Sanctuary
An Ark Nova successor that keeps the zoo-building thrill but trims the rules into something faster to learn.
Who it's for
Ark Nova fans wanting a lighter, faster session, and euro gamers who love a good zoo-building tableau.
Not for you if…
You want maximum depth and complexity from your zoo game, because Sanctuary deliberately trades some of that for speed.
Vibe's take
engaging, strategic, satisfying, approachable, thoughtful
See how it plays
About this game
Sanctuary hands you a modern, scientifically-run zoo and 135 tiles' worth of animals, buildings and conservation projects to shape it with. Your four action cards do double duty: which slot they currently sit in decides how powerful they are, so managing your own hand becomes as interesting as managing the zoo itself. One card plays your projects, the other three bring in animals from forest, rock or water habitats, and conservation goals quietly reward you for building something more than just a big collection. It's built on Ark Nova's bones but trims and smooths the mechanisms into something faster and gentler to learn, without losing that satisfying zoo-building pull.
Get it
from $56
By the numbers
Players
Duration
40–100 min
Ages 12+
Complexity
2.8 / 5 — MediumBGG Rating
6.8/10
Rank #780
3.7k ratings
Published
2025
Language
Moderate text
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