Ark Nova is a strategic board game designed by game designer Mathias Wigge in 2021. It is designed to be played by four people. In this game, players are required to plan and design a modern, scientifically managed zoo, with the ultimate goal of owning the most successful zoological establishment. Players can do this by building enclosures, accommodating animals, and supporting conservation projects all over the world. Although you don’t directly interact with other players’ zoos, the game is competitive.
Even though Ark Nova appears to have intricate rules, it is actually very simple to understand and play, especially if you follow a tutorial on it. Once you are aware of the many components, setup takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes. The core of Ark Nova consists of 255 cards, each of which has a specific function and includes animals, specialists, unusual enclosures, and conservation programs. The length of an Ark Nova game is not determined by the number of rounds or turns that are taken. The game’s conclusion is determined by the players. Players continue to take turns one at a time.
Ways to earn conservation points in Ark Nova
Conservation is of significant importance in the game and is hard to come by in the early stages. It is easily forgotten but this is where the most points can be gained due to the difference in step size between the Appeal and Conservation tracks.
The appeal of conservation cards lies in the fact that after a player plays one, other players may do the same by placing their own conservation markers on the same card. There are only three spaces on a standard conservation card, and the number of items required to fulfill the conservation project’s needs varies for each space. Because the final rating is dependent on both the appeal of the zoo and the conservation score, conservation is itself incredibly essential in the game.
The distance between the Appeal marker and the Conservation marker is used to calculate the final score. The points for these two things are tracked across from one another on the score tracks.
Conservation points can be earned in the following way-
- Conservation points are gained by contributing to conservation projects, through doing conservatory acts like possibly releasing animals or completing conservation projects.
- A money engine. If you have a good way to generate lots of money, donations can be a really powerful way to score conservation points. Especially since you still get to do an association board action.
- End-game scoring synergies. There are several cards that score conservation points at the end of the game that scale off the same thing. Getting several cards that score off of research icons or diverse animals can be quite good.
Ark Nova Tips
- Do not hoard cards. It takes time to draw a lot of cards, so you probably won’t be able to play every card you want to chase. especially before you can grow your hands from three to five fingers in size. Additionally, all it takes is one person pressing for a coffee break to completely destroy a large hand.
- Just concentrate on cards you can play quickly early on, for the most part. Why take four actions to try to play the ideal animal card when you can simply discard a lizard after two turns for a quick influx of tickets.
- The bottom tier of several Conservation Projects can be supported in a way that is considerably more effective and efficient. Supporting the upper tier of a conservation project is typically more challenging, especially when done over several projects.
- Early on in the game, you can upgrade your draw cards action with conservation points, giving you access to higher reputation prizes and more benefits.
- Concentrate on maximizing early-game synergy. Try to concentrate on drawing and playing cards that all work together and have some coordinating synergy between your starting hand, the base conservation initiatives, and the show. You can score points more quickly and successfully by doing this.
Conclusion
When it was first released, Ark Nova garnered praise and won a number of prizes. Game designer Mathias Wigge has produced an intriguingly linked game with a lot of affection for the subject matter. Ark Nova offers a spectacular gaming experience that will keep players coming back to the table time and time again because of its rich components and remarkable gaming experience.