Ark Nova's animal habitat scoring creates a zoo-geography puzzle distinct from the card engine. Animals that score points for being adjacent to specific terrain types require spatial planning of your zoo layout from early in the game. A freshwater fish that scores for adjacent water tiles needs water tiles already placed nearby.

The exhibit size limitations create a physical constraint that tests your spatial planning across the entire game. Leaving space for large enclosures requires restraint from filling every space with small animals early. Experienced Ark Nova players plan their zoo layout from the first placement rather than filling opportunistically.

For new Ark Nova players: use your first game to observe how experienced players structure their zoo. The spatial habits that produce efficient layouts are learnable through observation. Your second game's layout will be dramatically more functional than your first.