Frank’s Zoo – Get Ready To Rumble!

I’ve been visiting zoos since I was a kid, and that tradition carried into adulthood as I now take my own kids to our favorite local zoo. It’s where wonder and magic meet. Seeing majestic animals and unique critters in their habitats keeps me coming back, eager to learn something new each visit. We always make time for a few family favorites like klipspringers, otters, and flamingos. So it was no surprise that Frank’s Zoo caught my attention right away.

HeidelBÄR Games publishes Frank’s Zoo, a shedding card game designed by Frank Nestel, with art by Doris Matthäus. It plays 4–7 players in about 20 minutes for ages 10+.

Setup

Frank’s Zoo includes two game modes: Wild Rumble and Team Rumble, with additional modes that can be downloaded from their website. For the purposes of this review we’re going to focus on Wild Rumble, but lightly touch on Team Rumble later on.

To play Wild Rumble, take the point cards with small stars and remove any higher than your player count. Sort the point cards into a deck in ascending order in the center of the table. Choose a dealer, shuffle the animal cards, and deal them evenly to all players. Decide how many rounds to play. The rulebook suggests 3–5 rounds, but you can set the length to fit your group.

Gameplay

Proceeding clockwise, on your turn perform one of the following actions: Lead, Pursu, Pass, or Collect & Lead.

Lead. If no cards are in the Field (the center of the table), play one animal or a set of matching animals to start the round. Place the cards in the Field and build on what’s there.

Pursue. If cards are already in the Field, choose one of two ways to beat the current set: Outrank or Outnumber. To Outrank, play the same number of cards but with a stronger species. Check the white bubble on each card for the ranking order.

Alternatively, to Outnumber, play the same species with exactly one more card than the last set.

Pass. Pass if you can’t or don’t want to Pursue. You can still play on your next turn.

Collect & Lead. When your turn comes back around and your animals still sit on top of the Field (meaning others passed), collect all cards from the Field. Place them face down in front of you to form an Animal Stack, adding new cards on top. Then Lead as normal.

Going Out & Scoring

Play your last card to go out for the round. Then take the top card from the points deck and place it in front of you. If other players pass, collect the Field as normal. Now the player to your left Leads. Players who went out are skipped and don’t play the rest of the round.

End of Round & Game

As soon as only one player has cards left, end the round immediately. That player takes no point card. Record each player’s score, then shuffle all animal cards and deal a new round.

After the final round, total each player’s points. The player with the most points wins.

Special Animals: The Mimics

Frank’s Zoo includes two special animals that act as mimics: the Chameleon and the Mosquito. Play the Chameleon with any other species and count it as part of that set, but never play it on its own – even as your last card. You can lead with Mosquitoes, but they never outrank another animal. However, you can play one Mosquito with one or more Elephants, and it counts as an Elephant.

Team Rumble

Team Rumble builds on Wild Rumble with a few key twists. First, play a round of Wild Rumble to determine ranks, then set up teams using the overview and team cards based on those results. Each player takes a role based on the team cards.

Gameplay follows the same flow, but teammates can work together. At the start, juniors pass two cards to their senior and receive two back. During play, juniors can reveal cards and ask their senior for help to complete a stronger set.

Scoring also changes. Players still earn point cards, but now lions and hedgehogs matter, adding bonuses and penalties based on your Animal Stack. It adds a layer of teamwork and strategy without changing the core feel of the game. 

If you don’t want to squeak through a setup round, play “Fast Team Start” by randomly dealing team cards right away to get into team play faster.

Impressions

In gaming culture, the cult of the new is real, and it’s hard to keep up with the hundreds of titles released each year. Because of that, older games often get overlooked, even though they still deserve plenty of love. Frank’s Zoo first released in 1999, and it’s been on my radar for a while. It never made it to the table since no one I know owns it, so I was especially excited to finally give it a play.

After my first play, I was hooked and reeled right in. With just a few rules and the animal ranking printed on the cards for quick reference, the game flows smoothly. Turns are fast, and having the option to pass, but still remain in the game keeps players engaged. This allows a little flexibility when you either don’t have animals to pursue or want to hold onto a stronger combination for a later turn. I love ladder-climbing and hand-management games, so this one grabbed me from the first round.

Wild Rumble stands well on its own, but I did find it odd that you’re left on your own to choose how many rounds to play. If your group enjoys team based card games like Bridge, Euchre, or Spades, they should enjoy playing Team Rumble. Being able to get help from the senior teammate instills that co-operative vibe.

Wild Time

Frank’s Zoo is very approachable for families and the age rating can easily skew younger. Kids will dig the playful art as well. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and is all around a really fun game. On the flip side, gamers will enjoy the added challenge, timing, and teamwork in Team Rumble. If the 4+ player count doesn’t always work out, there is a QR code in the rulebook leading you to additional rule sheets for 2-3 players and a Championship mode on the Heidelbaer website.

I’m thankful Frank’s Zoo is back in print and I can now have it in my library. It’s one I’ll always grab for a game night. And since it doesn’t take up a ton of table space, it can travel for family dinners out or brews at the pub.

Are you ready to rumble with Frank’s Zoo? Pickup a copy at your local game store or from CGE in the US.

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The Family Gamers received a copy of Frank’s Zoo from HeidelBÄR for this review.