Comparison

Ark Nova vs Big Five Spotter

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ark Nova

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
Read full description

Plan and build a modern, scientifically managed zoo to support conservation projects in an acclaimed strategy board game. In Ark Nova, you will plan and design a modern, scientifically managed zoo. With the ultimate goal of owning the most successful zoological establishment, you will build enclosures, accommodate animals, and support conservation projects all over the world. Specialists and unique buildings will help you in achieving this goal. At the heart of Ark Nova are 255 cards featuring animals, specialists, unique enclosures, and conservation projects, each with a particular ability. Use them to increase the appeal and scientific reputation of your zoo and to collect conservation points. Each player has a set of action cards, which you will use and upgrade to carry out your plans. Each player has a set of five action cards to manage their gameplay, and the power of an action is determined by the slot the card currently occupies. The cards are: BUILD: Allows you to build standard or special enclosures, kiosks, and pavilions. ANIMALS: Allows you to accommodate animals in your zoo. CARDS: Allows you to gain new zoo cards (animals, sponsors, and conservation project cards). ASSOCIATION: Allows your association workers to carry out different tasks. SPONSORS: Allows you to play a sponsor card in your zoo or to raise money. With high replayability and rich components, Ark Nova provides a remarkable gaming experience that will bring the game to the table again and again.

About

Big Five Spotter

Read full description

Big Five Spotter turns your African safari into a thrilling multiplayer wildlife sighting game. Compete with family and friends to spot the most animals and score the highest points. HOW IT WORKS - Create a game and share the join code with your group - Spot animals on your game drive and log sightings with a single tap - Earn bonus points for rare animals, baby sightings, family groups, and more - Confirm each other's sightings and build combo streaks - Track scores on a live leaderboard FEATURES - 40+ African wildlife species across four rarity tiers - Bonus tags: Baby, Family, Hunt/Kill, Night, Dawn, In Tree, Road Block - Powerful combos: Big Five, Cat Collector, Ugly Five, and more - Works offline — sightings queue and sync when you're back in range - Log sightings on behalf of other players - Real-time push notifications when someone spots an animal Perfect for family safaris in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kruger, Masai Mara, and beyond.

Screenshots

Ark Nova4 screens
Big Five Spotter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Big Five Spotter at Free against Ark Nova's $10.99. Big Five Spotter also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Ark Nova's advantage is chart position (#32 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Big Five Spotter is free to download; Ark Nova costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ark Nova ships an update fortnightly, Big Five Spotter every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Ark Nova versus Big Five Spotter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArk NovaBig Five Spotter
Price$10.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.2K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#32 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size682 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDire Wolf DigitalAnders Lövbrand

Bugs and requests

Ark Nova

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • iPad Flash exit issue
  • Rewards screen being blocked by other UI elements

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to enable larger UI buttons for modal panels
  • Full screen mode
  • Option to reverse zoom direction
  • Improved card readability/zoom

Big Five Spotter

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ark Nova

No in-app purchases

None

Big Five Spotter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ark Nova free?
Ark Nova costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Big Five Spotter free?
Big Five Spotter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ark Nova or Big Five Spotter have ads?
Neither Ark Nova nor Big Five Spotter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ark Nova or Big Five Spotter?
Ark Nova ships an update fortnightly, and Big Five Spotter every 4 days. Most recently, Ark Nova was updated on October 19, 2026 and Big Five Spotter on October 7, 2026.

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