by W. Eric Martin

First things first: While Mathias Wigge's late 2025 release Sanctuary simplifies much of the gameplay in 2021's Ark Nova, it is not a simple game.

Let me highlight some of that simplification for those familiar with Ark Nova:

• You don't use money in Sanctuary, "buying" animals solely with actions.
• Sanctuary doesn't have separate "build" and "play animal" actions as each animal tile stands on its own.
• You can play the building tiles that do exist as a free action.
• Your zoo will be composed of individual hexagonal tiles instead of hex-based polyominoes that you then fill with animals.
• You don't race against opponents to claim diminishing rewards on public conservation projects, but instead score equal points based on the size of the project completed.
• Sanctuary lacks an association action, so the game has no partner zoos and universities; additionally, you can complete an objective as part of your normal turn instead of a separate action.

What's left, you ask? The main core of Ark Nova: the logistical puzzle of managing your action queue so that you can create a harmonious zoo in an efficient manner. Let's give an example using my playthrough from a demo game hosted by licensing publisher Capstone Games at Gen Con 2025:


During set-up, each player has an empty game board and tile rack, and six tiles are placed in a display, with spaces numbered 1-6. Your first action each turn is to take a tile from the display within the "tile range" shown on your purple action tile, so in the image above I can draw one of the first three tiles in the display.

Next, I take one of the four tile actions, then move that tile to the leftmost position, sliding tiles right to make room. Note that three of these actions are nearly identical — allowing you to play an animal tile — with the only difference being whether that animal is associated with rocks, water, or forests.

In the image above, I played the Australian dingo next to the opening of my zoo — as each animal must be connected to one of the three openings or to other tiles that trace a path to an opening — then moved the rock action tile left. Animals and other tiles have action costs from 2-5, and to play a tile, the associated action must have a strength of at least that number, with the strength being indicated by the number above its arrow.


Here we are many turns later. I've just played a dusky leaf monkey, demoting the forest action to level 1, yet I didn't play the monkey adjacent to the Primate House that awards me 2 points per adjacent primate at game's end. Why?


Because I'm holding two project tiles, each of which requires me to "release" an animal, that is, to play the project tile on top of an animal tile of a certain type. Jungle must be played on a primate, and Port Campbell National Park on a tile tagged Australia.

And that's relevant because I'm also holding a Library tile that must be played adjacent to two projects and that Library is worth 2 points per project in my zoo. I've got big plans, BIG PLANS, I say! (That linked children's book by Bob Shea is the best children's book of all time, but is unfortunately out of print.)

By playing the projects, I'll upgrade the points I receive from those spaces — 4 and 4 instead of 2 and 1 — and I'll also be able to play the Library for 4 points, but when is the right time to play them?

Let me introduce two other elements of the game. Each player has a set of four upgrade tiles and four conservation achievement markers numbered 2-5. A conservation game board (which I unfortunately forgot to include in a picture) depicts five random attributes — e.g., primates, carnivores, the Americas, Australia, and Europe — and when you have enough (2-5) of one of those attributes, you can place the matching conservation achievement marker on the board.

I've already placed my 2-valued conservation achievement marker on Europe, which did two things: earned me the points shown on that marker (you can see the points on the other markers above) and allowed me to flip my first upgrade tile. (The level 1 upgrade tile allows you to flip over an action after you place your first conservation achievement marker.) Note that my "tile range / project" action tile above now has the arrow on the right side of the tile, thereby pointing at the 3 instead of the 2. Once I use the rock or water tile, it will slide left and my project action tile will be at 4, allowing me to play one of those projects.

However, if I play Jungle, then I lose the primate tag it covers, and primate is one of the conservation attributes. Since I have no more primates and none were in the display, I should claim that attribute first before covering it — or I can play Port Campbell first in the hope that a primate will pop up.

However #2, one of the upgrade tiles allows me to upgrade an action if I have four animal types, and playing Port Campbell will cover my lone carnivore. Hmm...

The other upgrade tiles allow me to upgrade an action if I have two projects in play (which I'm working toward now) or if I have three identical landscape tiles. I have two rock, and Port Campbell's rock will replace the one on the dingo, so my course of action is to:

• Draft and play a fourth animal type, ideally one with a rock to upgrade an action tile.
• Play Port Campbell National Park.
• Ideally pick up a primate along the way to clear the 4-valued conservation achievement marker.
• Play Jungle to upgrade yet another action tile.

Playing a building, such as Library or Hidden Glass Wall, is a free action once per turn, so as soon as the Jungle goes down, the Library can follow.

Now let's look at those projects once again:


The circled areas point out that you receive two or three conservation markers depending on the size of the animal released. Once I complete these two projects, I'll have four conservation markers — and these markers can be used as jokers to help fulfill any attribute (as long as you have at least one of the depicted attribute), which means I'm relatively close to completing all four conservation objectives, and doing so will trigger the end of the game. Whoever does this receives a 10-point bonus, then each other player takes a final turn, during which they can receive a 5-point bonus by completing their objectives. After all this, tally your points.

Alternatively, the game ends after someone fills their zoo (also scoring 10 points for this) or the stack of tiles empties.


Above is my final board, with all action tiles upgraded and with a green peafowl that can be played with any animal action giving me 6 more points for projects.

Note the arrows at the top of the Zoo School project, which let me pick up 4 points and another conservation marker. The arrows are analogous to the Ark Nova's unique buildings in that you need to have the appropriate space available in order to play it — specifically, if you don't already have a face-down tile on the board (and you start with two), you must place a tile from your hand in the direction of the arrows. If you can't do this, you can't play the tile.

I haven't covered every detail of the rules, but I hope you can appreciate the similarity between the two games, with players in both games managing the flow and placement of somewhat random resources and tools with a upgradable group of action tiles that constantly shift in power. Sanctuary has just stripped out some of the fussier bits of Ark Nova, with you now paying in actions rather than in actions+money and with animals all now being a sub-species of turtle in that they carry their own home with them wherever they go.

Thanks to Frank Heeren of originating publisher Feuerland Spiele for teaching the game!

A game in progress on another table