First Player vs Ark Nova
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Player
This app offers a quick and completely random way to decide who goes first in any game. Avoid arguments and ensure fairness by letting technology make the choice.
- Random player selection
- Fast decision making
- Fair game start
- Eliminates arguments
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Can't decide who the starting player is? When being first player could make a difference, don't let "the oldest one" take that advantage from you! Get out your phone and let the app decide. Totally random and fast!
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.
- 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
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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.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: First Player at Free against Ark Nova's $7.99. First Player also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Ark Nova's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On review sentiment, ads 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
First Player is free to download; Ark Nova costs $7.99 up front. First Player sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ark Nova asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ark Nova holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ark Nova has 1.2K ratings behind it against 212, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of First Player's written reviews are positive against 72% of Ark Nova's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
First Player ships an update every 4 months, Ark Nova every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Player | Ark Nova |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $7.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (212 ratings) | 4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews — better | 72.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 212 | 1.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #24 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 682 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Florian Letz | Dire Wolf Digital |
Customer experience
First Player
Ark Nova
User reviews
First Player
From 212 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Works as intended
- 🎯 Straight to the point
- 🎮 Fun for game night
- 💡 Useful for deciding first player
Room to improve
- ⚠️ Limited to 5 players
- 💸 Upgrade not worth it
- 👎 Disappointing limitations
- 🎨 Lacks visual flair
- 📱 Free version issues
Ark Nova
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great implementation overall
- 👍 Lots of fun
- 👍 Good animations
- 👍 Choice of modes
- 👍 Clean, modern and enjoyable design
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Bugs and requests
First Player
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes at 6+ players
- Upgrade purchase issues
- In-app purchase not unlocking features
- Touch and hold limited to 5 fingers
- Three finger touch conflicts with iOS gestures
Requested features
3 requests- Allow more than 5 players
- More visual customization (colors, pizazz)
- Unlock all features in free version
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
In-app purchases
First Player
- All-in-One$0.99
Ark Nova
No in-app purchases
