Sanctuary has several kinds of points, and many tile scores depend on the finished zoo. Count the face-up animal, building and project tiles, then open areas, conservation achievements, unused markers and any end-of-game bonus. This page separates each category and gives a worked arithmetic example. The how-to-play guide covers when each piece enters your zoo.
Final score checklist
| Category | What to count | Typical pitfall |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo tiles | Printed or conditional points on animals, buildings and projects still in the zoo | Counting an animal covered by a release project |
| Open areas | One point for each open area in the zoo, including the two printed on the map and face-down tiles you added | Forgetting printed spaces or treating a face-down tile’s original face as active |
| Conservation achievements | Point values on your markers placed under objectives | Scoring icons again as if they were points |
| Unused markers | Two points per remaining Conservation marker and Pouch marker | Counting conservation markers you already returned to the supply |
| Game-end marker | Ten points for the triggering player, or five for a qualifying response-turn player | Assuming everyone receives a bonus |
Solo games also add five points per unused, face-down Solo marker after a successful game. That is a comparison score; the solo win condition still depends on ending the game in time.
Fixed points versus conditional points
A tile with a fixed value scores the printed amount. For a tile with a condition, look at its exact wording and relevant icons at final scoring. An icon may need to be directly adjacent, part of an unbroken connected group, or anywhere in the zoo. These are three different scopes.
Adjacent example: a tile scoring two points for each neighboring Primate icon only examines the tiles touching it; its own Primate icon, if present, is excluded by that scoring condition. Connected example: a tile scoring two points per Europe icon in a connected Europe group can follow a path of Europe tiles beyond its immediate neighbors. A Europe tile separated by a non-Europe tile does not join that group. Whole-zoo example: a tile scoring two points per Building icon can count buildings anywhere, including itself if it bears that icon. Always follow the specific symbol and tile wording.
Petting zoo groups: a worked comparison
The petting zoo condition awards 3 points for a single animal, 9 for a connected group of two, or 18 for a connected group of three or more. This is a group total, not a per-animal multiplier. If a Donkey and Sheep touch while a Goat sits elsewhere, the two groups score 9 + 3 = 12 points. Connect the Goat to the first group and all three together score 18. Separate groups are counted separately, so do not merge animals across a gap.
Some other tiles score from the same icons too. Count each tile’s own condition if applicable, but do not award the petting-zoo group total three times. The separate Kiosk promo tile adds its own adjacency-based points when used; it does not replace the underlying group rule.
Conservation achievements and spent markers
Each player has four differently numbered achievement markers. You may place one beneath an objective you have not supported yet, using enough of that objective’s icons in your zoo. A Conservation marker you spend can make up one missing icon, but at least one real matching icon must already be in the zoo. The selected achievement marker’s printed points are then part of your final score. Its number is a threshold, not an extra point value to add.
Example: with three bird icons and two Conservation markers, you can spend the two markers to support a five-icon bird objective, provided that objective is in this game and your five-icon achievement marker is available. The rulebook’s example values that marker at 14 points. The spent markers do not also earn two points each at game end. A marker you save instead remains worth two points, so compare the better achievement and tempo against that opportunity cost.
What happens when the game ends?
A player who supports all four objectives or fills all playable spaces on the map at the end of their turn triggers the end and takes the ten-point marker. Every other player gets one last turn. If a responding player also meets one of those two conditions on their last turn, they take a five-point marker. If the face-down tile pile runs out before either player-triggered condition, play ends immediately after that turn and there is no automatic ten-point reward for simply emptying the pile.
Hypothetical score sheet
Imagine a completed zoo with 26 points from animals, 12 from buildings, 9 from projects, four from open areas, 22 from placed conservation achievements, three unused markers worth six, and a ten-point end marker. The sum is 26 + 12 + 9 + 4 + 22 + 6 + 10 = 89. These category amounts are illustrative; actual tile values depend on the exact tiles and map. Use a scorepad and resolve each conditional tile before adding category totals.
Ties and final check
Highest total wins. On a tie, the player with more animal tiles in their zoo wins; if still tied, victory is shared. A covered animal is no longer in the zoo and should not count for this tiebreaker. Check the official interactive rules or the printed glossary for an unusual icon interaction rather than guessing from this general method.
Source: publisher-verified Sanctuary rules, especially Final Scoring and Scoring Conditions, checked October 3, 2026. Arithmetic examples are illustrative.