# X vs Ark Nova

The clearest difference is price: X at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. X also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 73%). Ark Nova's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 87) and chart position (#26 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

X is free to download; Ark Nova costs $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 — 4.7 for X against 4.8 for Ark Nova. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.2K ratings behind it against 87, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of X's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ark Nova's.

X ships an update every 3 weeks, Ark Nova fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | X | Ark Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $10.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-haven-assistant/id1639494414/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 87 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.4% of reviews** | 72.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#26** |
| Size | 100 MB | 682 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hans Moeller](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639494416) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-haven-assistant/id1639494414)

This app serves as an unofficial assistant for popular board games like Gloomhaven and Frosthaven. It aims to provide a seamless user experience by consolidating most functionalities onto a single screen, minimizing the need for user input during gameplay.

**Highlights:** Unofficial helper for Gloomhaven family games, Replaces unavailable Gloomhaven Helper, Focus on user experience, Single-screen functionality, Minimizes user input

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Streamlines setup and teardown
- 👍 Greatly improves gameplay experience
- 💡 Automates busywork and tracking
- ✅ Eliminates table clutter
- 🆓 Free and valuable resource

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Drains phone battery quickly
- 🔥 Makes phone heat up
- 🐛 Connection issues and instability
- 🐛 Networking code is problematic
- 🐛 Manual status removal required

**Reported bugs**

- Solo button not working
- Menu keeps opening on iPad mini
- Enemy attack cards re-appearing frequently
- Connection issues make app worthless
- Networking code is bad

**Requested features**

- Indicate when turn is over
- Automatically remove expired statuses
- Allow dragging to alter initiative order
- Make decks larger and easier to distinguish
- Undo for accidentally ending a round


### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #26 Top Paid · Board, #82 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 X free?

X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

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

Ark Nova is rated higher. X averages 4.7 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while Ark Nova averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do X or Ark Nova have ads?

Neither X nor Ark Nova shows ads.

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

X ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ark Nova fortnightly. Most recently, X was updated on October 18, 2026 and Ark Nova on October 19, 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.*