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What if the animals were the ones who ran the zoo?
…Presumably, this wild government would be built upon the support of fellow creatures and fueled by the fame, attention, and prestige of wide-eyed visitors. Naturally, the most aspirational beasts would lobby for a position in the star exhibit, and the lead star would be elected Zoo Mascot.
In order to join the star exhibit, each species must campaign its way up the hierarchy of enclosures with the majority support of animal voters. And the lead star will be the species that has earned the most laurels from both raving fans and jealous rivals along the way.
How does one gain support and earn laurels? Through crafty politicking, clever negotiations, and ruthless schemes. There can only be one Zoo Mascot, after all.
Where are you going? That is the ultimate question of Zoo Vadis.
Zoo Vadis is an evolution of Reiner Knizia’s classic negotiation game, Quo Vadis? It retains the elegant, political gameplay that fans have come to love while introducing many innovations and improvements by:
Enhancing the 3-player game and tailoring the board to all player counts through neutral, bribable figures—roaming peacocks
Widening the player count with a second game board for 6-7 players
Expanding the possibilities for strategic negotiation with asymmetric animal abilities
Increasing tactical opportunities with new special laurel tokens
Broadening the appeal of the theme and presentation with vibrant zoo art by Kwanchai Moriya and Brigette Indelicato
Enlivening the production with chunky animal figures and functional player screens
Like the original design, the game ends immediately when the Star Exhibit is full. Only the animals who have reached the Star Exhibit qualify for victory, and the winner is the player with the most laurels.
–description from publisher
- engaging, fast-paced negotiations that feel meaningful and tense
- high production quality and colorful, chunky components
- reimagines a classic concept with a fresh zoo-themed skin and star-exhibit goal
- easy to pick up for new players but with enough depth for experienced players
- the negotiation can become chaotic or one-sided depending on players' alliances
- endgame can feel abrupt if one player gains control early
- design references to the original Crow Fighters pedigree may leave purists wanting closer fidelity
- political campaigning, popularity contests, and crowd influence among animal voters
- Seven animal species compete to become the zoo's star exhibit within a sprawling, publicity-driven zoo environment.
- competitive, negotiation-driven with player-driven manipulation of votes and positions
- Lacrimosa
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area/hashtag: star exhibit control — The goal is to place at least one animal in the star exhibit and accumulate Laurels; the star exhibit fills up over the course of the game.
- end game bonuses — When all spaces in the star exhibit are filled, the game ends and Laurels are tallied to determine the winner.
- endgame triggering by exhibit fullness — When all spaces in the star exhibit are filled, the game ends and Laurels are tallied to determine the winner.
- negotiation and vote-based influence — Players trade votes and Laurels to influence which animals gain spots in the star exhibit and to move strategically toward victory.
- special power use — Certain Laurels grant immediate or reactive powers (e.g., moving the Zookeeper) that can swing negotiations and positioning.
- token-based action economy — Laurel tokens and other power tokens are spent to gain actions (including moving the Zookeeper) and to secure votes.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the components are gorgeous and the game plays fast
- I love these negotiation Powers
- it's not co-op, it's on you
- this is a great night concept; the idea is solid
- the production is high quality; I would buy this game