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Dreamer Series: Zoo Keeper

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 6; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Career sim more focused on the zoo than its animals.

In this game kids can:   learn trivia, live vicariously

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    Time management can become challenging as the game progresses, but on the whole there's nothing too frustrating or difficult about the gameplay.

  • Educational value:

    The game requires you to learn about the animals you're caring for by reading guide books, all of which contain real factual info about those species. And since your character is also in charge of buying supplies and equipment for the zoo, you'll learn a valuable lesson about how to work within a budget.

  • Messages:

    There is a very solid message about responsibility in this game. You are constantly reminded how important every little step is in taking care of these animals and their habitats. And you are responsible for everything. The game won't even let you close the zoo for the night if you've forgotten to put a bucket away on its storeroom shelf.

  • Role models:

    Not only is your zookeeper happily responsible for every detailed aspect of the upkeep and care of the zoo's baby animals, but she also remembers to take care of herself, stopping to eat or take a nap when she's been working too hard.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Dreamer Series: Zoo Keeper was written by Christopher Healy

Parents need to know that Dreamer Series: Zoo Keeper is an animal care simulator that might feel a bit more like an actual job than a video game. It's not just about playing with the animals and watching them frolic, as some zoo games are; in this one kids will have to clean up dirty cages, fill water troughs, deposit trash into dumpsters, and more. In the realm of career sims, it's actually quite more realistic than a lot of others, which may or may not be what your child is looking for.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about how every job, no matter how much you love it, always has aspect you'll like less. Even the most enjoyable of careers has some level of drudge work involved. Accepting that fact, and learning to put up with -- or even enjoy -- the tough parts of a job, is an important life skill.
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OK for Your Kids to Play?

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More on Dreamer Series: Zoo Keeper

What’s the Story?

In DREAMER SERIES: ZOO KEEPER, you've just been hired to take care of the zoo's baby animals area. You will tend to the needs of young penguins, monkey, bears, tigers, and the like, feeding them, cleaning them and their enclosures, and letting them out for zoo visitors to see. You'll also have to buy supplies out of a limited budget, advertise to bring in more visitors, and study to become an expert on the animal species you're in charge of. 
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Is It Any Good?

Dreamer Series: Zoo Keeper is a great game for teaching kids the realities of the working world, but could be a bit more entertaining as a game for kids who love animals. The game's attention to detail is nice, but too much of that detail is focused on chores and other zoo business. The game would benefit from a greater variety of ways to interact with the animals. Know your own kids and whether they'd be better served by this zoo game, or one focused on cute animals doing tricks.
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Publisher’s Details

Developer: Dreamcatcher
Released on: 1/4/2010, Price: $19.99, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E for (No Descriptors)

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