Ark Nova Card Drafting, Hand Management Strategy Board Game, 1-4 Players, 90 to 150 Minute Play

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!

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.

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.

This game arrived on time in good condition.This game is not an easy learn! the first play through was about 2.5 hrs and was confusing. 2-3 play thoughts went easier but it has a learning curve that can discourage play in the beginning. Fun dynamics and there are endless strategies to win.

My son (16) and I have played Ark Nova probably about 15 times before we decided we wanted the expansion. The expansion is great and adds new animals, enclosers, variety of new action cards and research to the game. The wooden animal meeples that you use to mark conservation projects you support are really nice too. Wish it would have come with a few new maps that when with the aquatic theme but pretty sure some fan made ones are out there.BE SURE TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT PULLING CARDS OUT OF BASE GAME DECKS FIRST!I made the mistake of just shuffling in the cards then saw that I had to remove cards from the base game because some of the new cards replace old cards. Every thing fits in original box and I just stuck the stuff I replaced with expansion in the expansion box so I don't mix them back up on accident.

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.

There was so much for me to like with this game. It has a depth few games have, with a lot of different strategies that could work due to the number of options despite the fact that a player only has 6 different options for what action to take each turn.I've heard this described as Zoo Tycoon the board game, and it fits that. Will you try to fill your zoo with appealing animals and impress everyone that way? Or will you try to build up your conservation bonafides and get your zoo declared the best for its efforts? Or can you find a new path between the extremes?Its definitely not easy to learn. My first game included one person who had played before, one very experienced gamer and two relatively newer gamers. The score quickly showed that the experienced players built a huge lead and turned the score into a race. The other two enjoyed the game, but both admitted that the complexity of the options had slowed their progress.This is not for those who can get analysis paralysis, but it is a great game and I expect it to become a regular game in my rotation of what I bring to the table.