
- BGG rank
- BGG #732
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Sanctuary
- 1–5 players
- 40–100 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2025

Rules assistance for Ark Nova: Marine Worlds
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ark Nova: Marine Worlds is an expansion for Ark Nova released in 2023 for 1–4 players, 90–150 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Mathias Wigge and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Set Collection.
Ark Nova: Marine Worlds, an expansion for Ark Nova, introduces multiple new elements to the game, such as sea animals that each have to be played in new special enclosures that must be built adjacent to water. Roughly half the sea animals are reef dwellers, and whenever you add a reef dweller to your zoo, you trigger the ability of all reef dwellers in your zoo. To deal with the dilution of the deck, naturally caused by adding more cards, all sea cards feature a wave icon, and whenever it is revealed in the display, you discard the first card in the row, then replenish. A new fourth university is available on the association board, and if you take it, you claim one of six special universities from the reserve that feature one research icon and one of six animal icons. When you take this registry, you reveal cards from the top of the deck and keep the first revealed card with an animal icon that matches your chosen university. For each of the five action cards, four alternate versions with a little twist will be available. Players draft action cards at the start of play, replacing two of their standard action cards with these new ones, increasing the asymmetry in the game. New bonus tiles and final scoring cards will also be included. Also the expansion will include alternate wooden markers for the 3 tracks and cute animals to mark the conservation projects you support instead of using your regular player markers.
Ark Nova: Marine Worlds supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Ark Nova: Marine Worlds is 90–150 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Ark Nova: Marine Worlds for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Ark Nova: Marine Worlds has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Ark Nova: Marine Worlds belongs to these categories: Animals, Expansion for Base-game, and Environmental. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Set Collection. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Ark Nova: Marine Worlds are: Mathias Wigge. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ark Nova: Marine Worlds as an expansion for Ark Nova. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Ark Nova to use it. Check that your edition of Ark Nova is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.