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

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Ultimately, there’s a reason Ark Nova has been one of the hottest board games of 2022. It offers a captivating theme akin to zoo-building computer games like Planet Zoo or Zoo Tycoon, while its components are – for the most part – both pleasingly tactile and delightfully designed.

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

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. 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. 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.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. cards featuring animals, specialists, special enclosures, and conservation projects, each with a special ability, are at the heart of Ark Nova. Use them to increase the appeal and scientific reputation of your zoo and collect conservation points. 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. 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.

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

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.

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. All cards are very self-explanatory and all conditions and effects are listed on them very clearly. A brief summary: 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. Have you ever wanted to visit the best zoo on Earth? Finding which one is the best is not a trivial task so, why not try to build your own zoo with Ark Nova and show your friends how great it could be? How To Play Ark Nova