Sanctuary review: the little Ark Nova that packs a big punch

Sanctuary retains everything that works so well in Ark Nova , notably its excellent Action card system where cards grow in power over the course of turns based on actions performed. This mechanic remains as effective as ever, encouraging constant decision-making to find the right timing for each action. The game also features the “icon collection” aspect, with animals, continents, different habitats, and prerequisites for projects and objectives. If you’re familiar with Ark Nova , you’ll definitely feel right at home.

Here, tile placement is particularly clever thanks to terrain constraints, placement bonuses, and the numerous synergies between animals, objectives, buildings, and projects. Every placement counts, and the game clearly rewards players who can anticipate their future moves in order to build a coherent and optimized sanctuary to maximize victory points. This very satisfying feeling of constant optimization makes you want to play game after game. I also really appreciated the new male/female pairs, which sometimes encourages you to wait before playing an animal in order to retrieve its “partner” and grab a valuable Conservation token.

The game’s pace is also much smoother than its predecessor. Turns flow quickly despite the wealth of choices available. Sanctuary offers a more accessible version of Ark Nova by removing several layers of management, such as money, assistants, paddock construction, and the pause mechanic. The game focuses more on managing Action cards and optimizing placement, without sacrificing its strategic depth. It doesn’t become “family-friendly” in the process: the feeling of expert gameplay is still very much present, with a multitude of decisions to make and optimization opportunities.

However, it’s not all perfect. As is often the case in this type of game, the sheer number of icons can make the first few rounds a little intimidating. You also have to accept an element of chance related to the tile river: sometimes the animals or projects you need take a while to appear, which can slow down certain strategies. I also would have liked a bit more variety in the conservation objectives or an even more rewarding final scoring system.

Despite these minor flaws, Sanctuary remains an excellent surprise. The game strikes a great balance between accessibility, strategic depth, and the enjoyment of puzzle-building. Whether you’re a fan of Ark Nova or simply enjoy management and optimization games, it’s definitely a title I recommend you try.