Zap Zap Zoo is a fast-reaction game where players race their animal pawns across a board to be the first to return to the zoo. Each player receives a colored set containing a pawn, a slapper, and a tiara fitted with animal ears that determine which character they represent.
On each turn, a player flips the top card from a shared deck. Cards display one, two, or three animal characters. All players must quickly check if their current character appears on the revealed card — if it does, they race to slap it first with their slapper.
The fastest correct slap earns the card and advances that player one space on the board. However, slapping incorrectly means moving back one space. Special spaces on the board force players to swap tiaras with opponents, changing everyone's animal identity and creating hilarious confusion. The first player to reach the final space on the board wins the game.