# Hero Realms vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is price: Hero Realms at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. Ark Nova's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 13). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Hero Realms is free to download; Ark Nova costs $10.99 up front. Hero Realms sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Ark Nova asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ark Nova holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.2K ratings behind it against 219, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Hero Realms's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ark Nova's.

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, Ark Nova fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hero Realms | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-realms/id1396367189/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 219 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.2% of reviews | **72.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#30** |
| Size | 432 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Hero Realms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-realms/id1396367189)

Engage in strategic deckbuilding combat, recruiting champions and using gold to acquire new cards. Battle opponents online or cooperatively against AI, with a single-player campaign available. Level up your hero and unlock new classes and missions.

**Highlights:** Deckbuilding combat, Recruit champions, Online PVP, Cooperative online play, Single player campaign, Hero leveling system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 80 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| 200 gems | $2.29 | one-time |
| Four Journeys Campaign | $3.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hero Realms: Call to Arms | $4.99 | one-time |
| Journeys Expansions | $4.99 | one-time |
| Journeys Promo Expansion | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dungeons Expansion | $7.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hero Realms Base Set | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6500 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| 14000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game mechanics
- 🚀 Smooth and polished app
- 💡 Diverse game modes (PvP, co-op, campaign)
- 👍 Faithful adaptation of the physical card game
- 💡 Character progression and leveling system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Lack of local multiplayer (pass-and-play)
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for additional content
- 🌐 Lack of language support (e.g., no French, Spanish)
- 🔍 Unclear tutorial and explanations of game mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to play online
- Inability to access purchased content
- Freezing and black screen issues
- Incorrect character level progression
- Matchmaking problems and long wait times

**Requested features**

- Add more expansions and additional content
- Implement a friends list and social features
- Improve the campaign mode with more levels and challenges
- Add an option to check the contents of your deck before playing
- Implement a turn timer to prevent players from stalling


### Ark Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Paid · Board, #107 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great implementation overall
- 👍 Lots of fun
- 👍 Good animations
- 👍 Choice of modes
- 👍 Clean, modern and enjoyable design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tile placement/rotation issues on iPad
- 🐛 Building placement UI issues
- 👎 Difficult to read board state on mobile
- 👎 Lack of simultaneous view for key game info
- 👎 Cumbersome to create games with friends

**Reported bugs**

- iPad Flash exit issue
- Rewards screen being blocked by other UI elements

**Requested features**

- Option to enable larger UI buttons for modal panels
- Full screen mode
- Option to reverse zoom direction
- Improved card readability/zoom


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hero Realms free?

Hero Realms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ark Nova free?

Ark Nova costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hero Realms or Ark Nova?

Ark Nova is rated higher. Hero Realms averages 4.3 out of 5 from 219 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Hero Realms or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither Hero Realms nor Ark Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hero Realms or Ark Nova?

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ark Nova fortnightly. Most recently, Hero Realms was updated on October 17, 2026 and Ark Nova on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*