# Viticulture vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is rating: Ark Nova at 4.8 against Viticulture's 3.7. Ark Nova also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (72% vs 55%). Viticulture's advantage is price ($8.99 vs $10.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Viticulture costs $8.99 and Ark Nova $10.99 up front. Viticulture sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ark Nova asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ark Nova holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.2K ratings behind it against 93, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Viticulture's written reviews are positive against 72% of Ark Nova's.

Viticulture ships an update every 3 weeks, Ark Nova every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Viticulture | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$8.99** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [3.7 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viticulture/id1467248737/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 93 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **72.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #174 | **#35** |
| Size | 322 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DIGIDICED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044671795) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Viticulture

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viticulture/id1467248737)

**Currently charting:** #174 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Manage a vineyard in pre-modern Tuscany, allocating workers and visitors to tasks across seasons. Expand your estate, plant vines, and fulfill wine orders to become the top winery owner. Enjoy single-player or multiplayer modes with global competition.

**Highlights:** Worker and visitor allocation, Seasonal tasks, Vineyard expansion, Wine order fulfillment, Single-player vs AI, Online multiplayer, Asynchronous gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tuscany Essential Edition | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful recreation of beloved board game
- 🎮 Engaging gameplay with strategic depth
- 🎨 Good graphics and visual presentation
- 🎵 Nice background music
- 📱 Convenient portable play anywhere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 AI turns extremely slow and tedious
- 🎮 Clunky and unintuitive user interface
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and game freezes
- ❌ Poor UI conventions and design patterns
- ⏱️ Excessive confirmation buttons required

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on startup or during gameplay
- Unable to plant grapes despite having buildings
- Special workers cannot be selected at correct times
- Merchant worker action not functioning
- Game hangs when multiple human players with AI

**Requested features**

- Tuscany expansion (now available)
- Moors and Visitors expansion
- Auto-save functionality for crashes
- Improved notification system
- Configurable turn timers for casual play


### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Paid · Board, #129 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 Viticulture free?

Viticulture costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Viticulture or Ark Nova?

Ark Nova is rated higher. Viticulture averages 3.7 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Viticulture or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither Viticulture nor Ark Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Viticulture or Ark Nova?

Viticulture ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ark Nova every 2 weeks. Most recently, Viticulture was updated on September 24, 2026 and Ark Nova on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Viticulture or Ark Nova?

Viticulture currently peaks at #174 in the App Store charts, and Ark Nova at #35. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*