2025 · Territory Building
Sanctuary
Players plan and design a modern, scientifically managed zoo by drafting and placing tiles representing animals, buildings, and projects onto a personal zoo map. A shared supply of unique zoo tiles offers animals and facilities with different effects that contribute to attraction and conservation objectives. Each player uses four action cards whose powers depend on their current slot; actions include playing projects and adding animals of three habitat types (forest, rock, water). Players balance tile placement, habitat requirements, and project synergies to meet conservation goals and increase visitor appeal over the course of the game.
- Players
- 1–5 best 2
- Playing time
- 40–100 min
- Age
- 12+
- Complexity
- 2.8 / 5
About the game
- Design
- Publisher
Expansions
See them in Ludoya
Photos from Ludoya tables
All photos in Ludoya
Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 192
- Plays logged
- 249
- Players
- 1h 26m
- Average play
- 50
- In collections
- 17
- On wishlists
7.8/10
from 22 Ludoya reviews
Javo7.0 Tiene la esencia de Ark nova pero las sensaciones son totalmente diferentes. Si has jugado al hermano mayor estarás jugando en 2 minutos. El juego está muy bien pero de colocación de losetas me quedo con otros juegos pero hay que reconocer que es muy satisfactorio.
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Can I rotate tiles when placing them to make icons or arrows line up?
No. Tiles must always be placed with the icons at the top and the tile name at the bottom — you are not allowed to rotate tiles when placing them (p.3).
If an Animal requires Open Areas, do I place the Animal first or the face‑down Open Area tiles, and can I use the printed Open Areas on my map?
Place the Animal (or Project) tile first on a valid empty space, then place any required Open Areas from your hand face‑down; the Open Areas printed on your Zoo map count and may be used (pp.3, 2).
If I upgraded an Animal action and want to play two Animals, what strength do I need and when do their effects resolve?
You need action strength at least equal to the sum of both Animals’ levels to play two at once, and you must resolve all effects triggered by the first Animal before you play the second (p.5).
Does taking a tile with my Projects action move that Action card, or when do Action cards shift?
Taking a tile in step 1 (within the Projects action range) does not move the Projects card; after you perform an action in step 2 you place the used Action card into the leftmost slot and shift the intervening cards to the right (pp.4, 6).
Can I use Conservation markers I collected to meet a Conservation objective, and am I allowed to support an objective with zero matching icons?
Yes — you may return Conservation markers you collected to increase your icon count when supporting an objective, but you must have at least one matching icon in your zoo; then place the appropriate Achievement marker face‑down on the Conservation board (p.7).
Can I play Buildings using my Action cards like Animals or Projects?
No — Action cards only place Animals and Projects; Buildings are placed in the optional Build step (you may play exactly one Building in step 3 if you meet its condition) (p.6).
Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Sanctuary with Ludoya
- Keep it in your collectionTrack your copy and its expansions, lend it to friends, or put it on your wishlist and get told when the price drops.Add it to your collection
- Log every playScores, winners, timers and photos, then your stats: win rate, favourite player count, best score.Log a play
- Settle rules questionsAsk anything about the rules and get an answer from the rulebook, with the page to check it on.Ask the rules assistant
- Find people to play it withClubs, game nights and events near you that bring this game to the table.See events
Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.