The BAFTA-nominated team behind the highly successful children’s creativity platform Night Zookeeper has officially announced its next venture, Wilds by Night Zookeeper. Slated for release on PC and mobile devices in November 2026, the upcoming multiplayer game is uniquely designed to put the imagination of young players directly at the absolute center of the digital gameplay experience.
The multiplayer creature-collecting game is built entirely around the simple philosophy that players should author their own original characters rather than merely choosing from preset parts designed by someone else. Using an innovative creation system, any drawing can seamlessly transform into a fully playable 3D creature—whether it is a banana hedgehog, a disco llama, or a three-eyed dragon. Once brought into the magical universe of the Night Zoo, each custom creature is assigned its own distinctive look, personality traits, and special combat abilities.
The gameplay challenges players to explore and rebuild an evolving magical world where creativity has been drained away. Together with their roster of custom characters, players will build out their own personal spaces, tackle strange challenges, and engage in strategic battles against the grey, shadowy Voids that threaten the land. Rather than treating user-generated content as a superficial decoration, the entire title is built to highlight community expression, allowing players to collect Wilds created by others.
The project builds on more than 15 years of creative work by the London-based Night Zookeeper team, which has already helped over one million children worldwide create stories and write over one billion words. Josh Davidson of Night Zookeeper explained that the core goal of the project is to take the childhood magic of drawing a character and allow that creation to come to life in a game, giving players the power to shape the identity of the universe itself from day one.
For concerned parents looking for a safer, more active screen experience over passive digital consumption, the game offers a secure creative alternative. The title completely omits live chat functions and encourages meaningful experimentation over simple repetition. Anticipated fans can officially wishlist the title on Steam starting today.
