# Ark Nova vs Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter

The clearest difference is price: Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Ark Nova's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 61) and chart position (#33 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter 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 — 4.8 for Ark Nova against 4.9 for Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.2K ratings behind it against 61, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Ark Nova's written reviews are positive against 75% of Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter's.

Ark Nova ships an update fortnightly, Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ark Nova | Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $10.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews) | **[4.9 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-shuffle-smart-counter/id6544800532/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 61 |
| Positive reviews | 72.9% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#33** | — |
| Size | 682 MB | 445 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) | [DIGIDICED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044671795) |

## What reviewers say

### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Paid · Board, #109 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


### Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-shuffle-smart-counter/id6544800532)

Automate scoring for the board game Forest Shuffle™ by scanning your cards. This app handles multiple scans, allows for editing, and supports cross-device QR code sharing. It also includes a card glossary and saves past game sessions.

**Highlights:** Scan trees through the camera, Automatic score counting, Merge scans from multiple devices, Archive previous sessions, Card glossary access, Cross-device QR code sharing

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Makes scoring a breeze
- 👍 Very user-friendly
- 💡 Innovative idea for a game
- ⏱️ Saves significant time
- 💯 Accurate scoring

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent card recognition
- 🐛 Difficulty scanning complex trees
- 🐛 Some cards not recognized
- 🐛 Issues with specific animals/cards
- 🐛 UI/UX could be more intuitive

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot scan trees with more than 4 cards
- QR code player scanning not working
- Does not recognize cards 95% of the time
- Does not consider multiple cards on the same side of a tree
- Steinmarder (stone marten) scoring incorrect

**Requested features**

- Add support for Dartmoor expansion
- Add support for Mischwald Dartmoor
- Add support for Exploration expansion
- Add support for new caves
- Automatic photo capture


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

### Is Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter free?

Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ark Nova or Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter?

Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter is rated higher. Ark Nova averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter averages 4.9 from 61 ratings.

### Do Ark Nova or Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter have ads?

Neither Ark Nova nor Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ark Nova or Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter?

Ark Nova ships an update fortnightly, and Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter every 10 days. Most recently, Ark Nova was updated on October 19, 2026 and Forest Shuffle™ Smart Counter 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.*