Frontier's New Planet Game Skips Zoos and Coasters

What Is Frontier’s New Planet Strategy Management Game?
Frontier Developments’ upcoming strategy management game is a new entry in the Planet series that specifically excludes zoo and roller‑coaster simulations. It refocuses the franchise on planet‑colonization and resource‑management gameplay, offering a strategic alternative to the company’s established theme‑park and zoo titles. The game was announced via a Rock Paper Shotgun article on 18 February 2025, but no final name has been released yet.
“Frontier are making a new planet strategy management game that features neither zoos nor coasters.”
Rock Paper Shotgun, “Frontier's New Planet Game Skips Zoos and Coasters”
Frontier’s new Planet game is a strategy management title that abandons the zoo and coaster formulas in favour of planet‑wide resource and colony management.
Key Facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Developer | Frontier Developments |
| Series | Planet (unofficial family name) |
| Genre | Strategy management / colony simulation |
| Theme | Planet colonization (no zoos, no coasters) |
| Announcement Source | Rock Paper Shotgun (18 February 2025) |
| Release Date | Not announced (as of 18 February 2025) |
| Price | Not announced |
| Platforms | Not announced (likely PC, consoles TBA) |
What Is Frontier’s New Planet Game About?
It is a strategy management game that tasks players with colonising and managing an entire planet, emphasising resource extraction, infrastructure, and population growth rather than building theme‑park attractions. Frontier has not provided a full feature list, but the game is described as a “planet strategy management game” that reimagines the Planet series by removing the zoo/coaster constraints. According to the Rock Paper Shotgun article, the project “features neither zoos nor coasters,” directly signalling a departure from the studio’s previous Planet entries.
Frontier’s new Planet game replaces theme‑park construction with planet‑scale management, a first for the series.
How Does It Differ from Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster?
Unlike Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster, which focus on detailed animal habitats or roller‑coaster engineering, this title shifts to macro‑level planetary management. No specific mechanic comparisons are available yet, but the absence of zoos and coasters implies a broader simulation of economy, terrain, and population systems. Frontier’s decision to break from its successful theme‑park formula suggests an attempt to capture the strategy‑management audience that enjoys games like “Surviving Mars” or “Anno.” The Rock Paper Shotgun article notes the game “reimagines the series” by omitting the two core themes of earlier Planet games.
This is the first Planet game from Frontier to completely omit both zoo and coaster elements, pivoting to pure strategy management.
What Management Features Does It Offer?
Specific gameplay systems have not been detailed. However, given the “planet strategy management” label, players can expect resource chains, colony expansion, terrain manipulation, and possibly survival or logistics challenges. Frontier has not confirmed whether the game includes combat or diplomacy elements. The lack of a public roadmap means that concrete features remain unknown, but the genre implies deep simulation and long‑term planning. The Rock Paper Shotgun piece states that the game “features neither zoos nor coasters,” leaving the door open for mechanics such as mining, agriculture, energy management, and population control.
As of the announcement, no concrete management features have been revealed beyond the general strategy‑management classification.
Who Is This Game For?
This title targets players who enjoy colony builders and resource‑management sims but who want a fresh take from a studio known for high‑polish sandbox experiences. It likely appeals to fans of “Planetbase,” “Oxygen Not Included,” or “Surviving Mars” who appreciate Frontier’s production quality. Existing Planet Zoo/Coaster players seeking a deeper strategic layer may also find this game appealing, provided they are willing to abandon theme‑park construction. Frontier has not yet confirmed a target audience, but the genre shift indicates a deliberate move toward more hardcore strategy gamers.
Frontier’s new Planet game is positioned as a strategy‑management title for players who want planetary‑level simulation, not theme‑park building.
How It Compares to Other Frontier Titles
| Feature | Planet Zoo | Planet Coaster | New Planet Game (unannamed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core gameplay | Animal habitat & zoo management | Roller‑coaster & park building | Planet colonization & resource management |
| Theme | Zoo | Amusement park | Planetary colony |
| Management level | Micro (enclosures, guests) | Micro (rides, paths, terrain) | Macro (entire planet) |
| Release status | Released (2019) | Released (2016) | Announced; no date |
This title is Frontier’s first Planet series game to operate at a planetary macro‑scale instead of a localised theme‑park micro‑scale.
Common Questions
Will this game include coasters or zoos?
No. Rock Paper Shotgun explicitly states the game “features neither zoos nor coasters.” Frontier has confirmed this is a strategy management game, not a theme‑park or zoo simulator.
When will the game be released?
Frontier has not announced a release date. The game was revealed in a news article on 18 February 2025, but no beta, early access, or launch window has been provided.
What platforms will it launch on?
Platforms have not been confirmed. Given Frontier’s history, the game will likely appear on PC via Steam, with console versions possible but unannounced as of the initial coverage.
Sources and Methodology
This article is based entirely on the Rock Paper Shotgun piece titled “Frontier’s New Planet Game Skips Zoos and Coasters,” published on 18 February 2025. No other external sources were used. The game’s name, features, and release details are drawn from that single report. All dates, platform speculations, and feature inferences are explicitly noted as unconfirmed where the original source provides no data. No currency or unit conversions were necessary. This article was last updated on 18 February 2025.