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ARK: Survival Evolved Game Cover

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ARK: Survival Evolved is a single player survival action adventure game. It received neutral reviews from players.

ARK: Survival Evolved is an action-packed single-player game where you fight, survive, and tame over 80 dinosaurs in a vast, immersive world. Featuring awesome game mechanics, marvelous visuals, and a wholesome, funny story, it offers a good plot despite being very grinding and full of bugs, with some frustratingly excessive advertisements.

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59%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,000 reviews
graphics575 positive mentions
stability750 negative mentions

  • Great graphics and gameplay for a mobile adaptation of Ark.
  • Fun and addictive, with a lot of content to explore and enjoy.
  • Offers a unique survival experience with the ability to tame and build.
  • Frequent crashes and freezing issues, especially when loading saved games.
  • Laggy performance on many devices, making gameplay frustrating.
  • Limited customization options for controls and gameplay settings.
  • graphics
    1,222 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed feedback from users. Many praise the visuals as impressive for a mobile game, often comparing them favorably to console versions, with some noting that the graphics can be stunning on high-end devices. However, numerous players report significant lag and crashing issues, even on low settings, indicating that the game is not well-optimized for a range of devices. Users also express a desire for more customizable graphics options to enhance performance on lower-end phones.

    • “The graphics are amazing for mobile and the depth of gameplay is wonderful.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful for a phone, but obviously not even half as good as it is on console or PC.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, and the add-on just puts it over the top!”
    • “The graphics are horrible, and it's not because it's mobile.”
    • “I turned down the graphics quality and resolution as far as I could and there is still just so much lag.”
    • “The graphics suck and it struggles to run.”
  • stability
    766 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing, crashing, and glitches that disrupt gameplay. Many players experience issues when loading saved games, particularly after reaching level 20, leading to lost progress and frustration. Despite the game's potential and enjoyable aspects, the overwhelming number of bugs and performance problems detracts from the overall experience, prompting calls for urgent fixes from the developers.

    • “I'm on a Note 9 and the game runs great with maxed graphics.”
    • “As always, I absolutely love this game, and it runs great considering most phones don't have the best specs.”
    • “Finally, I am happy—no glitches, lags, and all; super smooth.”
    • “However, after the dungeons update, I can't even start up singleplayer; the game either crashes or freezes and my phone heats up extremely fast.”
    • “The game constantly crashes and there's a few glitches.”
    • “Every time I try to log on, it will load me into my last location but it freezes just before I'm completely spawned in.”
  • gameplay
    439 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the mobile version of Ark has received mixed reviews, with many praising its depth, graphics, and mechanics, while others highlight significant issues such as frequent crashes, lag, and control difficulties. Players appreciate the engaging survival elements and crafting systems, but express frustration over performance problems, particularly on lower-end devices. Overall, while the gameplay is considered enjoyable and addictive, it suffers from optimization issues that detract from the experience.

    • “The gameplay is awesome.”
    • “The graphics are amazing for mobile and the depth of gameplay is wonderful.”
    • “Gameplay is excellent and the controls are easy to use.”
    • “But the creators don't understand they need to fix the existing problems in gameplay before they add new stuff.”
    • “The gameplay is just like Ark on PC but for mobile; PvP is somewhat harder because once there is an alpha tribe in a server, it's going to be hard to survive also because of the server lag.”
    • “The game crashes after 5 seconds of gameplay.”
  • optimization
    315 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users reporting frequent crashes, lag, and poor performance even on high-end devices. Players express a strong desire for better graphical settings and overall optimization to accommodate mid to low-end devices, as the current requirements lead to a frustrating experience. While some users have noted improvements after updates, the consensus remains that significant work is needed to enhance stability and performance across various devices.

    • “I can finally play Ark on full performance!”
    • “However, on the whole it runs smoothly on my Note 10 and I haven't had to spend a penny to progress smoothly through the game.”
    • “The game as a whole is a masterpiece, yes there are issues and bugs but its part of the game and with any software, looking at the bright side this is incredibly fantastic, the experience you get from it is from another level.”
    • “The game is very unoptimized; it crashed a lot until I used the power-saving mode in the game.”
    • “This game is poorly optimized and full of bugs as ever.”
    • “It's a good game and all, but it's very poorly optimized; like, it crashes in the middle of the game and on top of that, I've set the graphics to the lowest and still, the issue didn't change.”
  • monetization
    267 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while ads are mostly optional and can provide rewards, they can also be intrusive and poorly timed, often disrupting gameplay. In-app purchases, including the "primal pass" to remove ads, are seen as a necessary but frustrating aspect, with some players feeling that the game leans towards a pay-to-win model. Overall, while the game is appreciated for being free, the balance between ads and in-game purchases has led to dissatisfaction among users, particularly regarding the removal of certain ad-based rewards.

    • “It's free, and that's a great price, and because of that, there are (understandably) microtransactions.”
    • “What really surprises me is there are no ads, and it's a free game.”
    • “Also props to it being wallet-friendly as in-game purchases are not a necessity.”
    • “It's absolutely unbelievable, I constantly accidentally tap on ads and it's impossible to skip them sometimes.”
    • “Too many ads, you can't even respawn without watching ads, you can't start playing without watching ads, but they never fix the game.”
    • “This game is almost unplayable with ads that crash or open the Play Store every 15 minutes, turning a good survival game into a pay-to-win nightmare.”
  • story
    96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is often described as minimal, primarily conveyed through scattered notes and quests that can be unclear or frustrating, leading to lost progress and rewards. While players appreciate the graphics and overall gameplay experience, many express a desire for a more cohesive narrative and clearer quest instructions to enhance immersion. Additionally, technical issues such as crashes and bugs detract from the storytelling experience, leaving players feeling disconnected from the game's potential narrative depth.

    • “The game is amazing and the story too, but it is very laggy and the PC version has a lot more maps such as Scorched Earth, Primal Fear, Aberration, Genesis, etc. I know that if the developer added the maps, the game will crash every 15 minutes, so do small updates and please add some Tek dinos and Thylacoleo because I love those things.”
    • “Love the storyline and the graphics are extraordinary.”
    • “I must say this game has good graphics and a very good storyline. I feel like I'm in it, but the game has some glitches. Overall, it's a really entertaining game.”
    • “I wasted an hour on a quest just to be told that I did nothing in it.”
    • “They can't keep you attached to the game as there is no story; you play it until you finish what you wanted.”
    • “I didn't even get a chance to play the game; the intro is ridiculous. It doesn't have to be that long; you don't even need one. It's clear what the game is about; there is no story to it. If I want to watch a damn dinosaur movie, I'd watch Jurassic World.”
  • grinding
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews indicate that the game is heavily grindy, particularly after reaching higher levels, with players often spending significant time farming resources and leveling up. Many users express frustration with the game's frequent crashes, which can result in lost progress after long grinding sessions, making the experience tedious and sometimes unplayable. While some players enjoy the grind as part of the gameplay, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially in single-player mode where the lack of balance in grinding and progression can lead to stagnation.

    • “It can get a little grindy in single player, and it would be nice if I could change the rates like on a server.”
    • “Good game, though I would love it if the devs added more things from the PC version and made amber a bit easier to get. You can buy amber with real money, and while you can obtain it through gameplay, it's a very hard and grindy process. I would also appreciate a little more optimization for smoother gameplay. Thank you, devs!”
    • “After level 40, things slow down incredibly and it turns into farming 70% of the time and doing things you want 30% of the time.”
    • “The amount of farming required is ridiculous.”
    • “It's ok except for a few things; number one is that the tame limit on single player is ridiculously low, and second is how grindy the game is compared to the console or PC counterparts.”
  • music
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is frequently criticized for being glitchy and inconsistent, often cutting out or being overshadowed by ambient sounds and sound effects. Many players report that the background music plays intermittently or not at all, especially in certain biomes, leading to a frustrating experience. While some enjoy the music when it works, the overall sound design suffers from significant bugs that detract from gameplay.

    • “Gameplay, music, everything is top notch.”
    • “Love the game, it's very addictive. There are plenty of things to do, like run around the woods looking for materials to make things, or maybe take a dino along the way. I would like it if there was a soundtrack to enhance the gaming experience when running through the jungle collecting materials.”
    • “This is the best survival game in the world I've ever played. The music makes it more curious to play. Please update more maps and dinos like the computer version.”
    • “The sound is very glitchy; the music always gets interrupted by the ambient sound, which always gets interrupted by the sound of footsteps, which always gets interrupted by my dinosaur sounds. It's terrible, and it really drops the FPS.”
    • “Every time I go to a forest or jungle, the music stops. There's no background music nor sound.”
    • “I hear the music start to play, and then the game just closes.”
  • humor
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the humor in the game to be a standout feature, often highlighting the amusing glitches and bugs that add to the overall experience. Many reviews express that the game's comedic elements, whether intentional or accidental, contribute to its charm and entertainment value, making it enjoyable despite some technical issues. Overall, the humor is consistently described as a key reason for players' continued engagement with the game.

    • “This one is hilarious.”
    • “There's some glitches at times but most are hilariously funny :-).”
    • “Hey guys this game is so perfect and funny.”
  • emotional
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, often feeling frustration and heartbreak over lost progress due to bugs or accidental uninstalls. Despite these setbacks, many find joy in the gameplay and appreciate the learning experiences that come from starting over, indicating a complex relationship with the game's challenges and rewards. Overall, the emotional responses range from anger and disappointment to affection and resilience.

    • “So it's heartbreaking after reaching level 50 completion and somehow by mistake, or for whatever reason, once you uninstall, you cannot start the game from level 50; it will start from level 1.”
    • “Love this game; at first I had sound issues. I had gotten so far and didn't want to stop playing because of it. Eventually, I did stop so I could uninstall and reinstall it to get the sound, and bam! It had restarted me way back when I was a real noob. I was so mad I lost my fresh rideable spino, but then I realized it was a blessing in disguise. Not only do I know what to do before I go off into the wild, I can get my spinos early game and dominate. Love this game honestly.”
    • “Never touching this game again, but it was fun though.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers high replayability due to its sandbox nature, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences that keep players engaged. However, some users express frustration with certain aspects of playability, suggesting that improvements could enhance the overall experience. Overall, the potential for varied strategies and interactions contributes to its replay value.

    • “It's just a brilliant survival game in which you will never get bored since it's a sandbox, and the replayability of this game is really worth it. It's just overall genius.”
    • “It would be a 5 if it were playable.”
    • “I'd like to see more playable characters, such as with two, so players can breed and carry on people's lineage.”
    • “The replayability of this game is really lacking.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that while the game offers an open world and engaging character development, there are significant concerns regarding AI quality and character design, particularly in the mobile version. Players express a desire for improvements in graphics and controls to enhance the overall experience. Despite these issues, some users still enjoy the game and hope for future updates.

    • “No pay to win, open world, character development, challenge and problem solving, multiplayer... yeah, it has a few bugs, but you can still work around it.”
    • “We need improvements to the character designs; the edges are too pointy. Overall, I love the game Ark on consoles, but the mobile version needs work.”
    • “If the devs want me to buy the actual game, the AI and character designs need to be better--ARK has some of the worst AI I've seen in 20 years of gaming.”
    • “We need improvements to the character designs; the edges are too pointy. The character development is lacking compared to the console and PC versions.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, creating an engaging environment; however, many users feel that significant improvements are needed in the mechanics, and there is a concern about the developers' willingness to address these issues.

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20h Median play time
226h Average play time
5-500h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

ARK: Survival Evolved is a survival action adventure game.

ARK: Survival Evolved is available on Phone and Tablet.

On average players spend around 226 hours playing ARK: Survival Evolved.

ARK: Survival Evolved was developed by Studio Wildcard.

ARK: Survival Evolved has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its stability.

ARK: Survival Evolved is a single player game.

Similar games include Minecraft Classic, Dead by Daylight Mobile, Don't Starve: Pocket Edition, Stick Fight: The Game Mobile, Raft® Survival - Ocean Nomad and others.