Let me open by saying that this review is for those who have already played Zooloretto. If you are not familiar with the gameplay of that game, please check out some of the information there first.

Components: There really is no difference in quality of components between the 2 games, in fact they both have the same number of animal tiles, the same number of zoo boards, the same number of trucks, and the same number of wooden coins. Aquaretto does have a couple less coin tiles, doesn’t have the vending stalls, and it has some additional expansion boards. The most notable addition to Aquaretto is the meeples that are used in some of the new mechanics.

Turn Actions: There is no change in the basic game turn from Zooloretto. A player has the option to draw a tile, take a truck, or perform a money action. The money actions are basically the same as well. For 1 coin = You can choose to move a tile from your depot (the barn) into your zoo. For 2 coins = You can purchase a tile from an opponents depot, or discard a tile from your depot. And for 1 or 2 coins = You can expand your zoo. The only addition is that you can also use the 1 coin move action to move a meeple (something I will discuss more below.)

Tile Placement: Well the first thing that will strike you when you look at the zoo boards in Aquaretto is that there aren’t pre-arranged enclosures for your animals. Instead there is a tile-laying aspect added to the game where 2 different types of animals are not allowed to lay adjacent to each other. However the same species of animal must be put adjacent to each other. So you have to try and maximize your space to get as many animals on your board without running 2 different species into each other. (Note: 2 different animal tiles are allowed to touch one another diagonally, just not side-to-side.) At the beginning of the game you are only allowed to have 3 different animals in your zoo.

The Depot: The tiles in your depot (aka the barn) will still lose you 2 points for each different species that you have at the end of the game. The difference is that when you place animal tiles into your depot you are forced to stack them. So only the top animal on the stack is accessible for opponents to purchase, and for you to discard or move. Although you can always look through any ones stack, you cannot rearrange it.

The Expansions: Each player is given 4 expansion boards that they can purchase and add to their zoo on any turn. Two of the expansions cost 1 coin and they have a 3-tile L-shaped arrangement. The other two expansions cost 2 coins and are a square of 4 tiles. When you purchase the expansions they can be attached to any part of your existing zoo. They merely need to be placed so that they continue at least one row or column. The larger expansions also allow the player to have an additional species of animal in their zoo when they are purchased (so you can have up to 5 species if you purchase both of these large expansions.)

Making money: Since there aren’t confined enclosures, you don’t get bonuses anymore for filling them. So in this game you get a coin each and every time you increase the number of a single species in an enclosure to a multiple of 3. This bonus comes regardless of where the third, sixth, ninth, or twelfth tile comes from.

Coworkers: You get a coworker (aka meeple) each time you add the fifth or tenth tile to an enclosure. The coworkers can be assigned various jobs, each of which will add to your points at the end of the game. The possible jobs include:
1) Cashier = If you place the meeple on one of your checkout booths you will gain 1 point for each coin you have at the end of the game. You can add a second cashier as well which will give you 2 points for each coin you have.
2) Keeper = If you place the meeple on one of your feeding stations you will receive 1 point for each fish symbol that is on your animal tiles at the end of the game. (30 of the animal tiles have a small fish symbol in one corner.) You can add a second keeper as well which will give you 2 points for each fish symbol.
3) Trainer = If you place the meeple on an empty space in your zoo he will score you 1 point for each Dolphin, Orca, or Sea Lion tile that is surrounding him (including those that are diagonally adjacent.) The only exceptions are 6 animal tiles that have a small lightning bolt on them. These animals are too wild to be trained and will not score the bonus. You can put multiple trainers on your board, and more than one trainer can score for the same tile if they are both adjacent to that tile.
4) Manager = If you place the meeple on your depot board he will reduce the penalty that you pay for each different species in your depot at the end of the game from 2 to 1.

Scoring: The scoring in Aquaretto is quite simple. You receive 1 point for each animal in your zoo, you add in points for your coworkers, and you subtract points for your depot.

Blott’s Opinion: I like Aquaretto a lot. I think that there is a decent amount of additional strategy in this game. Choosing how to place your tiles strategically is nice, and carefully placing your expansions is also cool. I enjoy the strategy behind placing the coworkers, they add a lot more to the game than simply choosing which obvious place to put a vending stall. Also, since there are fewer tiles to draw, this game could conceivably be shorter than Zooloretto. The only drawback to this game is remembering to award the coins and meeples. It’s easy to forget, for instance, when you place the fifth tile which creates a baby, at that point you have to remember that the player gets a coin and a meeple. I assume this will become more second-nature with more games played. I also like that there seems to be more money flowing through this game. It always feels like you can acquire a coin if you really need it. Plus it is nice that there is a way to gain points for your coins. So often in Zooloretto someone takes a couple coins with their last truck and they complain that these coins are so worthless at that point of the game. I definitely enjoy this reinterpretation of the game mechanic, and will probably be opting to play Aquaretto a lot more than Zooloretto now.

Recommendations: Choose which category best fits you, and that will determine my recommendation for you:
1) I absolutely hated Zooloretto = There is a better than average chance that you will also dislike Aquaretto. Despite all the things I have listed in this review, there really isn’t that significant a change in the gameplay to turn your opinion around.
2) I was just so-so on Zooloretto = There is a slight chance that Aquaretto will have the added strategy that you felt was missing in Zooloretto. However if you are looking for something that is stronger in theme or something that is significantly deeper, you will probably need to look elsewhere.
3) I thought Zooloretto was fun = Then you will also find Aquaretto fun. It might even provide the extra something to make it great for you.
4) I absolutely adored Zooloretto = You are the target audience for Aquaretto. This game builds on the knowledge that you have in place from Zooloretto, and makes an even stronger game. It also is another nice step up for people who experience Zooloretto as their gateway game. Plus there is a nifty way that you can play both games together (although this looks like it would make the game a lot longer, and it would certainly take up a lot more table space.)
5) I’ve never played Zooloretto but I have some interest = If you are looking for a really simple game, or a gateway game, then I would say go with Zooloretto. Otherwise I would recommend you skip that game and dive right into Aquaretto. It’s a stronger game, and will really hit the spot for you.
6) I’ve never played Zooloretto and I have no interest = Then why are you reading this review? Seriously, I doubt this will be enough to change your mind. Aquaretto is fun, but if you’re looking for Caylus, you will be extremely disappointed.