What Is the Build a Biome Game at Switch Zoo and How Do You Play It?

Build a Biome is one of the free online games on Switch Zoo. Your goal is to build six of the world's biomes by choosing the right plants, animals, temperature range, and precipitation for each one. You get a postcard for every biome you complete, and if you build all six, you become a Biome Master. You can find it on the Animal Games page and play it directly in your browser.

What you actually do in the game

Each biome is a puzzle with four pieces that have to match:

• Plants — pick the vegetation that belongs in that biome
• Animals — pick the animal suited to that environment
• Temperature range — choose the correct temperature band
• Precipitation — choose the correct amount of rainfall or moisture

A biome is only finished when all four choices fit together. Get one wrong and it isn't a match, so the game is really about recognizing which conditions belong together rather than guessing.

How to play, step by step

1. Open the Animal Games page on Switch Zoo and select Build a Biome.
2. Start a biome. You'll be presented with the plant, animal, temperature, and precipitation choices for that environment.
3. Select the plant that fits the biome.
4. Select the animal that fits the biome.
5. Set the temperature range that matches the biome.
6. Set the precipitation level that matches the biome.
7. Confirm your build. If all four choices are correct, the biome is complete and you receive a postcard for it.
8. Repeat for the remaining biomes until all six are built.

Expected result: each completed biome gives you a postcard, and finishing all six earns the Biome Master status.

What to watch out for

• It's a matching game, not a sandbox. You're choosing the right plant, animal, temperature, and precipitation for each biome, so a choice that seems plausible but doesn't belong will not complete the build.
• All four conditions matter. Temperature and precipitation are part of the puzzle alongside the living things, so don't focus only on plants and animals.
• Progress is tracked by postcards. The postcard is your signal that a biome is done; collect all six to finish.

Where it fits among the other Switch Zoo games

Switch Zoo features six free online games plus an app for making new animals offline. Alongside Build a Biome you'll find:

If your interest is habitats and climate rather than animal mixing or classification, Build a Biome is the one to start with. If you'd rather learn animal facts while playing, Words of a Feather and Animal Profiles (covering the 142 species in Switch Zoo) are better fits.