One thing you will likely get annoyed with at the start of Ark Nova is your limited hand size. This makes it hard to plan any large moves or search for cards to fit your strategy, as the starting hand size of 3 is very restrictive, given the high frequency of breaks near the start of the game. This is why it is a good plan to work the association action up to 4 and take the reputation and increased hand size as soon as possible, as this not only helps you retain more cards, but also stops the other players from being able to build up cards. This is also a good thing to aim for, as one way to take it to the break is with the cards action, which will force your hand count up higher than you may have liked. Conclusion Despite you being focused on your zoo there is a healthy amount of interaction through the card display and the association’s board. There are cards and advantages you will need to prioritise. There are also some cards that can have small negative impacts on the other players, but these are easily removed if those sorts of shenanigans don’t float your boat. Ark Nova sees you and your fellow players bidding to become the most appealing and also conservation minded Zoo. Because Ark Nova isn’t Terraforming Zoo. It’s more like a collection of bits from other games herded into their own enclosures and given all they need to live healthy lives. Ark Nova is easily one of the best board games I have played in the last few years. I have been driven to it by its beautiful graphics and game mechanics but, most important, as it allows you to build a zoo!

Ark Nova board game review: whip-smart strategy with an enchanting - T3 Ark Nova board game review: whip-smart strategy with an

Before even starting the game, you will probably realize that Ark Nova is one of those games that requires a lot of space on the table. 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. Each player has the same identical cards which can be flipped over to a more powerful upgraded version – although the most you can upgrade during the game is 4 of the 5 as there are only 4 opportunities to do so. Slots dictate how powerful the card is which is clearly stated on the card itself. The ‘Cards’ card will allow you to take more cards in slot 5 for example, than in slot 1. After a player has used a card, they removed it from its current slot slide the cards over and place the one used in slot 1.

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. Ark Nova is a game centred around the development of your zoo by placing animals in enclosures, partnering with sponsors, managing your reputation, and supporting conservation projects. These mechanics are relatively simple by themselves, but they link together and interact in such a way that you will need to balance all of them and invest in them at the right time to claim the victory. I have played Ark Nova many times, and in this short post, I will attempt to share some of the things I try and do in the game and when I aim to have them done by. All cards are very self-explanatory and all conditions and effects are listed on them very clearly. A brief summary:

Ark Nova - Board Game Guru Ark Nova - Board Game Guru

The main thrust of the gameplay is action selection which is done through 5 cards that each player has. These are laid out within 5 number slots below their zoo player board which are numbered 1-5. The Animals card is laid in the number 1 slot and the other four cards are random to the other slots. 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! It's always an excellent service with brilliant products at a very competitive price - will use again!While this is a simple system, it has an enormous impact on what you play when, rewarding players who enjoy squeezing maximum efficiency out of their every move. As a testament to the game, almost everyone I’ve played with has wanted to own the game after the first play. There is an awful lot of content here including variety and a solo mode. The solo mode is simple to run and doesn’t require a lot of upkeep. For me, I prefer that to a full AI you must run as well as your own turns. 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. 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. 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.

Ark Nova - Wikipedia Ark Nova - Wikipedia

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.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. The Build action allows you to construct an empty enclosure in your Zoo ready to be populated by an animal. The stronger the position of this card will allow you to build bigger enclosures. Note that some of the maps instruct players to place empty enclosures or features at game start. The expert-level maps also have asymmetric abilities players can use. Law, Keith (2022-05-09). "Ark Nova is an excellent board game, but it won't be displacing Wingspan anytime soon". Polygon . Retrieved 2022-06-22. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.