Free animal games on Google Play split three ways: wildlife role-playing games where you live as a wolf or fox, zoo and sanctuary builders where you look after animals, and cute pet games for younger children. Several need an internet connection, and one zoo game says it plays fully offline. Check the content rating before you hand one to a child.
Ask a group of children what they'd like to be in a game and someone will shout wolf. Animals are one of the easiest ways into gaming, and Google Play is packed with them, from gentle pet care to packs of wolves fighting over territory.
I went through the Google Play listings for the most-installed animal games and chose ten that cover different styles. For each one I noted the developer, the installs band, the Contains ads and In-app purchases labels, the content rating and anything the listing says about playing offline. The order means nothing; there's no ranking here.
Three ratings are worth spotting early. WildCraft and Animal Forest are rated Everyone 10+, and The Wolf is rated Teen, so those three suit older players more than little ones. The other seven are rated Everyone.
Ten animal apps side by side
| Game | Developer | Google Play installs | Ads / in-app purchases | Offline wording on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WildCraft: Animal Sim Online | Turbo Rocket Games | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Fluvsies - Cute Virtual Pets | TutoTOONS | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Angry Birds 2 | Rovio Entertainment Oy | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'Some features are available offline' (others need a connection) |
| The Wolf: Animal Game MMORPG | Rage Quit Games Group | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Animals & Coins Adventure Game | Innplay Labs | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'You may require an internet connection to play' |
| Zoo 2: Animal Park | upjers GmbH | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Animal Jam | WildWorks | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | 'This game requires an Internet connection' |
| Zoo Life: Animal Park Game Fun | Sparkling Society - Build Town City Building Games | 1M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'NO INTERNET REQUIRED' and 'can be played offline' |
| Paradise Paws: Merge Animals | Wildlife Studios | 1M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Animal Forest : Fuzzy Seasons | FatherMade | 500K+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
What each animal game is like
WildCraft: Animal Sim Online
You start life as a wolf, fox or lynx in a big 3D wilderness and raise a family, according to Turbo Rocket Games' listing. Multiplayer sits at the heart of it, with friends forming animal families to protect their cubs.
Fluvsies - Cute Virtual Pets
A virtual pet game from TutoTOONS where fluffy creatures hatch from surprise eggs and you feed, groom and play with them. It's rated Everyone but shows both ads and in-app purchases labels, so switch on approval for in-app purchases before a child starts.
Angry Birds 2
The slingshot puzzler makes the list because the birds are, after all, animals. Rovio's listing says some features work offline, others need a connection, and the very first launch downloads extra content that can't be done offline.
The Wolf: Animal Game MMORPG
A multiplayer role-playing game where you live as a wolf, take on quests, hunt and lead a pack. It's rated Teen on Google Play, which fits the hunting and fighting, so it's one for older players.
Animals & Coins Adventure Game
Built around building treasure islands and raiding friends' bases for coins, with pet characters to collect along the way. The listing warns you may need a connection for play and its social features.
Zoo 2: Animal Park
You become a zoo director looking after tigers, pandas, elephants and giraffes, and you can breed baby animals too. It shows no Contains ads label on Google Play, though it does have in-app purchases.
Animal Jam
WildWorks' online world for children, where you play as an animal, decorate a den and adopt pets such as cats and dogs. It shows no Contains ads label, and the listing is clear that it needs the internet.
Zoo Life: Animal Park Game Fun
A zoo builder from Sparkling Society, a studio better known for city-building games. Its listing is the clearest of the ten about offline play, saying no Wi-Fi connection is needed.
Paradise Paws: Merge Animals
A merge game where you inherit a run-down animal sanctuary on an island, restore it and care for endangered animals. There's a small mystery running underneath about who left the place to you.
Animal Forest : Fuzzy Seasons
A relaxing game from FatherMade where animals stay in your garden for a year and then graduate and leave. It's rated Everyone 10+, and the gentle goodbye is part of its charm.
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Wild, zoo or cuddly: matching the style to the player
Wildlife role-playing games, like WildCraft and The Wolf, let you be the animal. You hunt, explore and survive, often alongside other players online. They're absorbing, but they're also the games with older ratings.
Zoo and sanctuary builders, like Zoo 2, Zoo Life and Paradise Paws, put you in charge instead. You're the keeper, not the creature, and the fun comes from planning enclosures and watching your park grow. Pet games such as Fluvsies are softer again, built around feeding, cuddling and collecting.
A quick way to choose: if your child pretends to be animals, try a role-playing game rated for their age. If they line up toy animals and arrange them, a zoo builder is likely to land better.
Online worlds: what grown-ups should look at
- Rating: three of the ten are rated Everyone 10+ or Teen.
- Other players: WildCraft, The Wolf and Animal Jam all describe playing with others online.
- Connection: Animal Jam says it requires the internet, and Animals & Coins says you may need it.
- Ads: eight of the ten show a Contains ads label; Zoo 2 and Animal Jam don't.
- In-app purchases: all ten have them, so switch on approval for in-app purchases in Google Play first.
Animal games for the back seat
For car journeys, Zoo Life is the safest bet on this page, because its listing says it plays without Wi-Fi. Angry Birds 2 also works partly offline once its first download is done. If you need more options for a long drive, my guide to offline games for kids on a road trip has games that keep going without signal.
When the animals leave the screen
Animal games make good party themes too. Animal charades or a wild costume round slots straight into the ideas in Halloween party games for adults and kids, because both ages can join in.
And if the questions start (why do wolves howl, how big is an elephant), a few free science games for curious kids are a natural next step from pretend zookeeping.
Frequently asked questions
Are these animal games free to download?
Yes. Every game here is free to install from Google Play, though all ten list in-app purchases.
Which animal games are suitable for young children?
Fluvsies, Zoo 2, Animal Jam, Zoo Life and Paradise Paws are rated Everyone. WildCraft and Animal Forest are Everyone 10+, and The Wolf is Teen.
Can I play any of these animal games offline?
Zoo Life's listing says it can be played offline with no Wi-Fi needed. Angry Birds 2 says some features work offline. Animal Jam says it requires an internet connection.
Which animal games don't show ads?
Zoo 2: Animal Park and Animal Jam show no Contains ads label on their Google Play listings.
Is there an animal game where you play as the animal?
Yes. WildCraft lets you play as a wolf, fox or lynx, and The Wolf puts you in charge of a wolf and its pack.
Do animal games let children talk to strangers?
Some describe multiplayer or an online community, including WildCraft, The Wolf and Animal Jam. Read each game's own safety settings before your child plays.
