PixArk

About

PixARK is a sandbox game, based on Ark: Survival Evolved, that offers single-player and multiplayer gameplay with a focus on crafting, building, and taming creatures in a blocky, pixelated world. Despite its humor and good mechanics, it is marred by grinding, bugs, and annoying ads. Players must gather resources, build bases, and navigate a world filled with dinosaurs and mythical beasts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,819 reviews

gameplay35 positive mentions

stability124 negative mentions

gameplay
173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
72%
8%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its similarities to "Ark" but with added mechanics reminiscent of "Minecraft." While some appreciate the variety of options and cooperative elements, others criticize the game for its numerous bugs, poor building mechanics, and unbalanced systems that detract from the overall experience. Overall, players find the gameplay to be a blend of enjoyable and frustrating, with potential for improvement as the game continues to develop.
- “Fun gameplay and cool pixel graphics.”
- “The gigantic variation of items from Ark fused with the smooth and comfortable building mechanics from Minecraft, plus a world filled with adventure and magic, manage to make a game that fits all kinds of players: creative, adventurous, hardcore, or casual.”
- “This game has many really awesome mechanics and complexity going for it that make the gameplay exciting and really fun.”
- “Gameplay is washed down and terrible, tedious, frustrating; goals are poorly defined, map generation does not work at a base level—your map can generate without entire biomes, and will often generate without proper quest givers.”
- “The block placement mechanic is terrible; don't even bother trying to build something bigger than a simple house.”
- “The gameplay is grindy and time-consuming.”
graphics
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
53%
8%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming and vibrant pixel art style, reminiscent of a blend between Minecraft and Ark. While some players appreciate the aesthetic appeal and smooth performance on lower-end systems, others criticize the graphics for not being as realistic or detailed as those in Ark, leading to mixed feelings about the overall visual experience. Despite some technical issues and a few complaints about performance, many find the graphics enjoyable and fitting for a family-friendly game.
- “The graphics are amazing, the creature designs are very cute.”
- “The voxel-meets-stylized low poly artwork is amazing.”
- “This is a beautiful game with incredibly fun graphics and an overall friendlier feeling than the original Ark.”
- “The graphics are ok, though there is a 'haze' when looking at things that are distant.”
- “So... you get worse graphics and the same horrible performance.”
- “It's so buttery smooth in terms of performance (compared to minecraft with suck butt performance for suck butt graphics) and it tickles every fancy of a minecraft, ark, dark & light, fantasy in general, pokemon and lots of other type of fan!”
stability
127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting a plethora of bugs and glitches that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many players describe the game as "buggy," with issues ranging from UI problems and disappearing items to game-breaking glitches that can make it unplayable at times. While some find enjoyment in the game despite these flaws, the consensus is that it requires substantial updates and fixes to reach its full potential.
- “A bad UI can make even a bug-free game or app feel like an alpha release.”
- “The main issue is the fact it makes the normal game look bug-free.”
- “Good game so far; I would recommend it, just don't go in expecting a fully released, bug-free game because you won't get that.”
- “But the overall experience lacks polish on a good day, and on a bad day can be buggy enough to ruin your adventure.”
- “From the buggy UI, and countless spelling mistakes, to a completely broken animal mating system, Pixark is sure to leave you frustrated and disappointed.”
- “This game is both extremely tedious, very buggy, and obviously thrown together and poorly maintained.”
optimization
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
54%
29%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant improvements in performance and smoother gameplay compared to its predecessor, Ark. However, many others criticize it for being poorly optimized, experiencing lag, bugs, and performance issues even on capable hardware. Overall, while some users find it playable and enjoyable, there is a consensus that further optimization is needed to enhance the gaming experience.
- “The game is well optimized and has some of its own features.”
- “Game is optimized very well - quick download, easy to run, easy to configure and work with your settings.”
- “I personally do like the game, though I feel as if it still needs more features to make it more optimized, both for computers and in-game playthroughs.”
- “Not to mention the game is very poorly optimized.”
- “It is the worst optimized game I have seen so far; optimization is worse than in normal Ark.”
- “The balance, optimization, and overall mechanics of the game are all extremely sub-par.”
grinding
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
6%
89%
The reviews highlight a mixed perception of grinding in the game, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly in aspects like leveling up, taming, and crafting. While some appreciate the reduced grind compared to the original Ark, others feel that the game still relies heavily on grinding mechanics, leading to frustration and a lack of clear goals. Overall, the experience varies, with some players enjoying the grind while others find it overwhelming and poorly implemented.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It isn't as grindy as most survival games, although it does start to get a little harder to level up after level 20, but that might just be me.”
- “It really combines Ark and Minecraft, and it isn't as grindy as the main game, but if you like to grind, you can move up and down the multipliers.”
- “The gameplay is grindy and time-consuming.”
- “It is no fun to spend all this time grinding to level up your weapons, stats, and armor just to have you and all your tamed dinos taken out by untamed trikes that are level 10 in three hits.”
- “You have to pass certain levels to be able to tame the simple boring dinosaurs, never mind the ones you actually want, and grinding out those levels is far too long and boring for anyone who just wants to jump into the action.”
story
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
73%
16%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of direction and depth, with many players noting the absence of a coherent narrative or meaningful quests. While some appreciate the sandbox nature and the potential for personal storytelling, the overall consensus is that the game feels empty and underwhelming, with poorly defined goals and a quest system that fails to engage. Players express a desire for more structured storytelling and rewarding quests to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “I am here to tell an awesome (in my opinion) story!”
- “Unlike Ark, there are quests and you don't need to find every dossier.”
- “With the blend of a Minecraft-like world and the feeling of adventure from both Ark and Dark and Light, along with its quest system, it is a game that will stand to get a large audience.”
- “This game suffers from giving too much information on items and animals while giving absolutely no information or general direction where to start the storyline.”
- “If you're still interested after hearing this, go for it, but don't set your hopes too high as the game feels largely empty, lacks any sort of plot (no explorer notes or goals of any kind), and is vastly underwhelming in my opinion.”
- “The game lacks a proper story and main purpose; as of now, it seems only to level up and unlock new engrams.”
monetization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been overwhelmingly criticized by users, who describe it as a blatant cash grab with little regard for quality or player experience. Many reviewers express disappointment in the development company's lack of effort and commitment, suggesting that the game is primarily designed to profit from the established Ark franchise rather than provide a meaningful gaming experience. Overall, players warn others to avoid spending money on what they perceive as a shallow and exploitative product.
- “This game completely sucks and feels like a cash grab by a development company that doesn't care at all about quality.”
- “It's simply not worth it, very shallow and it's purely a cash grab.”
- “It's a quick zero effort cash grab and it's not trying to hide it at all, it is not unique, it is no better nor worse than Ark itself.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often derived from its quirky bugs and features, such as amusing glitches and the comical animations of creatures. Players find the game's lighthearted take on survival mechanics, reminiscent of Minecraft but with a humorous twist, to be entertaining. Overall, while some glitches can be frustrating, many users appreciate the game's funny elements and charming graphics, contributing to an enjoyable experience.
- “Pretty fun and funny game, especially with the faces of the creatures.”
- “Very funny, and worth the money!”
- “The little things: I just wanted to point out that the death animation for other dinos is funny and amazing, as well as spawning by parachuting.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its relaxing and delightful qualities reminiscent of theme park soundtracks, while others find it repetitive and lacking variety. The inclusion of holiday-themed music and elements, such as Christmas hats on dinosaurs, has been criticized for detracting from the game's seriousness. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as pleasant but could benefit from a broader range of compositions to enhance the gaming experience.
- “Runs so smooth at 4k, graphics are clearer/sharper than Ark even with the cartoon element, less bloated, better UI, better paced progression, and music from a theme park waiting line (like Legoland or Disneyland).”
- “All of Ark Survival and Minecraft added together with a beautiful environment and delightful relaxing music and stimulating fight music in one game.”
- “The moment I opened the game, I was greeted by some soft background music which immediately made me think of Trove. It features much of the same sounds which got me interested in Trove itself.”
- “Upon realizing that every single dinosaur had 'cute' Christmas hats, alongside the mandatory Christmas music, I couldn't bring myself to take it seriously whatsoever.”
- “I don't mind the 'cute' feel of the game, but Christmas hats on dinosaurs and Christmas music in February?”
- “The music and audio in general sound like it was taken from a royalty-free library.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The game boasts high replayability due to its random map generation, diverse gameplay elements like crafting, exploration, and various quests, making it enjoyable for both solo players and groups. While some users note occasional inconsistencies in map quality, the overall experience is enhanced by a rich soundtrack and a variety of activities, appealing to a wide audience. However, a few reviews suggest that it may not offer substantial replay value for everyone, particularly in solo play.
- “The game also has infinite replayability and an amazing soundtrack which just adds to the list of goods.”
- “At each new game, maps are randomly generated as well, giving infinite replay value, even if you'll get the odd one that just doesn't look right, lol.”
- “This is a great game period - fun, high replayability, great with friends or solo.”
- “Suffers from the same problems the other Ark did... I would say wait until it's more playable.”
- “At each new game, maps are randomly generated as well, giving infinite replay value, even if you'll get the odd one that just doesn't look right.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is described as relaxing and enjoyable, appealing to fans of both Ark: Survival Evolved and Minecraft. Overall, it creates a captivating environment that enhances the gaming experience.
- “If you love Ark: Survival Evolved and Minecraft and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere to play in, then this is the game for you.”
- “This game is pretty atmospheric.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game's PvE experiences, particularly when enjoyed with friends, while also feeling frustration and disappointment due to bugs that detract from their enjoyment.
- “Please fix this bug because it's irritating and heartbreaking.”