Cowboy Safari Game

About Cowboy Safari

Saddle up and dive into the wild! Cowboy Safari lets you lasso, ride, and tame exotic animals as you build your own thriving safari zoo packed with adventure and fun.

Cowboy Safari is an animal-taming adventure game, which is fast-paced and allows you to play as a cowboy in a race against the wilderness with a lasso in your hand. You are aiming to hunt, ride and befriend animals in various places, open grasslands, mountain trails, and construct and run your own zoo with exotic animals.

The gameplay combines the running game with loot and management. When you run, you are able to jump to the other animals and each has a personality and a behavior. There are those who run fast, and those who fly off; therefore time and delicacy are all. Animals are tamed and then put into your zoo where you can make upgrades to your habitats, earn coins and unlock zones. Cowboy Safari is unique in the sense that it has an element of action and strategy. You are not riding alone in the distance, you are also creating an animal kingdom, accomplishing missions and finding some exotic species such as zebras, buffalo, and elephants.

Cowboy Safari Gameplay Overview

Cowboy Safari combines the excitement of a running game with loot collection and zoo management. As a cowboy racing against the wilderness, you'll use your lasso to catch, ride, and tame various animals across different biomes—open grasslands, mountain trails, and more.

The core gameplay loop involves running, jumping between animals, and taming them before they buck you off. Each animal has unique movement patterns and behaviors that require precise timing and control. Fast animals require quick reactions, while flying animals need careful aim and timing.

As you progress, you'll build your safari zoo by adding tamed animals to habitats. You can upgrade these habitats to improve animal performance, increase passive income, and unlock special abilities. The game features missions that reward gold based on your current zone and difficulty level, providing clear progression goals.

The game features helpful on-screen tutorials that guide new players through the basics. These tutorials gradually disappear once you've mastered the controls, allowing for a smooth learning curve without interrupting the fun.

How to Play Cowboy Safari

Cowboy Safari offers simple, intuitive controls that let you focus on the thrill of the ride. The game features helpful on-screen instructions during gameplay to guide you through the basics.

Basic Controls

• Press Spacebar: Throw your lasso to catch an animal.
• Hold Spacebar: Keep your lasso ready while aiming.
• Release Spacebar: Jump onto the animal once you're close enough.
• Arrow Keys: Steer your cowboy while riding to dodge obstacles and aim for your next target.
• Press Spacebar Again: Leap to another animal before your current one gets angry and bucks you off.

Learning the Basics

The game makes it easy for new players to learn by showing on-screen instructions during gameplay. Helpful hints like "Press Spacebar," "Press & Hold," or "Press to Steer" appear as you play, guiding you step by step through the basics of riding, steering, and jumping between animals. These tutorials gradually disappear once you've mastered the controls, allowing you to enjoy a smooth and natural learning curve without interrupting the fun.

Fullscreen Mode Note

If you switch to fullscreen mode and your screen turns white, don't worry! Just click anywhere on the screen once to bring the game back. This is a minor bug that will be fixed soon.

Understanding Missions & Gold Rewards

Missions are the backbone of progression in Cowboy Safari. You can hold up to three missions at once, and completing them gives you gold depending on your current zone and difficulty level.

Mission Payouts by Zone

• 1-Star Savannah: 50 gold
• 2-Star Savannah: 100 gold
• 3-Star Savannah + 1-Star Jungle: 150 gold
• 2-Star Jungle: 300 gold
• 3-Star Jungle + 1-Star Mountains: 450 gold
• 2-Star Mountain: 900 gold
• 3-Star Mountain: 1350 gold

Pro tip: You can complete multiple missions in one run, so the rewards stack. It's entirely possible to earn 4,000+ gold in a single perfect ride if you line things up well.

Boss Missions

After enough normal missions, special Boss Missions unlock for certain animals. These are one-of-a-kind challenges that usually feature tougher terrain or unique animal behavior. They're difficult but worth it. Before attempting one, upgrade your animals first to at least level 4 or 5. A higher stamina bar and better control can make all the difference between a failed run and a new legendary animal in your zoo.

Mission Strategy

If you're stuck on a mission that requires a specific animal or a higher upgrade level, don't waste time replacing it. Missions refresh often enough that you'll always have something achievable to chase. Focus on completing multiple missions per run to maximize your gold earnings.

The Animal Features in Cowboy Safari

Cowboy Safari features dozens of animals across different biomes—each with unique movement and behavior. You can tame up to six of each species, with rare "shiny" versions appearing later in the game.

Notable Animals

• Buffalo: The all-rounder. Easy to control and strong early on.
• Zebra: Fast but jittery—perfect for long distance if you can manage the handling.
• Ostrich: One of the best crate-smashers when upgraded.
• Elephant: High durability, slower turning speed.
• Lion: Aggressive but fast, great for advanced players.

Rare Variants

Each animal species has rare "shiny" variants that appear later in the game. Upgrade level 8 doubles your chances of finding rare variants of that species. These rare animals often have enhanced abilities or unique appearances.

Cash Cow

There's also a special Cash Cow, a premium animal that doubles your zoo's income. While this can provide a quicker progression path, many players find the grind more satisfying than paying for shortcuts.

Animal Habitat Upgrades

Every animal you tame unlocks its own habitat in your zoo. You can upgrade these enclosures up to eight times, using the gold you've earned. Each upgrade level provides different benefits:

Upgrade Levels Explained

• Upgrades 1–3: Extend how long you can ride before the animal gets angry.
• Upgrade 4: Increases your zoo's passive income by 50%. Prioritize this upgrade early on for every new animal.
• Upgrades 5–6: Add special abilities (like faster acceleration or crate bonuses).
• Upgrade 7: Earns coins for specific in-game actions (e.g., lions earn gold for eating, ostriches for running angry).
• Upgrade 8: Doubles your chances of finding rare variants of that species.

Upgrade Strategy

Focus your spending on upgrade level 4 across all animals first—it provides the best return on investment. This upgrade increases your zoo's passive income by 50%, which helps fund future upgrades and progression. After reaching level 4 on multiple animals, you can focus on upgrading specific animals to higher levels for their special abilities.

Crates and Bonus Gold

While running, you'll notice bouncing wooden crates scattered around. Smashing them gives you bonus coins—small at first, but surprisingly valuable later. Approximate coin values by area:

• Savannah: 6 coins
• Jungle: 15 coins
• Mountain: 30 coins

Certain animals, like ostriches and elephants, gain crate multiplier bonuses as you upgrade them. A 3× upgrade can turn a 6-coin crate into 20 coins or more. Always target crates when your current animal has a multiplier bonus active—it's free money lying on the path.

Pro Tips for Long Runs

• Learn Animal Timing: Every animal has its own "anger timer." Switch right before they buck you off to maintain momentum and avoid losing your run.
• Don't Panic-Jump: Jumping too early makes you miss the next target animal. Wait until you're within lasso range before attempting to jump.
• Always Go for New Animals: Taming a fresh species gives a permanent boost to zoo income. Prioritize catching new animals over sticking with familiar ones.
• Upgrade Strategically: Focus on revenue-boosting upgrades first (especially level 4), then distance. This ensures you have a steady income stream to fund future upgrades.
• Complete Multiple Missions Per Run: Stack missions efficiently to multiply gold gain. Plan your route to complete as many missions as possible in a single run.
• Target Crates with Multipliers: When your current animal has a crate multiplier bonus active, always target crates. The bonus coins add up quickly and can significantly boost your earnings.
• Upgrade Before Boss Missions: Before attempting Boss Missions, upgrade your animals to at least level 4 or 5. The improved stamina and control make a huge difference.

Cowboy Safari FAQs

• How do I catch an animal? Press Spacebar to throw your lasso. Hold Spacebar while aiming, then release when you're close enough to jump onto the animal.
• What happens when an animal gets angry? Each animal has an anger timer. If you don't jump to another animal before the timer runs out, the animal will buck you off and your run ends. Learn each animal's timing to maintain long runs.
• How do I earn gold? Complete missions, smash crates, and upgrade your zoo habitats. Missions provide the most gold, especially when you complete multiple missions in a single run.
• What's the best upgrade strategy? Focus on upgrade level 4 for all animals first—it increases your zoo's passive income by 50%. This provides the best return on investment and helps fund future upgrades.
• What are Boss Missions? Boss Missions are special challenges that unlock after completing enough normal missions. They feature tougher terrain or unique animal behavior and reward legendary animals for your zoo.
• How do I find rare animal variants? Upgrade animals to level 8, which doubles your chances of finding rare "shiny" variants. These rare animals often have enhanced abilities.
• What should I do if the screen turns white in fullscreen mode? Just click anywhere on the screen once to bring the game back. This is a minor bug that will be fixed soon.
• Can I play on mobile devices? Yes! Cowboy Safari is fully optimized for browser (desktop, mobile, and tablet). The controls adapt to touch screens for mobile play.