow left side, requiring careful planning.

Tropical Sculpted Map (Africa, Americas, Oceania)

Game modes: Franchise, Sandbox
How to get it: Tropical biome on Africa, North America, South America, or Oceania with Sculpted option.

This is the city map many players requested. Though the zoo isn’t actually inside a city, the urban skyline backdrop fits nicely since most modern zoos tend to sit at city outskirts.

The flat grassy area at first glance doesn’t cover the entire build zone, which extends up a cliff and curves around the base. A highway and a parked bus are present but don’t connect anywhere or function fully, giving the scene an unfinished feel. Despite different continent thumbnails, the map is the same globally.