Ark Nova lets players build a zoo and perform zoo-related activities.

No terraforming is required.

You will plan and design a modern, scientifically managed zoo. With the ultimate goal of owning the most successful zoological establishment, you will build enclosures, accommodate animals, and support conservation projects all over the world. Specialists and unique buildings will help you in achieving this goal.

Ark Nova Game Play

TL;DR Players are using actions to build and house animals in a zoo as well as a multitude of other things on the business and research side of zoo life.

Theme

Apart from certain animals needing certain types of enclosures and providing more tickets, it’s not very thematic. At least, it doesn’t feel it in gameplay.

Setup

The game comes with trays that look handy to lay the game out. Apart from that, the hardest part looks like shuffling the world’s largest deck of cards.

Components & Artwork

The components are standard euro game quality.

The art on the board and enclosures is actually quite nice. The animal cards are real pictures which is something I like in a nature game like this.

The graphic design and iconography look good and make sense for most of the game.

Ease of Teaching

I mean, I guess it’s quite straightforward. There is a lot to it and some things aren’t that intuitive. Like which cards you can take depending on which action you have from those on the board. Sometimes it’s any, sometimes it’s from a set amount depending on where you are on the track.

Cards in hand are hidden but you can always get someone to ask for help with those, no biggie.

Ark Nova Summary

So this is clearly inspired by Terraforming Mars. Ark Nova is a lot less convoluted and much better.

But it still has the same BIG problem.

But first, building the zoo, doing the animals thing and all the other stuff is good fun. The way the actions work, getting stronger (most of the time) when you pick other actions is really good. I know this has been done before but I would like to see it in more games.

The downside is those darn symbols. You need them to play animal cards, but you need to play animal cards to get them. Sometimes you happen upon them or take some action to get them and that’s fine. But if you don’t get them and you have a hand of unplayable crap it’s really frustrating.

It’s also quite long and even at 3 players, there can be a fair bit of downtime. Turns are mostly quick and quite often you know what you need to do in advance. But sometimes it’s not always the case. No wonder this is “Best at two players” according to BGG.

I would like to see this stripped down a bit and made to 60-90 minutes. There is already an expansion and if it follows Terra Forming Mars there will be many more and that lighter version of the game on the way.

Jesta ThaRogue