The Zoolympic Games

Welcome to the Zoolympic Games!
A community-run competitive building game

All welcome!
Rounds run approximately once a month. Check in towards the end of the month to see what's happening for the next round!
Please join in as a judge even if you don't have time to build!

The rules are:

1. If you enter a build for a round, you must also join in the scoring to qualify for one of the prizes.
Here's why (click me)

2. Enter your build as screenshots (and also video if you want) via this template and post a link to your completed form in the thread.
(Please make sure the template has sharing permission on so that I can download it and share it as a pdf).

3. Certain Blueprints are allowed, including:
  • Custom plants (such as ZHS Plays' giant bamboo)
  • Static animals (i.e. Captain Callum's chameleon, Drac's Koi fish and so on)
  • Custom fonts
  • Custom signs
The blueprints that are not allowed are buildings, habitats or parts of habitats such as rockwork, facility shells, fences, rooves and so on. This is to ensure that people are scored fairly for work they made themselves (but to allow a bit of leeway for things that do not exist in the game like exhibit animals, fish, preferred fonts etc that would take a ridiculous amount of time to make from scratch).
Mods are allowed.
If you have any doubt about a blueprint you would like to use just pop a question in the chat and someone here will help answer it for you.

This rule was updated in Nov 2024 due to popular request.

Links for help:
Help with using the template
Presentation guide

The theme for each round is agreed by vote - linked here.
We’ve collected a lot of suggestions for themes!
They’ve all been put into a google sheet here
To vote, add your initials next to any of your favourites.

You can have as many favourites as you want, and you can change them whenever you want.

To use the sheet, click on the cell next to your favourite options. Add your initials to the bar at the top after everyone else’s:
AD_4nXcwuv3GDOfnJM5Bc5lrNEGwRKLNIkDBbur1S_HuVMDnsLbmy34joxcO3EFjKhfvSk3mmRSnZ17IL9xh1BNbyqbMwaKHOYXK7M3C5_N9uTxbx8Wqbz6q_URBd9Rk8GtQToNWbM8fA9ASwv2BxUCcuuizBGM

It saves automatically after you edit it.

I'll send out a new sheet every season or so so that votes are kept to current players and old votes from people no longer playing do not influence the result.
I keep backups in case something goes wrong, so don’t worry if you make a mistake! Just let me know and I’ll be able to fix it or restore the last version.

Prizes!
Entries are scored for their creativity, realism, beauty and animal welfare.

1. Winner! Top prize
2. Runner up
3. Speediest build
4. Fan favourite (based on feedback on the scoring form)
5. Best zookeeper (based on top score for guest and animal welfare)

Judging
The more people who join in the judging, the better the competition! Please join us in scoring the entries when you've got time 💚
After each round a score form will be posted in the thread, as well as a link to a google folder where all of the entries are stored together (to make your life easier!)

You don’t need to spend more than five minutes looking at each submission. If someone has posted a long video, feel free to skip to the final design at the end! Everyone has been asked to provide screenshots as well.

If the screenshots are poor quality (small / dark or unclear / few in number) you may reflect that in the scores you give.

Thank you, good luck, and see you in the next round!

Help guide to the Zoolympic Games
 
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Round One of the games is now complete and we are ready to announce the winners!

Congratulations to (drum roll please) ..... @Marvinb for his Sundaland Tropical House!
Bravo Marvin!!!

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7e_V4A7GC5qD1TpqIlSW7L-4ZVHts5xq3VwwqHe7fj4odosjrgVVGsvSuPvMVTiFJW7y8pk3h4rzvTQp5L371OM5Xj5swq2GARWTGrchsW_h7MI3n6qSYnSZCT4Go0n3ON3bUQgoGviTF0gPTdh80ZE


Incredible work - well done! Judges thought your design was especially realistic and beautiful, and they loved the creativity you showed!

Your feedback comments were:

Lush foliage and cool theme. One of my favorite builds personally...
Gorgeous! I especially love the elevated resting spots for the leopards and all the scenery along the guest paths
Outstanding realism in this build
Looks like a professional youtuber built this!



And now for the other prizes:

Runner Up 1: Villanelle's Journey Through the Amazon

Your feedback was:
Very beautiful build in general!
Naturalistic habitats and an amazing building shape
Just so so pretty!


Runner Up 2: Purple Possum's The Tropical House
Your feedback was:
Probably my favorite of the entries...
Your skill with foliage is incredible!
Love the interior lighting and spaces built
I actually want to visit and walk through this place! Looks incredible



Speediest Build: Orkan's Amazon House - built in just 3 hrs and 33 minutes!
Your feedback was:
Cool theme and beautiful architecture
Such a well thought-out, compact design!
Impressive indoor habitats in just 3 hours
I can't believe you did this in 3 hours! Great work and so much detail



Fan Favourite: Frogstrich's Temple of the Tapir

Your feedback was:
Looks like a real facility! and Great Architecture
Love the exhibit shell design and separate areas for different animals to play and rest
Wonderful diversity of animals in the rainforest house
Cool ideas!



Best Zookeeper: Villanelle's Journey Through the Amazon

And an honourable mention and enormous thanks to Xrystal for her beautiful and imaginative Gharial Riverview!
Xrystal - you also came second on animal welfare - excellent zookeeping, I am sure your gharials are very thankful!


Your feedback was:
Amazing lighting in this build!
Looks like a good place to be a gharial :) I like the indoor/outdoor aspects
Nice build of a rainforest house
Love the decor!



Here is the score breakdown automatically mathed-out from the scoring forms that everyone completed. We had 14 judges involved in scoring this round - massive thanks to you all! If anyone has questions about how I did this feel free to ask and I'll show you all behind the scenes:
1716900888243.png


So well done and thank you to all our competitors in this first round and thanks for all your help figuring out the rules for the games going forwards! If you didn't win this time there will be plenty of other opportunities and if you have any suggestions on how to develop the game feel free to share them in this thread!

I will now announce the topic for Round Two in the post below...
 
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1716901255958.png


By popular vote ROUND TWO of the Zoolympic Games will be to build an....

African mixed herd enclosure

Any interpretation of this is welcome: any animals, any combination, any biome / set up / game settings - you decide!

Building can start Today - Tuesday 28th May and will finish on
Thursday 13th June

Please use the template linked in the thread description to submit your entries and take note of the rules.


Good luck! And don't duck it up
1716901598689.png
 
Well done MarvinB! You were always well in the lead but the scores tightened up right at the end. I must say I am so relieved I didn't win - it would have been just so embarrassing to announce my own name! 😂
I might need to sit the next round out as I've got a very busy two weeks coming up, but we'll see! I might find time for a little somethin-somethin
 
View attachment 393947

By popular vote ROUND TWO of the Zoolympic Games will be to build an....

African mixed herd enclosure

Any interpretation of this is welcome: any animals, any combination, any biome / set up / game settings - you decide!

Building can start Today - Tuesday 28th May and will finish on
Thursday 13th June

Please use the template linked in the thread description to submit your entries and take note of the rules.

Good luck! And don't duck it up
View attachment 393949
Alright, I might be able to pull this one off. Game on!
 
Painstakingly tries to prepare ahead - Remember .. 2 weeks .. 2 weeks .. don't have to do the whole enclosure in a few hours rofl
But it's also totally fine if you do :) will you continue in the same zoo or do you think you might do a sandbox for this one? Major tip - if you're planning to use elephants, don't kill your franchise with them! dem boys is huuuuungry
 
In between building time, could I please collect your thoughts / wishes / heart's desires for the topic for the next round - round 3? We can keep 'desert-inspired visitor centre' in the mix as that had a few votes, any other suggestions pop them here! I'll get another poll up in about a week's time
 
In between building time, could I please collect your thoughts / wishes / heart's desires for the topic for the next round - round 3? We can keep 'desert-inspired visitor centre' in the mix as that had a few votes, any other suggestions pop them here! I'll get another poll up in about a week's time
I think 'Zoo Centerpiece' could be an interesting one.
Also 'Zoo Entrance' would be a fun tribute to the meme.
Otherwise i think just keeping it simple and doing 'Penguin habitat' or 'Cat habitat', would also work well
'Misfit' could also be fun topic, combining an animal and a theme that dont fit together like a south east asia themed seal enclosure or an egyptian themed orang utan habitat.
 
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But it's also totally fine if you do :) will you continue in the same zoo or do you think you might do a sandbox for this one? Major tip - if you're planning to use elephants, don't kill your franchise with them! dem boys is huuuuungry
Thankfully I have no big animals. But, I will stay in Franchise .. I started a new one for this project, but think I will trash that one and start another, but I have an idea in my mind and will try and stagger build time over the 2 weeks and just have the zoo running periodically while I bring over the old gharial riverview build to help bring the guests in with their purses rofl. Hopefully I won't have a problem rofl. crosses fingers
 
Here's my entry! I call it "African Interspecies Habitat" because I couldn't think of anything creative. Let me know if you can't access it.


Hope you like it!
 
Here's my entry! I call it "African Interspecies Habitat" because I couldn't think of anything creative. Let me know if you can't access it.


Hope you like it!
Hot damn! That came in at light speed! Congrats and bonne chance 🍀
 
Here's my entry! I call it "African Interspecies Habitat" because I couldn't think of anything creative. Let me know if you can't access it.


Hope you like it!
Looks good - now you have the rest of the time to improve on it :)
 
Congratulations @Marvinb !! very well deserved, the Sundaland tropical house is such an amazing example of how skilful and polished you can build on planet zoo! I am really looking forward to seeing more of your entries! 🤩
@Villanelle so deserved that you got runner up! Ha! that's funny what you said about not wanting to win! But you are a worthy winner in future comps so please enjoy your possible future wins! The creativity of your entry was next level :)
Thankyou very much for the lovely feedback and for voting me runner up #2! woo! :) :) Lovely to get a comment about the foliage, I particularly enjoy that part!
@Orkan speediest build! Was also one of my faves, amazing you did that in about 3 hours, it's such a great shaped building. what I loved the most about it was the indoor viewing space, I thought that was a really cool idea and it looked real and reminded me of a real life tropical house :)
@Frogstrich fan fave Temple of the tapir was awesome, a really interesting network of habitats, It felt like if it were a real place the tapirs would have a very well looked after and playful life :) you must have dlcs that I don't because you have walls I don't recognise so that was cool, also, awesome white tapir!!
@Xrystal very much deserved an honourable mention, fair play to you for doing this round in franchise mode, this feels incredibly brave! but also inspiring. I must say, your comments throughout the previous thread was a journey in itself!! I really enjoyed following your whirlwind experience attempting to establish a new and probably expensive tropical house in a zoo you had already going. And you totally pulled it off by the end! I agree with a feedback comment for you, there was extraordinary natural lighting inside your habitat and that was something that stood out to me too.
Thanks everyone!
 
Congratulations @Marvinb !! very well deserved, the Sundaland tropical house is such an amazing example of how skilful and polished you can build on planet zoo! I am really looking forward to seeing more of your entries! 🤩
@Villanelle so deserved that you got runner up! Ha! that's funny what you said about not wanting to win! But you are a worthy winner in future comps so please enjoy your possible future wins! The creativity of your entry was next level :)
Thankyou very much for the lovely feedback and for voting me runner up #2! woo! :) :) Lovely to get a comment about the foliage, I particularly enjoy that part!
@Orkan speediest build! Was also one of my faves, amazing you did that in about 3 hours, it's such a great shaped building. what I loved the most about it was the indoor viewing space, I thought that was a really cool idea and it looked real and reminded me of a real life tropical house :)
@Frogstrich fan fave Temple of the tapir was awesome, a really interesting network of habitats, It felt like if it were a real place the tapirs would have a very well looked after and playful life :) you must have dlcs that I don't because you have walls I don't recognise so that was cool, also, awesome white tapir!!
@Xrystal very much deserved an honourable mention, fair play to you for doing this round in franchise mode, this feels incredibly brave! but also inspiring. I must say, your comments throughout the previous thread was a journey in itself!! I really enjoyed following your whirlwind experience attempting to establish a new and probably expensive tropical house in a zoo you had already going. And you totally pulled it off by the end! I agree with a feedback comment for you, there was extraordinary natural lighting inside your habitat and that was something that stood out to me too.
Thanks everyone!
Miss (?) Possum you are such a joy, bringing allll the good vibes! I'm a big fan 🤩
 
Congratulations @Marvinb !! very well deserved, the Sundaland tropical house is such an amazing example of how skilful and polished you can build on planet zoo! I am really looking forward to seeing more of your entries! 🤩
@Villanelle so deserved that you got runner up! Ha! that's funny what you said about not wanting to win! But you are a worthy winner in future comps so please enjoy your possible future wins! The creativity of your entry was next level :)
Thankyou very much for the lovely feedback and for voting me runner up #2! woo! :) :) Lovely to get a comment about the foliage, I particularly enjoy that part!
@Orkan speediest build! Was also one of my faves, amazing you did that in about 3 hours, it's such a great shaped building. what I loved the most about it was the indoor viewing space, I thought that was a really cool idea and it looked real and reminded me of a real life tropical house :)
@Frogstrich fan fave Temple of the tapir was awesome, a really interesting network of habitats, It felt like if it were a real place the tapirs would have a very well looked after and playful life :) you must have dlcs that I don't because you have walls I don't recognise so that was cool, also, awesome white tapir!!
@Xrystal very much deserved an honourable mention, fair play to you for doing this round in franchise mode, this feels incredibly brave! but also inspiring. I must say, your comments throughout the previous thread was a journey in itself!! I really enjoyed following your whirlwind experience attempting to establish a new and probably expensive tropical house in a zoo you had already going. And you totally pulled it off by the end! I agree with a feedback comment for you, there was extraordinary natural lighting inside your habitat and that was something that stood out to me too.
Thanks everyone!
Thanks .. yes, I realised too late that it was a mistake using an existing zoo, but it was one I was working on anyway, expanding out, so thought I would use the challenge to do that with existing animals. But alas .. 110k plus building costs while on pause meant the zoo couldn't make it back quick enough ( I usually do short building sessions on pause , and then play through to build the money back up again rofl ). So trying to do that with a zoo just for the challenges so that it doesn't mess up my alphabet zoos which are my long term/permanent zoos. It may work, or might not. But I have 2 weeks to figure it out .. even if the final build is done in the last 6-12 hours rofl.
 
Next round....lets go..!......
@Marvinb That was a great comment haha. " 'Zoo Entrance' would be a fun tribute to the meme" - this made me laugh lots but it was also followed with a sense of oh no not another entrance :ROFLMAO: though if we went the extra mile to make an entrance theme fun i'd be up for it. Like maybe lean into the meme, the entrance of all entrances. Or a themed entrance might be better! So many themes we could choose from and do a further polll for.
Simple habitats is always a good idea too! I'm up for those.
Love the idea about the paradoxical rounds. I love this idea so much that I think we should make it a regular round that comes up every so often just to keep things weird and wonderful. Love your two ideas for the different combinations, I can't even think of one off the top of my head but lets please revisit this, that would be fun :)

Other ideas throwing into the mix...
  • Both indoor and outside viewing of an ape house (1 species only: gorilla, orangutan, bonobo, chimpanzee or gibbon)
  • Polar research centre (featuring only 1 research animal such as king penguin, polar bear, arctic wolf, arctic fox, wolverine, dall sheep or reindeer) a building and connecting habitat that showcases 1 snowy region species, the kind of building you'd find out in the field/wild set up for conservation purposes. Preferrably showcased in snowy weather.
  • Equine paddock with stables (either zebra or przewalski's horse)
  • Zen garden (walk through animals only)
  • Rocky coast inspired habitat
  • Marshland inspired habitat
  • Meerkat habitat
  • Train station (think this was villanelles idea!)
  • Gift shop
  • Lakeside cafe
 
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