ARK: Survival Evolved (2017)

Developer: Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, Virtual Basement LLC
Publisher: Studio Wildcard, Snail Games USA
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, RPG
Rating: 4.2 of 5, 772,495 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 128 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More games like this Watch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

You start naked on a beach, desperately gathering sticks and rocks while dinosaurs roar in the distance, gradually building a base and taming prehistoric beasts with tense cooperation or competition.

survivalgrindyopen worldcooperativetenseimmersivechallengingsandbox

What players say

Players describe Ark as a deeply addictive but buggy and poorly optimized game with an enormous install size. Many feel development has stalled, especially after developers reneged on a free UE5 upgrade promise. The game is a massive time sink that can dominate players' lives, though mods and private servers can improve the experience for those still willing to dive in.

Screenshots

More games like this

More by Studio Wildcard

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.