- Score sheets
- Board games
- Ark Nova
How to score Ark Nova
Ark Nova has two counters, appeal and conservation points, on two tracks that run toward each other. At the end, your conservation counter’s scoring area gives you a Target Number, and your score is your appeal minus that number. If your counters never crossed, the score is negative.
- 1 to 4 players
- About 90 to 150 minutes
- Ends when counters cross
- Highest score wins
Tabletales is free on iPhone and iPad.
This is the real Scorepad, live, on Highest wins: appeal minus the Target Number, typed as a subtraction. A negative score shows in red.
Ark Nova
- BGG #2
- 90 to 150 min
A card-driven game about building a modern zoo. You raise your zoo’s appeal with animals and earn conservation points by backing projects, and your score is how far those two counters have passed each other by the end.
Year, players, time and rank from BoardGameGeek.
How to play Ark Nova, in brief
You build a modern zoo, raising its appeal (how many visitors it draws) and conservation points on two tracks that run toward each other. The best mix of the two wins.
- Set up your zooTake a zoo map, 25 money and 5 action cards, one under each slot. Draw 8 zoo cards; keep 4.
- One action a turnUse one action card: Cards, Build, Animals, Association or Sponsors. Its slot (1 to 5) sets its strength. Then it moves to slot 1, and the cards to its left shift right.
- Take breaksSome actions advance the break token. When it reaches the end, everyone discards to their hand limit and collects income.
- End when the counters meetOnce a player’s appeal and conservation counters share a scoring area or cross, the others take one more turn. Then everyone scores.
Two counters, racing toward each other.
Appeal climbs one way along its track, and conservation points climb the other way along theirs, side by side. The further your conservation counter goes, the lower your Target Number, so the less appeal you need to break even.
What makes your final score
| Part | Effect |
|---|---|
| Your appealWhere your appeal counter ends, end cards included | Plus |
| Your Target NumberThe lowest appeal value in the scoring area where your conservation counter ends | Minus |
| Your Final Scoring cardExtra conservation points, 4 at most from one card | Up to 4 |
| Cards with an end-of-game iconExtra conservation points or appeal, scored before the subtraction | Varies |
- Watch the two countersThe end is triggered when, after a turn or during a break, a player’s appeal and conservation counters share a scoring area or pass each other. Every other player then takes one more turn; during a break, everyone does.
- Score the end cardsAdd your Final Scoring card, 4 at most, and any card with an end-of-game icon. If nobody reached 10 conservation points, everyone first discards one of their two Final Scoring cards.
- Find your Target NumberLook at the scoring area your conservation counter sits in. The lowest appeal value there is your Target Number.
- SubtractYour appeal minus your Target Number is your score, and it can be negative. The highest score wins; a tie goes to whoever supported the most conservation projects.
Priya’s counters crossed furthest: she wins with 13.
Three players at the end of the game. The rulebook’s own example gives the two Target Numbers used here: 16 conservation points sets a Target of 76, and 18 sets 70. This is the game on the Scorepad above.
| Player | Appeal minus Target Number | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Priya | 15 conservation points, plus 3 from her Final Scoring card, makes 18: Target 70. Appeal 8383 - 70 | 13 |
| You | 16 conservation points: Target 76. Appeal 8181 - 76 | 5 |
| Dev | 16 conservation points: Target 76. Appeal 72, so his counters never crossed72 - 76 | −4 |
You read the board. Tabletales does the rest.
Tabletales is a scorepad and scrapbook for game night. In Ark Nova you read each player’s appeal and Target Number off the board. Type the final score, or type appeal minus target: Tabletales does the subtraction, marks the winner and saves the game with the night.
- Subtract on the keypadType each final score, or type it as appeal minus target (83 - 70) and Tabletales does the subtraction for you.
- Negatives are fineA zoo that never crossed types 72 - 76 and shows minus 4 in red.
- Ties share the trophyTied players share the trophy. Ark Nova breaks a tie on conservation projects supported.
- And the night is keptSave it with who played and a photo of the zoos. Ark Nova gets its own page: how often you play it, who with, and who holds the high score.
- Everyone who was there
- Photos from the table
- Ark Nova, with its scores
Common Ark Nova scoring mistakes
- Scoring appeal aloneYour score is appeal minus the Target Number for your conservation space, not the appeal itself.
- Giving the trigger player another turnOnly the other players get one more turn, unless the end came during a break.
- Keeping both Final Scoring cardsEveryone discards one when the first player reaches 10 conservation points, or before final scoring if nobody did.
- Taking more than 4 from one cardA single Final Scoring card gives 4 conservation points at most.
Ark Nova scoring, answered
- How does scoring work in Ark Nova?
- Your score is your appeal minus a Target Number, the lowest appeal value in the scoring area where your conservation counter ends. The highest score wins.
- Can you have a negative score in Ark Nova?
- Yes. If your appeal never reached the Target Number for your conservation points, appeal minus target is below zero.
- When does Ark Nova end?
- When a player’s appeal and conservation counters share a scoring area or pass each other. Every other player then takes one last turn (everyone does, if it happened during a break).
Ark Nova score sheet
The board keeps both counters, so this sheet is for the end: the conservation points, the Target Number they give, the appeal, and the score, for up to four players.
Score another game
Board Game Arena adds 100 to every score, so a zoo whose counters just meet shows 100 there instead of 0. Solo, the game ends after the 6th round and you win with 0 or more. Rules checked on 19 October 2026 against the rulebook, Board Game Arena and Erik Twice. Ark Nova is a trademark of Feuerland Spiele. Tabletales is not affiliated with it.
Keep score tonight. Keep the night for good.
Tabletales adds up every hand, then saves the whole night: the games, the scores, the photos and who was there.
