Gold Mining Simulator vs Planet Zoo
Gold Mining Simulator is an open-world racing game from Code Horizon (2017) while Planet Zoo is an open-world sandbox game from Frontier Developments (2019).
What each one is
Steam files Gold Mining Simulator under Open-World and Racing. In contrast, it files Planet Zoo under Open-World and Sandbox.
Become a gold miner. Work hard, dig deep, explore the world, and you’ll become the wealthiest person in Alaska. Use a variety of specialist machines to find as much gold as you can.
Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the developers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim. Construct detailed habitats, manage your zoo, and meet authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them.
At a glance
| Gold Mining Simulator | Planet Zoo | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 6.5/10 | 8.1/10 |
| Steam rating | Mostly Positive (73%, 16,382) | Very Positive (91%, 97,527) |
| Critic aggregate | No aggregate | 81/100 |
| Price | $19.99 | $44.99 |
| Install size | 19 GB | 16 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Developer | Code Horizon | Frontier Developments |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Gold Mining Simulator vs Planet Zoo, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Gold Mining SimulatorOpen-world racing gamePlanet ZooOpen-world sandbox gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Gold Mining SimulatorSimulation, Mining, RealisticPlanet ZooManagement, Simulation, BuildingThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Gold Mining SimulatorScore 6.5 · 73% on SteamPlanet Zoo ✓Score 8.1 · 91% on Steam · 81 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Gold Mining Simulator16,382 reviews · 5 add-ons · 19 GBPlanet Zoo97,527 reviews · 22 add-ons · 16 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Gold Mining Simulator ✓$19.99Planet Zoo$44.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Gold Mining SimulatorPlayablePlanet ZooPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueGold Mining Simulator and Planet Zoo on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Planet Zoo (GamingPickz Score 8.1)
- The cheaper right now: Gold Mining Simulator ($19.99)
- Lighter on storage: Planet Zoo (16 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Planet Zoo (97,527 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
SimulationSingleplayerRealisticOpen WorldSandboxEconomyBuildingStrategy
Where they differ
MiningIndieDrivingFirst-PersonExplorationAutomobile Sim
NatureCity BuilderFamily FriendlyCuteResource ManagementGreat Soundtrack
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Gold Mining Simulator is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Planet Zoo is relaxed, easy to pick up.
System requirements, side by side
| Gold Mining Simulator | Planet Zoo | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVidia GeForce GTX 760 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 (2GB) / AMD Radeon R9 270X (2GB) |
| Minimum CPU | Intel Core i5 | Intel i5-2500 / AMD FX-6350 |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Install size | 19 GB | 16 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Gold Mining Simulator · Planet Zoo.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 7 accessibility features for Gold Mining Simulator and 0 for Planet Zoo. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Gold Mining Simulator and Planet Zoo in scope?
Gold Mining Simulator has drawn 16,382 Steam reviews, ships 5 add-ons and installs in 19 GB. Planet Zoo has drawn 97,527 Steam reviews, ships 22 add-ons and installs in 16 GB.
Is Gold Mining Simulator or Planet Zoo better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Planet Zoo rates higher (8.1 to 6.5). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Gold Mining Simulator or Planet Zoo?
Gold Mining Simulator is cheaper right now at $19.99, against $44.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.