Zoochosis: Everything We Know

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to petting a giraffe or two in Clapperheads’ upcoming bodycam horror game, Zoochosis. The fact is, though, that my hopes of brushing noses with a fluffy companion are next to nonexistent, as the nights in this particular zoo are home to several skeletal species—once-loving animals that, due to a local infestation, have taken the form of horrifying beasts and begun to run rampant during the twilight hours. Think Five Nights at Freddy’s, but with fewer sadistic animatronics and more spider-like kangaroos, and you’ll have an idea of what it’s getting at.

At the time of writing, Zoochosis doesn’t have a concrete release date, but it has been mentioned in passing that it’ll be shaping up for a release on Steam at some point in the (hopefully) not-so-distant future. Care to hear the whole story ahead of its debut? Then let’s press on.

What Is Zoochosis?

If you, like me, had high hopes of catering to an otter or two in a Stardew Valley-like fashion, then you’re about to have your whole world shattered. As it turns out, Zoochosis is a different type of petting simulation game, and one that just so happens to transpire over the course of a single evening in the darkest corners of a zoo. Surprise surprise, the animals aren’t as cute and cuddly as they once were, and are now infected by a horrible disease that causes them to mindlessly attack their owners. That’s you, by the way.

Taking on the role of a zookeeper, players will need to set out to not only complete the usual duties of an animal-loving caretaker, but also identify potential infections and ultimately prevent them from developing any further. So again, while you will be able to pet an animal or two from time to time, the bulk of your journey will involve having to deal with tasks of a different, slightly more complicated nature.

Story

It goes like this: you’ve just filled the position of a nighttime zookeeper at a seemingly harmless, fun-filled wildlife park. Your goal, really, is to tend to the animals in your care, and do all in your power to assure their wellbeing as the hours whittle down through twilight. The only issue here, sadly, is that several of the animals are vulnerable to a viscous infection—a deadly virus that just so happens to transform them into horrifying demons. Bring the zookeeper (and a rather devoted one, at that), you must set out to not only keep track of the animals, but locate a cure that’s strong enough to reverse the effects.

Gameplay

From what we’ve caught of the game so far, players will be able to explore an enormous selection of habitats and enclosures in and around the zoo. In addition to exploring said zoo, players will also have the ability to trial new life-saving technologies and, with great bravery, put them to the test out in the field over the course of one long, long night. That means being able to examine animals, and also cure them of all their ghastly illnesses.

There’s a bit of bad news to all of this: not every animal can be saved during your time as zookeeper. According to the devs, the actions you take along the way will determine the fate of the zoo and its inhabitants. So, prepare to make some brutal decisions, basically.

Development

Developer Clapperheads, the team behind the likes of Sparky Marky and Hello Neighbor: Diaries, first lifted the veil on Zoochosis earlier this week. To go alongside its announcement, the studio also brought out a short teaser trailer, mainly outlining some of the key enemies that’ll feature in the campaign, along with a press release, revealing the inspiration behind the latest project.

“We are thrilled to unveil our latest horror project, Zoochosis, to the world,” said Clapperheads CEO and co-founder Oleg Gaze in a press release. “We’re always on top of trends, and we think bodycams are a killer way to amp up the tension and really get players really in the heart of the game. And trust me, in Zoochosis, there’s a lot going down! We have handpicked a theme that we feel is a real crowd-pleaser, not just for our team but for many more people; animals. Not just animals, but the big focus on saving them, stopping them from vanishing off the face of the earth. Then bam! You’re thrown into this crazy scenario where as a night zookeeper, a parasite infects your animal friends, and it’s a matter of survival for you and the animals in your care.”

Trailer

Looking to soak up a bit more than the bog-standard in-game screenshot and info dump? As luck would have it, the devs did go on to post a trailer of their upcoming horror game on their chosen streaming handle earlier this week. Need we say more? You can check it out for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Zoochosis will be releasing on PC via Steam at some point in Q2 2024. If all goes according to plan, then we should, with any luck, have a concrete release date by the end of February or March of 2024. As for whether or not it’ll be launching on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch is still anybody’s guess. From the looks of it, though, it appears that PC users will be getting exclusive bragging rights. Still, never say never.

Interested in staying up to date with Zoochosis? If so, then be sure to check in with the team over at Clapperheads for all the latest updates via their official social handle here. If anything happens to pop up ahead of its global debut, then we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Zoochosis when it arrives on its chosen platforms? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.