In Ark Nova, players aim to score conservation and appeal points by building a zoo.

In Ark Nova, players strive to earn conservation and appeal points to design a modern zoo.

Players choose from five actions: drawing cards; building enclosures; playing animal cards, which requires an empty enclosure and awards the player special effects; performing an association task, which give different benefits, such as increasing reputation, adding to hand limit or reducing animal cost; and playing scoring cards, which award points at the end of the game in addition to immediate or ongoing effects.

[5] The New York Times Wirecutter praised the game as "remarkably elegant", complimenting its turns as fast-paced and commenting positively on the "sprawl and scale", despite acknowledging that the latter decreases accessibility for new players; the length and theme were also critiqued.

[7] It was recommended by the Spiel des Jahres jury for the Kennerspiel des Jahres award, with the jury stating that "the rules are thematically accessible and easy to understand and the game develops an enormous depth over time, thanks to over 200 cards and a clever timing mechanism".