Gamer reviews for Petting Zoo

The App Store's Most Adorable Zoo: Petting Zoo

When a seasoned children's book author/illustrator puts his skill to the app test, magic is bound to happen and Christoph Niemann's Petting Zoo is no exception.

The app costs $2.99 on Android and Apple and requires iOS 6 to operate properly. There are no in-app purchases, but ads are a different story. Every screen has a small circle in the upper left corner and touching it automatically pulls up a screen with links back to the developer's other apps for sale, the illustrator's website, the review section and other options. There is a "grown-up test" to access the additional content, but for the app's smaller users who have not yet mastered using the "X" to go back, these additional (and non-lockable) screens can be disruptive to an otherwise awesome app.

Gameplay is basic. The app is essentially an interactive picture book. Each screen has an animal that is performing some kind of activity. There is an elephant taking a bath, a lion caught in the wind, a butterfly floating above a field and many, many others. All of these pictures react in different ways when they are touched and different ways how they are touched. The butterfly, for example, becomes the intended victim of a playful cat when tapped and when the touch is held, the butterfly fights back.

The graphics are simple black outlines against different backgrounds, allowing the focus to stay on the characters' actions instead of overstimulating with a rainbow of colors. The music is also a simple and repetitive tune, that provides well for a nice, peaceful experience.

Genuinely, this app can amuse just about anyone who is searching for something neat to look at for a little while, although the smallest of players will be the most rewarded. Overall, the only object to the app is the experience. There are no point, no puzzles, no dying; just a petting zoo ready for a visitor.