Feuerland Spiele | Ark Nova | Board Game | Ages 14+ | 1-4 Players | 90-150 Minutes Playing Time

Product Information

Wingspan raised the bar, but did so with a short rulebook and clear explanatory text on its cards. There are still communities of people out there who bang their head up against it, however, even with elaborate video tutorials available on YouTube. Ark Nova took me about 20 minutes to set up, after which I watched a nearly 40-minute tutorial video to learn how to play. I’ve played probably 500 different board games in my life, so I’m familiar with just about all of the mechanics involved here — but I’m in the extreme minority. In the board game 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. To do this the game uses several different mechanisms and cleverly combines them to provide 1 to 4 players with a 90 to 150 minute game. The game includes 1 larger central gameboard, 1 association board, 8 double sided player mats, 255 playing cards, 129 wooden pieces, and more than 250 cardboard tokens and tiles. A game for players who like to have a lot to manage at any given point but also for players who have always wanted to build a Zoo the way you want it to be built. A definite contender for game of the year. The build is how you build kiosks, enclosures and special buildings. Association lets you take actions on the association board. This is where you will contribute to conservation projects, partner with other Zoos and Universities and donate money.

Ark Nova | Board Games | Gathering Games Ark Nova | Board Games | Gathering Games

Overall the setup is pretty straightforward and it starts by placing the main game board in the centre of the table. If this is your first game or the first time you play it on a different table, I recommend placing next to the player’s boards (zoo maps) and the 5 action cards below the action spaces. This should allow you to assess if you have enough space to properly set up all areas without risking having to move all the boards once all the game pieces are already on it. Finally, each player takes 25 money and 1 association worker token and places them on the notepad on the zoo map. This area represents the resources that could be used during the game. Objective cards augment this, providing you with additional conservation points at the end of the game, should you complete their conditions. And, believe me, these are no pushover – you might need to exhibit a number of lower-scoring, smaller animals or build as many space-hungry special enclosures as you can. All cards are very self-explanatory and all conditions and effects are listed on them very clearly. A brief summary: The cards are Animals which lets you play your animal cards as long as you meet their requirements in terms of icons present in your zoo and enclosures. Cards let your draw cards from the central display depending on how high your reputation is. It also lets you snap if you use it in slot 5. Snapping allows you to take any face up a card without having to worry about your reputation. This allows you to secure that perfect card when you need it!With the return of Essen Spiele after a few covidy years away, we also saw the return of the game’s convention hype train. Allow with the impressive Boonlake and the gorgeous Bitoku, Ark Nova was one of the chosen ones. Early reports coined the phrase ‘Terraforming Zoo’ commenting on the heavy use of cards and the sheer amount included.

Ark Nova: Marine Worlds | Board Game | BoardGameGeek Ark Nova: Marine Worlds | Board Game | BoardGameGeek

The Association card allows you to send one of your workers to the Association Board which could provide you with partnership opportunities with Zoos from different continents, the assistance of universities, and the ability to complete conservation projects and score big points.Once cards are placed, move 6 of them to the relative spaces on the board but make sure to place them face down. Last but not least, prepare separate groups of 8 cards to give to each player. And this beauty is much more than skin deep. Tactically speaking, it offers a rich and rewarding play, with more than enough variability to keep each playthrough fresh and confounding. Novel systems like its variable-power Action cards also mean it feels distinct from most other titles you can buy and should see you reaching for it on the shelf time and again. Also, despite a gameplay loop built around filling empty enclosures with your unique menagerie, Ark Nova doesn’t feature any components to actually show this. When an enclosure is filled, you simply flip the tile to show it is now occupied or, in the case of aviaries, reptile houses and petting zoos, place a cube on one of the remaining spaces. I can’t help but feel that adding some animal meeples for this purpose would have really helped bring zoos to life – especially as the game already divides its critters up into seven handy categories.