# Ark Nova vs Talisman

The clearest difference is price: Ark Nova at $10.99 against Talisman's $24.99. Ark Nova also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 1) and chart position (#33 vs unranked). Talisman's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Ark Nova costs $10.99 and Talisman $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Talisman holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Ark Nova ships an update every 3 weeks, Talisman weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ark Nova | Talisman |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$10.99** | $24.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-nova/id6449233549/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talisman-classic-complete/id6755731861/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#33** | — |
| Size | 682 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) | [Nomad Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/681942256) |

## What reviewers say

### Ark Nova

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

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Paid · Board, #111 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


### Talisman

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talisman-classic-complete/id6755731861)

Experience the complete fantasy board game adventure with all expansions and characters included. This one-time purchase offers hundreds of hours of gameplay, allowing you to customize your experience with unique abilities and challenging encounters.

**Highlights:** Faithful adaptation of Revised 4th Edition, Includes all 16 Classic Expansions, 24 additional characters, Over 100 selectable heroes and villains, Eight Legendary Decks for increased challenge, Hundreds of hours of content

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ark Nova free?

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

### Is Talisman free?

Talisman costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Talisman is rated higher. Ark Nova averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Talisman averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Ark Nova or Talisman have ads?

Neither Ark Nova nor Talisman shows ads.

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

Ark Nova ships an update every 3 weeks, and Talisman weekly. Most recently, Ark Nova was updated on November 3, 2026 and Talisman on October 30, 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.*