# Roll Player vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is price: Roll Player at $4.99 against Ark Nova's $10.99. Roll Player also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Ark Nova's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 277). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Roll Player costs $4.99 and Ark Nova $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Roll Player against 4.8 for Ark Nova. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 277 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Roll Player's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ark Nova's.

Roll Player ships an update every 3 months, Ark Nova every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Roll Player | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (277 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roll-player-the-board-game/id1575755196/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 277 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.4% of reviews** | 73.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #174 | **#32** |
| Size | 138 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mipmap](https://appshunter.io/developer/1121737089) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Roll Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roll-player-the-board-game/id1575755196)

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

Strategize by drafting dice to build a fantasy character's attributes, gear, and skills. Compete to create the most reputable hero and win the game. Features include multiplayer, AI opponents, and solo challenges.

**Highlights:** Dice drafting and manipulation, Character attribute building, Weapon and armor purchasing, Skill and trait acquisition, Cross-platform online multiplayer, AI opponents, Solo and local multiplayer modes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful adaptation of board game mechanics
- 🎮 Engaging puzzle-like gameplay with dice mitigation
- ✨ Clean, polished, and intuitive user interface
- 🎨 Visually appealing design and presentation
- 💰 No intrusive in-app purchases or ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Online multiplayer games frequently disappear mid-game
- 🐛 Asynchronous game crashes causing progress loss
- 🎮 Limited character customization in solo mode
- 📱 Landscape-only orientation (not portrait-friendly)
- 🔤 Text size too small on certain devices

**Reported bugs**

- Asynchronous multiplayer games disappear and reappear randomly
- Online private games crash causing all progress to be lost
- Games disconnect mid-play with no recovery option
- Online multiplayer services intermittently unavailable
- Account functionality not working properly

**Requested features**

- Monsters & Minions expansion pack
- Fiends & Familiars expansion pack
- Additional expansion content from physical game
- Full character customization in solo play
- High score/leaderboard tracking


### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Paid · Board, #97 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 Roll Player free?

Roll Player costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Roll Player or Ark Nova?

Ark Nova is rated higher. Roll Player averages 4.8 out of 5 from 277 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Roll Player or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither Roll Player nor Ark Nova shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Roll Player or Ark Nova?

Roll Player ships an update every 3 months, and Ark Nova every 3 weeks. Most recently, Roll Player was updated on October 30, 2026 and Ark Nova on October 30, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Roll Player or Ark Nova?

Roll Player currently peaks at #174 in the App Store charts, and Ark Nova at #32. 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.*