Ark Nova

Ark Nova

by Dire Wolf Digital

1.1K ratings
119 reviews
$10.99 $7.99

Lowest price: $7.99 a month ago (-0%)


Price history


Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • June 19, 2025
  • July 2, 2026

Features

Ark Nova video #1 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #2 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #3 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #4 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #5 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #6 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #7 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #8 for iPhone
Ark Nova screenshot #9 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
🖼️Get Icon
Icons↘︎

About

Design and manage a modern zoo to support global conservation efforts. Build enclosures, house animals, and utilize unique cards for special abilities. Compete to create the most successful zoological establishment.

Plan and design a modern zoo
Build enclosures and accommodate animals
Support global conservation projects
Utilize 255 unique cards (animals, specialists, projects)
Upgrade action cards for gameplay
Increase zoo appeal and scientific reputation
Show original description

What users say

See all reviews

What's New in Ark Nova

1.0.6

July 2, 2026

Cosmetic Promotional Avatar support

Charts

Top Paid

📉 28-1

Board games

This game dropped -1 position in Board games chart.

Last updated on August 17, 2026.

Top Paid

📉 83-3

Strategy games

This game dropped -3 positions in Strategy games chart.

Last updated on August 17, 2026.

User reviews

Fun but buggy

The game crashes too much on ipad

Super fun! Highly recommend! Some areas for improvement but I’m along for the ride!

This game offers a unique experience for every gameplay with many different ways to approach strategy and variable components to monitor throughout. There is definitely a learning curve, but it is worth the time investment for a game that doesn’t start to feel like it’s on repeat after a few plays. I have both the physical and app version. The app version makes learning much easier because it blocks unqualified moves (such as not enough money or action power for a particular move) and highlights what you can do (such as the additional cost for playing an animal from the display). These details are more challenging to monitor on the physical board game. The game is highly customizable with many offline solo options and either async or real-time online options.

There are a few points for improvement as development continues. 1- First and foremost… PLEASE ADD THE MARINE EXPANSION PACK TO THE IOS APP!!! 2- Also, the chat function is very handy, but you cannot see what you are typing beyond the initial line which can make it challenging to use, especially because the typing field is so tiny to begin with. It would be very nice if this could pop out into a separate maneuverable window or at least expand to show your full message in the typing field like a text message bubble would on any smart phone. 3- There is also a culture of players that like to go at warp speed, which is fun sometimes, other times a bit frustrating. It would be nice if the time per turn was an additional customizable component. This would likely mitigate some tensions for those who think a little longer and those who want to whip through turns at the speed of light. 4- Finally, the app does crash sometimes, has somewhat long loading times, and drains my phone/tablet battery pretty quickly. I imagine that operating such a detailed game does require significant power but the freezing during online games can be disruptive and sometimes kick you out of the game if you can’t reload quickly enough. For asynchronous games, if I open a different app on my phone with this game still up in the background, when I return to it I have to close it out and reopen it for it to register my opponents moves and allow me to take my turn. So it does not really run in the background which makes turn taking pretty inefficient. Overall, these issues don’t impede gameplay so significantly that it curbs my desire to play, it is still very enjoyable, but solutions would be nice if possible!

Creative suggestion… it would be really cool to have animal facts on the cards like we see in some other animal/nature games. Even cooler if they can somehow correlate with the animal’s power in the game. I have a degree in Wildlife Biology so I see a lot of opportunities for this in the card deck. Might even be nice to see an icon or animation of what animal is in which enclosure for easier scanning and engaging UI. Super cool game, highly recommend!!
Show more

Errors

I really like playing this game, however, there are errors within this app. When placing an animal with the appropriate partnership zoo, the reduction in price (-3) is not validated by the game. Also, certain conditions on the cards are not recognized and applied in this digital game.

I looking forward to play every day

Just stunning game lot of chalanges and you can even play with someone, graphic is amazing and its so much satisfying than real board game so glad it’s so cheap and I can play it all the time I want love this game thank you for making it so nice and exciting developers

Brilliant adaptation

Really enjoyable adaptation of this brilliant board game.

Developer apps

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

2 issues

iPad Flash exit issue

Bug

Rewards screen being blocked by other UI elements

Bug

Requested Features

4 requests

Option to enable larger UI buttons for modal panels

Feature

Full screen mode

Feature

Option to reverse zoom direction

Feature

Improved card readability/zoom

Feature

FAQ

What is Ark Nova?

Ark Nova is a strategy board game where players plan and build a modern, scientifically managed zoo. The goal is to create the most successful zoological establishment by building enclosures, housing animals, and supporting conservation projects worldwide.

What are the main actions in Ark Nova?

Players manage their gameplay using five action cards: BUILD (for enclosures and kiosks), ANIMALS (to accommodate animals), CARDS (to gain new zoo cards), ASSOCIATION (for association worker tasks), and SPONSORS (to play sponsor cards or raise money).

How do I win in Ark Nova?

The objective is to have the most successful zoological establishment. This is achieved by increasing the appeal and scientific reputation of your zoo, collecting conservation points, and completing conservation projects.

What makes Ark Nova replayable?

The game features high replayability due to its rich components and the variety offered by 255 unique cards. These cards include animals, specialists, unique enclosures, and conservation projects, each with particular abilities, ensuring a different experience each time.