ARK Video Game Series
A series of open-world survival games developed by independent American team Studio Wildcard. The first installment of the series, i.e. ARK: Survival Evolved, debuted in 2017 on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In time, the title also hit the Nintendo Switch console, and also lived to see a conversion for mobile devices.
The release of the full version of ARK: Survival Evolved was preceded by the Early Access phase on the Steam platform, which began in June 2015. During its course, the title lived to see its first paid expansion, titled ARK: Scorched Earthwhich aroused considerable controversy. Despite this, the item was an artistic and commercial success, becoming the apple of the developers' eye. Studio Wildcard regularly released other major additions to its creation - in December 2017 debuted ARK: Aberration, in November 2018 appeared ARK: Extinction, in turn, in February 2020, the DLC titled ARK: Genesis.
Forging iron while hot, in the meantime the authors also put into the hands of players spin-offs of their hit game. In August 2017, they debuted the multiplayer ARK: Survival of the Fittest, while in March 2018 the following appeared on store shelves ARK Park, an exploration game developed for virtual reality headsets.
In December 2020, meanwhile, the game was announced ARK II, which is the full-fledged second installment of the series. Three years later, it was announced that the first installment of the series would get a remaster titled ARK: Survival Ascended. After a protest from players, the developers eventually decided that in addition to the refreshed version of the basic game, the production in question would include all the add-ons (although some of them were to be made available after its release).
Action games under the banner of ARK takes place in open worlds controlled by dinosaurs and other powerful creatures. In the course of the game we play as humans fighting for survival in these inhospitable environments, facing threats from beasts and hostile humans. Traversing the vast lands, during the game we gather resources, create better and better equipment and erect bases, as well as take care of the needs of the protagonists.
In games of the series ARK can be played alone or in multiplayer mode, cooperating or competing with other players; ARK: Survival of the Fittest also provided a battle royale mode, where players representing individual tribes fight for the survival of their group.
In most cases, games under the banner of ARK can boast high-quality graphics. The infamous exception was the conversion of the first part of the series for the Nintendo Switch platform. Nevertheless, it received a major refresh in 2022.
ARK Series Evolution
2023
ARK: Survival Ascended
2018
ARK: Survival Evolved Mobile
2018
ARK Park
2017
ARK: Survival Evolved
2017
ARK: Survival of the Fittest
ARK II
TBA
Action, Dinosaurs, RPG Elements, Internet, Co-op, Multiplayer, Sandbox, Singleplayer, Survival, TPP.
A sequel of the hit survival game with dinosaurs and sci-fi elements, developed by Studio Wildcard. ARK 2 introduces a bunch of new features, including a new main hero (played by Vin Diesel) and a change to TPP camera. Character development, crafting, base building and world simulation mechanics were also improved.
ARK: Survival Ascended
October 26, 2023
Action, Crafting, Dinosaurs, RPG Elements, FPP, Indie Games, Internet, Co-op, MMO, Multiplayer, Remaster/remake, Sandbox, Online, Singleplayer, Survival, TPP, Xbox Game Pass Premium, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass.
A remastered version of ARK: Survival Evolved, based on Unreal Engine 5 technology, ARK: Survival Ascended will feature all the content of the basic version of the game, ARK: Survival of the Fittest mode and a number of "non-canonical" maps.
Steam
Users
ARK: Survival Evolved Mobile
June 14, 2018
Action, Crafting, Dinosaurs, FPP, Internet, Multiplayer, Sandbox, Singleplayer, Survival, Free-to-play.
A mobile port of ARK: Survival Evolved – a popular sandbox game known from PCs and consoles. The players enter a large island inhabited by dinosaurs with a mission to survive in the hostile territory.
Users
ARK Park
March 22, 2018
Adventure, Dinosaurs, Exploration Games, FPP, Meta Quest / Oculus, PlayStation VR, Singleplayer, SteamVR, VR.
An exploration game designed exclusively for Virtual Reality headgear – ARK Park takes the players to a futuristic Jurassic Park clone. The action of the game includes references to the popular online survival game called ARK: Survival Evolved. In the game, one can observe the natural habitat of dinosaurs, and even ride the gigantic reptiles. The locations one gets to explore are much diversified – there is a tropical jungle, snow-capped mountain peaks, and even vast steppes. During their journey, the players can use a camera, solve relatively simple puzzles, and learn about over 100 dinosaur species – their genes serve as collectibles. Moreover, ARK Park introduces a zoo, in which one can play with the animals the genes of which have been acquired – this means stroking, feeding, and even painting them. The game is based on Unreal Engine 4, thus the visuals featured in the game are of high quality.
OpenCritic
Steam
Users
ARK: Survival Evolved
August 29, 2017
Action, Crafting, Dinosaurs, RPG Elements, FPP, Indie Games, Internet, Co-op, MMO, Multiplayer, Splitscreen, Sandbox, Singleplayer, Survival, Xbox Game Pass Premium, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Play Anywhere, PC Game Pass.
A sandbox survival simulator set in an open world, which draws inspiration from productions such as DayZ. Unlike in the aforementioned title, this time we fight against powerful prehistoric creature instead of zombies. The game is the debut of an independent studio called Wildcard, founded by a former employee of Microsoft Game Studios. The player begins the game defenseless and naked on an unidentified island, and his or her task is to survive in this new, harsh environment. In order to do that, we must hunt and gather various raw materials which will be used to create the much needed weapons and tools. One of the most fun aspects of ARK: Survival Evolved are the meticulously depicted creatures – the game features more than 60 species of dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals. Since the title features o multiplayer experience, meeting other players in the game world will happen and, depending on their attitude, we can fight them or establish valuable alliances.
Steam
Users
Expansion Packs:
- ARK: Scorched Earth September 1, 2016
- ARK: Aberration December 12, 2017
- ARK: Extinction November 6, 2018
- ARK: Genesis February 25, 2020
- ARK: Aquatica July 15, 2025
ARK: Survival of the Fittest
August 29, 2017
Action, Battle Royale, Dinosaurs, FPS, Internet, Multiplayer.
An online action game focused on PvP competition and a spin-off installment of the ARK series. The title started out as a fan modification which was eventually made into a standalone production with the support of Survival Evolved’s developers. The gameplay premise of ARK: Survival of the Fittest was directly inspired by the popular movie series The Hunger Games. As many as 72 players divided into several six-member teams can play simultaneously. While playing, the participants can make use of a rich arsenal of weapons, armor, and traps. Taming dinosaurs and using them as mounts is also of great importance. The competition takes place in specially-designed closed arenas, up to the moment when there is only one team left standing. The tension is increased by the constantly shrinking circle of death which forces the players to clash more frequently as matches progress.
Steam
Users
ARK Series News
After two years of silence, the developers finally talk about ARK 2. But it’s not the news fans were hoping for
We all waited for ARK 2 release date, but got this instead. Lost Colony and Aquatica trailers dropped, and no one’s happy.
video games
March 19, 2025
Despite Controversy, ARK Remake Sells Very Well
Wildcard boasted impressive sales results for ARK: Survival Ascended, the remake of the popular 2017 game.
video games
November 19, 2023
How to Get Silica Pearls in Ark Survival Ascended
Silica Pearls in Ark Survival Ascended are an important but difficult to find resource. Check out our guide for early and late game Silica Pearl locations.
How to
October 30, 2023
INI Settings Are not Needed to Get FPS Boost in ARK Survival Ascended, Play without Stutters
ARK Survival Ascended is butified version of its predecessor that has performance issues. Here you will learn optimal graphical presets as well as INI settings that can help you out with that.
How to
October 30, 2023
How Wireless Crafting Works in Ark Survival Ascended
In this guide you will learn how to use Wireless Crafting in Ark Survival Ascended. Read our article to learn more.
How to
October 30, 2023
Absurd Bugs of New ARK; RTX Options Display Only in English
ARK: Survival Ascended is another Unreal Engine 5 title failing optimization at launch, but players also encountered a more unusual glitch.
video games
October 27, 2023
How To Change Language in Ark Survival Ascended, Fix RTX Issues
With the release of ARK Survival Ascended, two major bugs have appeared. Our guide will explain how to change language in the game and how to fix RTX issues.
How to
October 27, 2023
ARK Survival Ascended Is Crashing and Showing Fatal Error (Explained)
ARK Surivival Ascended debuted in Early Access on Steam, yet not without problems. If your game crashes and shows fatal error messages, we have information that may explain why that happens.
How to
October 27, 2023
ARK Survival Ascended - Joining Failed Error Explained
Are you experiencing a Joining Failed error in ARK Survival Ascended? We will tell you everything about it.
How to
October 26, 2023
ARK: Survival Ascended Debuts in Steam's Early Access; Console Versions Delayed to November
ARK: Survival Ascended has finally arrived on Steam. Unfortunately, on consoles the developers are still struggling with some issues. For now, PS5 and XSX/S owners have to settle for new gameplay footage from the Xbox Partner Preview show.
video games
October 26, 2023