Ark Nova

Ark Nova is a complex, award-winning board game for 1-4 players that masterfully blends the mechanics of tableau building, tile placement, and action selection into a deep, strategic experience centered on designing and managing a modern, scientifically-minded zoo. Players are tasked not only with creating an appealing attraction to draw visitors but also with actively participating in global conservation efforts.

The Dual Path to Victory

The game's core objective is to achieve the best combination of commercial appeal and conservation success. Players track their progress on two distinct score tracks that run in opposite directions around the main board:

1. Appeal Track: Represents the popularity of your zoo, primarily advanced by playing Animal Cards into built enclosures. Higher appeal translates directly into greater income during Breaks (the income/reset phase).

2. Conservation Track: Represents your contribution to global conservation, advanced by completing various Conservation Projects (such as participating in breeding programs or supporting specific research).

The game ends immediately when a player's Appeal marker and Conservation marker cross paths on the board. Final scoring determines the winner based on the positive difference between the two markers, rewarding the player who best balanced both objectives.

The Action Card System

The engine of Ark Nova is its innovative action selection system, borrowed from games like Civilization: A New Dawn:

• Five Actions: Each player has five action cards: Cards, Build, Animals, Association, and Sponsors.

• Action Strength: These cards are placed in slots numbered 1 through 5 on a player board. The slot a card occupies determines its strength for that turn. For example, a "Build" card in slot 5 lets you build larger enclosures than in slot 1.

• Cycling: When an action card is played, it is moved to slot 1, and all other cards shift one position to the right, gradually increasing the power of the actions you haven't recently used. This forces players to constantly balance using powerful actions now versus letting weaker actions build up to maximum strength for a massive future turn.

Building Your Tableau

During the game, players use their actions to:

• Build Enclosures: Place hexagonal tiles on their personal zoo map board to prepare space for animals.

• Play Animal Cards: The deck contains over 250 unique cards featuring real-world animals, sponsors, and conservation projects. Playing an Animal Card requires a suitable enclosure and money, and provides immediate Appeal points as well as beneficial icons (tags) that combo with other cards.

• Association Actions: Send workers to the Association Board to gain partners (Partner Zoos or Universities), increase reputation (allowing access to better cards), or most critically, contribute to Conservation Projects for valuable Conservation points.

• Upgrade Actions: Players can spend resources to flip their action cards to their upgraded side, significantly enhancing the power and versatility of each action, which is key to late-game success.

Ark Nova is a richly thematic and strategically complex Eurogame that offers high replayability due to the immense deck variety and the deep decision space provided by its cycling action system.