We Love It's Guide to…
Build a scientifically managed zoo, play and upgrade action cards, and race to balance appeal with conservation achievements.
Released 20 Jun 2025
Build Animal Enclosures
House Zoo Animals
Fund Conservation Projects
Plan and build a modern, scientifically managed zoo to support conservation projects in an acclaimed strategy board game.
Developed by Dire Wolf · Published by Dire Wolf
You manage a modern zoo, aiming to create a successful attraction while supporting conservation projects. Build enclosures, house animals, and use specialists and unique buildings to develop your zoo.
A deck of animal, specialist, building, and conservation cards gives you different abilities. Choose among five action cards—Build, Animals, Cards, Association, and Sponsors—and plan around their changing strength as you use and upgrade them.
Increase your zoo’s appeal and scientific reputation, earn conservation points, and compete to meet the game’s scoring goals. Play solo against AI, with others online or in pass-and-play, or take on strategic challenges.
Players often praise the digital version for automating bookkeeping and speeding up play while preserving the board game's strategic choices. Many enjoy adapting to changing cards, exploring different strategies, and playing solo against AI or through challenges. Some find the rules and interface difficult to learn, and recurring complaints mention limited visibility of opponents’ zoos and the absence of an expansion available in the tabletop version; a smaller number report bugs.
Design a modern zoo to help animals thrive as you support conservation projects around the world.
Since its release in 2021, tabletop board game Ark Nova from designer Mathias Wigge has received numerous awards around the world. Now a new digital adaptation brings the strategy and science of the beloved board game to players everywhere!
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.
Collect all 24 Achievements!
Play Solo against the AI, Online, or on your couch with Pass and Play!
Complete 13 strategic Challenges!
| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 31 |
| Age ratings |
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| Controller support | PlayStation, Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DRM / EULA |
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| Content notices |
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