Ark Nova: Marine Worlds Strategy Board Game Expansion - Introduces Sea Animals Into Your Zoo, 1-4 Players, Ages 12+

Love the base game. Normally don’t care for expansions.However, this one addressed some imbalances in the original cards (with this many cards, sometimes that happens).It also introduced some new mechanics (animals, sponsors, action cards) that alleviated some frustrations with the base game and/or provided additional variety in gameplay. Like the wave mechanic that flows through cards. Everyone has their favorites and those they hate, and this makes it more challenging to pick up a card showing before it goes away - and it lets you get through the deck quicker.

Well worth putting the time and effort in to learn how to play. It’s a hefty game but fun. Beautiful components. We really like the tile placement aspect of building your zoo.

Ark Nova is an amazing medium to heavy complexity board game about animal conservation and building a zoo. It has a unique action selection method and tons of gorgeous cards. Takes a lot of room -- can be quite the table hog. A modern masterpiece.

Love the game

Has taken up my life, it’s so entertaining. The learning curve is significant, but worth it to me. There are a couple of decent play-throughs on YouTube that have been very helpful. Watched them on longer car trips! The game’s solo capacity is well-thought out. In the game, there are often so many plays, and choices to be made, within each move that, without having another player to check, having a system in place to know when a turn is complete is helpful. I’ve learned to pull down the action card I’m playing and leave it there until all of the moves are complete. Once it’s moved to the first position again, then I move the solo cubes indicating the end of the turn. A great winter’s day game alone or with a friend.

I got Ark on a whim and minor recommendation from a friend of mine, and oh man, did it follow through.Ark Nova is a very large game about running a zoo while also taking part in animal conservation efforts across the globe.Turns happen one after another were players choose one of five actions like playing animal cards, building enclosures, assisting conservations, getting sponsors or drawing more cards. While turns are short, they do require quite a bit of strategy and forward thinking as another players action could force you to change your next move.There are a multitude of winning strategys available as well. My fist game was focusing strictly on primates, another player mainly aimed towards getting animals of a certain continent while someone else goal was to increase his fame through sponsorships.The game also supports nearly 250, beautifully photographed cards of animals all across the globe, making it a aesthetically pleasing as well!My only real gripe with the game is that the rules can be difficult starting out.Our group started the game and didn't really get into the flow of the turns for the first 2 hours; and when the box say an average game takes about 2 and a half to 3 hours, they mean it.So while the game is great, it's not really for new board game players or people looking for a casual game.All-in-all, a great game and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great time killer or who has a love of all things animals!

This game is absolutely gorgeous and so creative. The design alone makes it stand out on the table. That said, it does come with a learning curve. It took us a while to fully understand the rules, and only after playing a few times did it start to click.As a board gamer, I’d say it’s more strategic and complex than my usual go-to games, but that’s also what makes it rewarding. Once you get past the initial rulebook dive, the gameplay is fun, engaging, and definitely worth it if you enjoy something a little more challenging.Not the best pick for a quick casual night, but if you like intense strategy and creativity in your games, this one delivers.

Others have covered all the good points of this game. Definitely worth it. Takes up a lot of room. Way more than a card table. Expect to clear off the dining room table to play.