ARK: Survival Evolved

Overview

ARK: Survival Evolved is an open-world survival sandbox game that thrusts players onto a mysterious island teeming with dinosaurs, mythical creatures, and hostile environments. Developed by Studio Wildcard and published by Studio Wildcard (with additional support from Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, and Virtual Basement for ports), the game launched in Early Access on Steam in June 2015, with a full release on August 29, 2017 for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It has since expanded to Nintendo Switch (2018), Android & iOS (2018), Stadia (2020), and current-gen consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S – 2022/2023).

Story & Setting

You begin as a stranded survivor on the ARK, a vast, uncharted island alive with dinosaurs, mammoths, and giant insects. The central mystery: who built the ARKs? Collect Explorer Notes left by previous inhabitants to piece together the narrative of an ancient alien race, the Overseers, and a war between the Federation and the Brood. The ultimate goal is to defeat the final bosses and ascend to the next ARK, unlocking the true story across The Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, and Genesis expansions. The setting evolves from primal wilderness to post-apocalyptic wastelands, futuristic biomes, and even space. Each map ties into a larger lore about humanity's survival and the enigmatic ARK systems.

Main Characters

While ARK is player-driven, key NPCs feature in the storyline:

• Helena Walker – A paleontologist whose Explorer Notes and diary entries guide players through the lore. Her journey from survival to understanding the ARKs forms the emotional backbone.


• Diana Slaney – A survivor who becomes a leader on The Island, eventually sacrificing herself for others.


• Li Mei – A resourceful engineer whose notes document the technological wonders and dangers of the ARKs.


• Gaius Marcellus – A Federation soldier whose logs reveal the dark side of the ARK experiments.


• The Overseer – The final AI boss of The Island, part of the ancient system testing survivors.


• The Titans – Colossal creatures like the King Titan, Corrupted Master Controller, and the Forest, Ice, and Desert Titans that serve as endgame bosses in later maps.




Core Appeal



ARK’s primary draw is its unmatched scale of freedom and creativity. Hundreds of tameable dinosaurs and creatures—from the humble Dodo to the colossal Giganotosaurus—can be ridden, bred, and used in combat, farming, or transport. Players can build sprawling bases, craft complex gear, form tribes, and engage in PvP or PvE. The game rewards exploration with rare resources, blueprints, and hidden caves. Its real persistence (world continues even when offline) and deep taming mechanics (knockout, passive, or nursing) create a truly immersive survival loop.



Target Audience



ARK appeals to:

• Survival game enthusiasts who enjoy resource management, crafting, and base-building.


• Dinosaur and prehistoric fans seeking a realistic (and fantastical) creature-filled world.


• PvP players who thrive on high-stakes tribe warfare and territorial control.


• PvE players who prefer cooperative base-building and boss fights.


• Sandbox gamers who love emergent gameplay, mods, and player-driven stories.


• Roleplayers who can create custom scenarios on dedicated servers.




Game Modes




• Single Player – Offline mode with adjustable settings (tame speed, difficulty, etc.). Progress saves locally.


• Official Servers (PvP, PvE, or Survival of the Fittest) – Persistent online worlds with strict rules and large player bases.


• Unofficial Servers – Player-hosted servers with custom rates, mods (via Steam Workshop), and maps.


• Non-Dedicated Sessions – Host a game locally and invite friends (tether distance limit).


• ARK: Survival of the Fittest (SotF) – Standalone battle royale mode (removed from main game but playable via mods).




Online/Offline Support




• Online: Full multiplayer across all platforms (crossplay supported within console/PC families but not fully unified). Official servers require internet. Unofficial servers can be accessed online.


• Offline: Single-player and non-dedicated sessions can be played entirely offline, with saved progress. Note: Some features (dino downloads, server transfers) require online connection.


• Dedicated Servers: Available on PC and some console versions for persistent worlds.

DLC & Expansions

ARK features three major paid expansions (often called “maps”) plus a season pass:

Additionally, free maps like The Center, Ragnarok, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Lost Island, and Fjordur offer huge, diverse biomes and are official through community support.

What Makes ARK Unique?

1. Unprecedented Creature Taming & Breeding – Over 100+ creatures with distinct taming methods, mutations, and imprinting mechanics. Breeding allows you to create super-dinos with specific stats and colors.
2. Extreme Scale & Persistence – Worlds with thousands of players, massive bases, and 24/7 server uptime. Your progress (or destruction) is always at risk.
3. Living Ecosystem – Dinosaurs interact with each other and the environment. Pack animals like Raptors hunt together; herbivores migrate; weather affects behavior.
4. Vertical Progression – From stone tools to tek armor, laser rifles, and space travel. Technology tiers mirror narrative advancement.
5. Modding Community – Steam Workshop support for maps, creatures, items, and total conversions (e.g., Primal Fear, ARK Additions).
6. Free Post-Launch Content – Regular updates with new creatures, items, and events (e.g., Winter Wonderland, ARK: Fear Evolved).
7. Cross-Platform Play (partial) – Xbox, Windows Store, Playstation, and Switch have limited crossplay between same ecosystems.

Whether you want to build a rustic wooden cabin on a beach, tame a pack of Velociraptors, or raid enemy megabases with a rocket launcher while riding a dragon, ARK: Survival Evolved offers a sandbox experience unlike any other. Its combination of survival mechanics, prehistoric fantasy, and persistent multiplayer creates endless stories—and challenges—that have kept millions of players exploring, building, and surviving since 2015.

Overview

Welcome to ARK: Survival Evolved. This guide will walk you through your first hour in the game, explain the UI, controls, and early objectives, and help you avoid common mistakes. Whether you are on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, the core survival loop is the same: gather resources, build shelter, tame dinosaurs, and avoid becoming a meal.

Character Creation

Your journey begins on a beach. Before spawning, you can customize your character:

• Gender (Male/Female) – affects animations and model, no gameplay difference.


• Appearance – sliders for head shape, body build, hair, skin color, etc. These are purely cosmetic.


• Name – appears on your inventory and when interacting with others.

Note: You can change appearance later using a Mindwipe Tonic (unlocks at level 30), but it costs resources. Don't spend too long customizing – you will likely die and respawn quickly.

First 5 Minutes: Spawn Location & Immediate Actions

Spawn Selection

You can choose your spawn area from a map. For beginners, select Easy regions (South zones 1, 2, or 3) – marked with green icons. These have fewer aggressive dinosaurs and more resources.

Immediate Checklist (First 5 Minutes)

1. Look around – You are on a beach. Note the direction of the sun (east/west) to orient yourself.
2. Punch a tree – Approach any small tree or bush. Press the interact key/button to gather Thatch, Wood, and Fiber from bushes.
3. Pick up stones – Collect stones from the ground by looking at them and pressing pickup.
4. Check your inventory – Press Tab (PC), Menu button (console) to see what you have.
5. Craft your first tools:
- Pick (Thatch + Stone): Gathers flint and stone faster.
- Hatchet (Wood + Stone): Gathers wood and thatch faster.
- Spear (Wood + Stone + Fiber): Your first weapon.
6. Drink water – Find a river or coastline. Walk into shallow water and press the interact key to drink (or use the radial menu).
7. Eat berries – Pick Mejo Berries (blue) from bushes. Avoid Amarberry (red) until you need Narcotics; Azulberry (purple) gives water.

UI Overview

The Heads-Up Display (HUD) shows critical info:

| Health bar (top-left, red) | Your current HP. Reaches 0 = death. Regenerates slowly when fed.
| Stamina bar (blue) | Depletes when sprinting, jumping, attacking. Regenerates quickly when idle.
| Oxygen bar (white) | Drains underwater. Refills when you surface.
| Food bar (green) | Drains over time. Eat berries or meat to fill.
| Water bar (blue droplet) | Drains over time. Drink from water sources.
| Torpor (purple bar) | Builds up from being hit or drugged. If full, you fall unconscious. Avoid getting knocked out.
| Inventory weight (bottom-right) | Shows carried weight limit. Overencumbered = can't run.
| Hotbar (bottom center) | 0-9 slots for quick access items. Drag items from inventory to assign.
| Level & XP (bottom-left) | Yellow bar – gain XP by harvesting, killing, crafting. Level up to unlock engrams (blueprints).

Controls (All Platforms)

PC (Keyboard & Mouse)

• WASD – Move


• Left Mouse – Attack/Use


• Right Mouse – Zoom/Secondary use


• E – Interact/Pick up


• Tab – Inventory


• I – Player inventory


• F – Mount/Dismount


• C – Crouch


• X – Prone


• Space – Jump


• Shift – Sprint


• Ctrl – Walk


• 1-9 – Hotbar slots


• Q – Smart Remote (toggle tool)


• R – Reload/Alternate use


• T – Access inventory of targeted structure/dino


• Numpad – Whisper/Shout


• Print Screen – Screenshot




Xbox



• Left Stick – Move


• Right Stick – Look


• A – Jump/Interact


• B – Crouch/Prone (hold)


• X – Use item


• Y – Access inventory


• RB – Eat/drink (while holding item)


• LB – Toggle inventory


• D-Pad Up – Mount/Dismount


• D-Pad Down – Flare/Whistle


• D-Pad Left/Right – Cycle targets


• Right Stick Click – Zoom


• Left Stick Click – Sprint


• Menu – Options


• View – Map




PlayStation



• Left Stick – Move


• Right Stick – Look


• Cross – Jump/Interact


• Circle – Crouch/Prone (hold)


• Square – Use item


• Triangle – Inventory


• R1 – Eat/drink (while holding item)


• L1 – Toggle inventory


• D-Pad Up – Mount/Dismount


• D-Pad Down – Flare/Whistle


• D-Pad Left/Right – Cycle targets


• Right Stick Click – Zoom


• Left Stick Click – Sprint


• Options – Menu


• Touchpad – Map




Nintendo Switch



• Left Stick – Move


• Right Stick – Look


• B – Jump/Interact


• A – Pick up/Eat


• X – Inventory


• Y – Use item


• R – Eat/drink


• L – Toggle inventory


• ZR – Attack


• ZL – Zoom


• D-Pad Up – Mount/Dismount


• D-Pad Down – Whistle


• D-Pad Left/Right – Cycle


• Right Stick Click – Crouch


• Left Stick Click – Sprint


• + – Menu


• - – Map




First Hour Walkthrough (Step-by-Step)





Step 1: Survive the First Night (0-20 minutes)


1. Gather 50 Thatch, 50 Wood, 50 Fiber, 30 Stone – use tools.
2. Craft a Campfire (requires 2 Stone, 20 Thatch, 12 Wood). Place it on safe ground.
3. Craft a Stone Pick and Stone Hatchet if not done.
4. Scout for a safe spot – near water but not too close to carnivores. Avoid the swamp and redwood forest.
5. Craft a Bed (requires 40 Thatch, 80 Wood, 15 Fiber, 10 Hide). Place inside a shelter. This is your respawn point. Without it, you respawn randomly.
6. Storage Box (make one) – Store extra resources.



Step 2: Get Food & Water (20-40 minutes)



• Fishing – Craft a fishing rod? Not yet. Instead: hunt small animals:

- Dodo – Slow, easy to kill with a spear. Gives Raw Meat and Hide.
- Parasaur – Similar, but be careful not to aggro its herd.

• Cook meat – Place Raw Meat in campfire with fuel (wood/thatch). Press Start Cooking.


• Water – Fill a waterskin (crafted from Hide/Stone? Actually Waterskin requires 4 Hide and 10 Fiber). Or just drink from rivers.


• Berries – Still good for food but less nutritious.




Step 3: Build a Basic Base (40-60 minutes)



• Thatch Foundation – Cheap, but weak. Recommended: start with Wood.


• Wooden Walls, Doorway, Door – craft at least 4 walls, 1 doorframe, 1 door.


• Roof – Wooden ceiling.


• Place foundation – Use a hammer to align.


• Place walls, then doorframe, door, ceiling.


• Craft a Mortar and Pestle (requires 20 Stone, 5 Wood, 5 Fiber) – used later for narcotics.


• Craft a Small Chest (store extra items).




Optional Early Goal: Tame a Dino



• Dodo or Lystrosaurus – Passive tame: put berries in last hotbar slot, approach cautiously, press E (interact). Do not hit them. They follow if you have food.


• Parasaur – Knockout tame: use slingshot or club on head until unconscious, then put Mejo Berries in its inventory. Wait for taming bar to fill. Protect it during taming.




What to Do First – Essential Early Objectives (Levels 1-10)



1. Craft tools – Pick, Hatchet, Spear, Campfire.
2. Find a safe location – Near water, with access to trees, rocks, and not near spawn points (to avoid griefing on PvP).
3. Build a small shelter – Even a 2x1 thatch hut with a bed.
4. Gather 100 Fiber – Needed for bola, clothes, and later items.
5. Craft a Bola (requires 3 Fiber, 5 Stone, 2 Thatch) – Can immobilize small dinos like Raptors for easy kills or taming.
6. Gather Hide – From dodos, dilos, and parasaurs. Craft Cloth Armor (3 pieces: shirt, pants, hat) for insulation.
7. Level up – Unlock engrams: Bola, Mortar and Pestle, Narcotics (level 10).
8. Craft a Narcotics: in mortar, 1 Spoiled Meat + 5 Narcoberries = 1 Narcotic. Used to keep unconscious dinos asleep during taming.



What to Avoid – Beginner Don'ts




• Don't attack a Raptor without a bola and spear. They are fast and kill you quickly.


• Don't swim in deep water – Megalodons (sharks) will eat you. Stay near shore.


• Don't stay in the open at night – temperatures drop, and dangerous predators like Raptors hunt. Stay near your campfire.


• Don't eat Narcoberries – they increase Torpor. You'll fall unconscious and die.


• Don't build on a spawn beach – other players might destroy your base (PvP servers) or it's too crowded. Move inland a bit.


• Don't ignore your water/food bars – death from dehydration/hunger is common.


• Don't punch a Trike – it will trample you.


• Don't litter the beach with structures – it's considered bad server etiquette, and you may get raided.


• Don't try to tame a high-level dino first – start with low-level dodos or parasaurs.


• Don't store all your resources in one box – if your base is raided, you lose everything. Spread out multiple small caches.

Early Resource Priorities

| Thatch | Fuel, early buildings | Punch trees or use hatchet on trees | High (first hour)
| Wood | Stronger buildings, weapons | Hatchet on trees | High (first 2 hours)
| Stone | Tools, weapons, foundations | Pick on rocks | High (first hour)
| Fiber | Bola, cloth armor, ropes | Pick from bushes | High (immediate)
| Hide | Armor, bed, sleeping bag | Harvest from dead animals | Medium (first 3 hours)
| Flint | Sparkpowder (ammo for guns) | Pick on rocks | Low early game
| Metal | Advanced tools, structures | Pick on metal rocks (shiny) | Low (after level 20)
| Crystal | Spyglass, later tech | Pick from crystal nodes | Low early game
| Berries | Food, taming, narcotics | Pick from bushes | Constant
| Raw Meat | Food, taming carnivores | Hunt small animals | Constant
| Water | Survival | Rivers, ocean | Constant

Common Beginner Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

1. Running blindly – Always have a plan. Scout the area before exploring.
2. Not building a bed – You will die and lose progress.
3. Overburdening carry weight – Keep weight below 50% to sprint. Drop unnecessary items.
4. Not using the hotbar – Assign food, weapons, and tools to hotbar for quick access.
5. Ignoring torpor – If a dilophosaur spits on you, your torpor rises. Eat Stimberries (yellow) to reduce torpor.
6. Taming without a trap – For larger dinos, build a simple ramp and box trap to safely knock them out.
7. Wasting engram points – Don't unlock every primitive structure. Focus on tools, weapons, and taming-related engrams first.
8. Not cooking meat – Raw meat spoils quickly. Cook it to last longer.
9. Fighting in melee vs. Raptors – Use ranged weapons like a slingshot or bow from high ground.
10. Forgetting to repair tools – Carry extra tools or repair them at a smithy.

Day-One Checklist (Printable Summary)

Objectives for your first in-game day (approx 40 minutes real time):

• [ ] Choose Easy spawn (South zone)


• [ ] Gather 50 Thatch, 50 Wood, 50 Fiber, 30 Stone


• [ ] Craft Stone Pick + Stone Hatchet


• [ ] Craft Campfire (place it near water)


• [ ] Eat berries and drink water


• [ ] Craft a Bed (40 Thatch, 80 Wood, 15 Fiber, 10 Hide)


• [ ] Build a small shelter (foundation, 3 walls, doorframe, door, ceiling)


• [ ] Gather 100 Fiber for Bola


• [ ] Craft Bola + Spear


• [ ] Kill 3-4 dodos for Hide and Raw Meat


• [ ] Cook meat on campfire


• [ ] Craft Cloth Armor (shirt, pants, hat) – 20 Hide each


• [ ] Place a Storage Box inside shelter


• [ ] Level up to at least level 5 (crafting gives XP)


• [ ] Unlock engrams: Bola, Mortar and Pestle, Narcotics (at level 10)


• [ ] Tame a Dodo (optional – first day)


• [ ] Craft a Spyglass (requires Crystal, Metal, Hide – may skip if no Crystal)


• [ ] Sleep in bed to set spawn point


End of day one: You should have a shelter, bed, basic tools, cooked food, cloth armor, and a storage crate. You are ready for day two: taming a Parasaur, exploring further, and building a more secure base.



Final Tips for New Players




• Singleplayer – Adjust settings in Options: increase taming speed, resource gathering rate, and disable structure decay to learn without pressure.


• Official servers – Harsh. Consider unofficial PvE servers with boosted rates for a friendlier experience.


• Join a tribe – Safety in numbers. You can share resources and tames.


• Watch your surroundings – Listen for footsteps and roars. Use the ”Whistle” radial menu to command tamed dinos.


• Have fun – Dying is part of the learning curve. Each death teaches you something.

Overview

ARK: Survival Evolved is a sandbox survival game where your primary goal is to survive, tame dinosaurs, build bases, and conquer the island. The core gameplay loop revolves around gathering resources, crafting tools and structures, taming creatures, and progressing through increasingly difficult challenges. This guide breaks down the gameplay by player progression tiers—Early Game, Mid Game, Late Game, and Endgame—covering combat, exploration, missions, economy, character growth, and endgame structure.

---

Early Game (Levels 1–30)

Main Gameplay Loop

• Gather basic resources (thatch, fiber, wood, stone, flint) using your hands or simple tools (pickaxe, hatchet).


• Manage vitals: Eat berries or meat, drink water from rivers or crafted waterskins, avoid extreme temperatures (use shelter/clothing).


• Craft a thatch or wood hut, a campfire, storage box, and bed (to respawn).


• Tame your first dinosaurs: Usually a Parasaur (passive tame with berries) for early transport, a Dodo for eggs/lazy meat, or a Lystrosaurus for experience boost.


• Explore the starting area (beaches, forests) to learn the map, locate resources, and avoid predators like Raptors and Dilos.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Melee: Use a spear, club, or stone axe to fend off small creatures. Backpedal and stab for reach.


• Ranged: Unlock the bow (levels 1–10) and craft arrows. Headshots deal extra damage.


• Taming: Knockout tames (e.g., Dodo, Parasaur) with a club or slingshot, then feed berries or raw meat. Passive tames (e.g., Mesopithecus) require feeding without aggro.


• Survival: Craft and equip cloth armor (low protection, okay for early temperature) and simple tools.




Progression & Exploration



• Level Up: Prioritize Fortitude (resist weather/disease), Weight (carry more), and Stamina (run/sprint). Unlock engrams based on level.


• Engrams: Unlock campfire, mortar & pestle, bed, basic structures, and taming-related items (narcotics, simple kibble) first.


• Exploration: Stay near the beach—venture inland only with a tame. Look for caves (marked by stone pillars) but do not enter without gear.


• Quests/Missions: No explicit quests, but "Survivor Notes" (collectible lore) are scattered across the map. Completing them gives experience and lore.




Economy & Character Growth



• Economy: None yet—all resources are gathered directly. Later, you may trade with other players on servers, but early game is self-sufficient.


• Character Growth: Invest engram points wisely—unlock tools, weapons, and early saddles. Stat build: 10–15 Fortitude, 200–300 Weight, 200–300 Stamina, rest into Health/Movement Speed.


---



Mid Game (Levels 30–65)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Upgrade your base to stone or metal for durability. Build a smithy, forge, and refining forge (smelt metal).


• Tame medium-to-large dinos: Raptor (mount, speed), Trike (berry farmer, mild combat), Sarco (water travel), Pteranodon (flying mount—essential).


• Craft firearms: Fabricator (level ~30) to produce guns (pistol, longneck rifle), ammo, and advanced tools.


• Start farming: Plant berries and vegetables in crop plots with fertilizer (from dino dung).


• Explore caves and collect Artifacts: These are needed for boss summoning. Bring a full set of hide armor, a good tame, and plenty of food/water.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Ranged Combat: Longneck rifle with tranq darts (dart gun) for taming high-level dinos. Use assault rifle or shotgun for combat against carnivores.


• Riding Dinos: Equip saddles and control mounts directly—each has unique attacks (Trike can charge, Raptor pounce).


• Taming: Use narcotics to keep dinos unconscious, kibble for faster taming, and transponder nodes to track lost tames (if engram learned).


• Breeding Basics: If you have a mating pair, breed small dinos to get eggs and imprint (gives stat bonuses). Not yet essential but good for future boss runs.




Progression & Exploration



• Level Up: Focus on Health (300–500), Stamina, Weight (400–600), and some Oxygen (for underwater). Start unlocking Tek Engrams (if you defeat certain bosses—but early mid-game you just see them).


• Engrams: Prioritize metal tools, fabricator, industrial grill, chemistry bench, greenhouse, and advanced weapons. Also unlock Electronics (for turrets/scuba gear).


• Exploration: Visit all major biomes: Redwoods (big trees, Megapithecus threat), Swamp (leeches, alligators), Snow (cold with direwolves), and Valguero (if on that map). Learn the map layout—cave locations for artifacts.


• Boss Arenas: Unlock by collecting Artifacts and tributing them at Obelisks. Early mid-game you can attempt the Broodmother Lysrix (Beta) with a pack of high-level melee Megatheriums or Rexes.




Economy & Character Growth



• Economy: On official servers, players often trade tamed dinos, kibble, or metal ingots. Kibble is a secondary currency for taming. Chibis (pets) are collected from defeating bosses.


• Character Growth: Respect stats occasionally (Mindwipe Tonic) to optimize. For bossing, a loadout of 40–50 Fortitude (against Dragon fire), 200–300 Stamina, and rest into Health (600–1000).


---



Late Game (Levels 65–100)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Tek Tier: Unlock Tek gear after defeating bosses (Gamma, Beta, Alpha). Craft Tek armor, saddles, generators, and gates from Element (obtained from bosses).


• Mutated Breeding: Breed multiple generations of dinos (especially Rexes, Therizinos, Spinos) for boss fights. Imprint for stat bonuses.


• Base Fortification: Build a dedicated boss-pen or dino arena. Use Tek walls, auto-turrets, and heavy turrets for PvE defense (against wild dinos) or PvP.


• Resource Runs: Farm obsidian, crystal, metal, and polymer (organic from Mantis or with cementing paste). Use a Ankylosaurus for metal/flint, Dozier for stone/wood.


• Deep Sea Exploration: Use a Basilosaurus (immune to stun) to explore underwater caves for rare loot drops and pearls.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Tek Weapons: Unlock Tek sword, Tek chestpiece (jetpack), Tek rifle (plasma damage). Use Tek in boss arenas for mobility and damage.


• Mount Combat: Use bred and imprinted top-tier tames—Rex for brute force, Managarmr (freeze breath), Velonasaur (rapid fire) from Extinction DLC.


• Boss Fights: Battle the Dragon (Vanilla), Megapithecus, or Broodmother again on Alpha difficulty. Best solo or in tribes—bring a pack of 10–20 high-level tames with good saddles.


• Artifacts: Collect all 6 for each boss fight (12 for the Island's Overseer). Farming certain caves (e.g., Swamp Cave) requires gas masks and good tames.




Progression & Exploration



• Level Up: Now you have many engrams unlocked—use engram points for Tek items and high-tier structures. Stats: 1000+ Health, 1000+ Stamina for boss tanking.


• Engrams: After Tek engrams, unlock Tek Transmitter for teleportation, Tek Cloning Chamber to clone tames (resource heavy).


• Exploration: Go to all Obelisks to access boss arenas. Also explore Extinction (if owned) for corrupted dinos, OSD nodes, and Titan bosses.


• Chibis & Skins: Collect Chibi pets from Alpha boss kills; they level up and grant bonus health or other perks.




Economy & Character Growth



• Economy: Trading high-level dinos, element, Tek blueprints, or kibble. Farming is big—mutated dinos with high stat points are valuable. Use Observation of Dino Stats to calculate value.


• Character Growth: You can now afford to Mindwipe for specific roles: a tank build (high health/fortitude) for Dragon, or speed/weight for resource farming. Imprinting on tames is crucial: the rider gets 30% bonus damage and damage reduction.


---



Endgame (Level 100+ and Ascension)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Ascension: Defeat the Overseer (the final boss on The Island) in Alpha difficulty to unlock Tek Gen 2 and gain access to Genesis maps or server transfers.


• Tek Everything: Fully upgrade your base with Tek structures—teleporters, turrets, replicators, and forcefields. Power all with Element.


• Mutated Breeding Projects: Create super-dinos with 100+ mutation stacks in specific stats (melee, health). Use these for last-level challenges.


• Boss Marathon: Fight all three vanillas+Overseer in one session (Alpha) for maximum rewards. Also attempt Extinction Titans (King Titan on Alpha) and Gen 1/2 boss missions.


• Explore DLC Content: If you own expansion maps, complete their boss fights and explore unique biomes (Aberration, Extinction, Genesis Part 1 & 2).




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Tek Armor Superiority: Use Tek leggings (super sprint), Tek gauntlets (melee boost), and Tek helmet (thermal vision). Combined with Tek weapons, you become nearly unkillable in PvE.


• Dino Combat: Top-tier tames like Shadowmane (invisible, leap), Magmasaur (lava ball), Voidwyrm (electric). Use them in maps generated from DLC.


• No More Taming Penalties: With endgame kibble and high-level tames, you can 100% tame most creatures within an hour.




Progression & Exploration



• Level Cap: By this point you're max level (105-150 depending on DLC). Use Chibi XP bonuses and Broth of Enlightenment to grind last levels.


• Engrams All Unlocked: Now you know everything—use engram points on vanity items or duplicates for base designs.


• Exploration: Every map is fully explored. Main goal is to collect all Explorer Notes and Dossier Topphies for 100% completion.


• No New Quests: Endgame is self-directed: build a breeding empire, PvP raiding (if on official), or help new players.




Economy & Character Growth



• Economy: Element becomes the primary currency. Tek Blueprints and Fully Bred Dinos with perfect stats trade for real money or other in-game items. On unofficial servers, economy may be based on admin shops.


• Character Growth: You have max stats—typically a spread of 2,000 Health, 1,500 Stamina, 500 Weight, and rest into Fortitude (for high-damage zones). Use Mindwipe Tonic every 10–20 hours to reassign for different activities (PvP vs PvE).


• Imprinting for All: Every important tame is imprinted to you (or your tribemates). Bonuses stack for tribe.

---

Summary Table: Progression by Tier

---

Final Tips

• Always keep a sleeping bag/bed near your base for quick respawn.


• In multiplayer, build hidden caches or small bases around the map to recover from raids.


• Use the ARK Smart Breeding tool (external) to track mutations and best breeding pairs.


• Save your Ascension for a full tribe effort—Alpha Overseer is extremely challenging.

This guide covers the core gameplay loop of ARK from start to finish. Adapt strategies to your server settings (tame rates, difficulty) and enjoy the journey of survival and evolution.

Overview

Welcome to the ultimate tips guide for ARK: Survival Evolved. Whether you're a fresh survivor or a seasoned veteran, these tips will help you survive, thrive, and dominate the island. The guide is organized by category, covering combat, exploration, resource gathering, base building, economy/trading, taming, and advanced optimizations. Each tip includes a clear explanation and deeper analysis of why it works and when to use it.

---

Combat Tips

Beginner: Use Melee and Ranged Wisely

• Tip: Start with a simple spear or bow. For early dinosaurs (Dilos, Dodos), kiting and headshots work best.


• Why: The spear has a thrown attack that deals high damage. The bow allows safe distance. Headshots on most creatures deal extra damage.


• When: First few days on the beach. Avoid taking on Raptors or larger creatures without a bola.




Intermediate: Master the Bola



• Tip: Craft bolas early. They immobilize small to medium creatures (like Raptors, Pteranodons) for 30 seconds.


• Why: Bolas are cheap (fiber, hide, thatch) and give you time to land arrows or run. They are essential for taming and escape.


• When: Use against pack hunters, fleeing threats, or to pin down a tame. Always carry 5+.




Advanced: Exploit Hitboxes and Movement



• Tip: Larger creatures have blind spots (e.g., under a Bronto or behind a Trike). Use sprint and slide to dodge attacks.


• Why: Many creatures have slow turning speed. Circle strafing with a fast mount (e.g., Raptor) lets you avoid damage while dealing melee hits.


• When: Fighting Rexes, Spinos, or Golems. Use terrain (rocks, trees) to block charges.




Advanced: Taming Combat Mounts



• Tip: Tame a high-level utility mount for combat (e.g., Baryonyx for its stun attack, Thylacoleo for leaping, or Mantis for tools).


• Why: These mounts have unique abilities that turn fights in your favor. Baryonyx stun locks aquatic enemies; Thylacoleo can climb and pin.


• When: After establishing a small base and a flyer. Use these for caves, deep sea, or PvP.


---



Exploration Tips





Beginner: Stick to the Beach and River Valleys



• Tip: The southern beaches (e.g., the easy zones on The Island) are safest. Avoid swamps, snow, and redwoods early.


• Why: Fewer aggressive predators; abundant resources (berries, wood, stone, fiber).


• When: First 10–20 levels. Venture inland only when you have flak armor and a ranged weapon.




Intermediate: Use Landmarks and Coordinate Systems



• Tip: Enable coordinates in settings (hold H on PC, or use a GPS mod). Learn to recognize key landmarks: red obelisk, green obelisk, volcano, mountain peaks.


• Why: The island is huge and easy to get lost. Coordinates help you return to base or meet friends.


• When: Always. For multiplayer, place sleeping bags or beds at strategic spots.




Advanced: Map Exploitation and Cave Runs



• Tip: Use the "jump" feature with an Otter or a flying mount to reach hidden crates (loot crates) on cliffs. For underwater caves, wear SCUBA and use a Baryonyx or Basilosaurus.


• Why: Deep sea loot crates and cave artifacts give high-tier blueprints and resources.


• When: After you can craft quality weapons and armor. Bring grappling hooks and cryopods for escape.




Exploration General: Always Carry Survival Kit



• Tip: Essential items: 2× water jars, cooked meat stack, sleeping bag, parachute, spyglass, grapnel, stimulants (for torpor), and a ranged weapon with ammo.


• Why: Parachute saves you from falling; grapnel lets you climb cliffs; stims keep you awake if attacked by troodons.


• When: Every trip outside your base.


---



Resource Gathering Tips





Beginner: Gather by Hand and with Basic Tools



• Tip: Use the stone pick for thatch and flint; the stone axe for wood and hide. Punch trees for berries (or use a trike for mass berry).


• Why: Tools give different yields. Picking right reduces wasted stamina.


• When: Early levels until you tame a resource dino.




Intermediate: Use Dinos for Bulk Harvest



• Tip: Tame an Ankylosaurus for metal/flint/crystal, a Doedicurus for stone, a Mammoth or Castoroides for wood, and a Therizinosaurus for fiber/berries/wood.


• Why: These dinos multiply your gather rate and carry weight. Anky can gather metal in one swing equal to 20 pickaxes.


• When: As soon as you can craft a saddle (usually level 30–60).




Advanced: Resource Node Locations and Trips



• Tip: Metal nodes are primarily on mountains and in caves (e.g., Volcano, Frozen Fang). The best metal spawns are at the top of the volcano. Use a Quetzal or a skiff to transport.


• Why: Mountains have rich nodes that respawn quickly. Setting up a small outpost on the volcano lets you grind metal without hauling far.


• When: Mid-game; after you have an argy (Argentavis) for long-distance carry.




Ultimate Resource Tip: The Fishing Basket



• Tip: Use a fishing rod with leech blood or honey as bait. Fishing can give you prime fish meat, high-level blueprints, and rare resources (silica pearls, black pearls).


• Why: Fishing is a passive but powerful way to get rare items. Best done in deep water.


• When: After you have a raft or water mount. Fish in the ocean or rivers.


---



Base Building Tips





Beginner: Start Small and Expand Gradually



• Tip: Build a 2×2 thatch hut with a refining forge and bed. Upgrade to wood, then stone, then metal as you level.


• Why: Early resources are limited. Thatch huts are quick to place but weak. Stone is explosion resistant. Metal is near impenetrable.


• When: First base at level 1–20. Move to stone around level 30.




Intermediate: Choose Location Wisely



• Tip: Build near water and resources, but not directly on a beach (Tsunami). Common spots: Herbivore Island (safe), Hidden Lake (beautiful, defensible), or the rocky hills near the volcano.


• Why: Proximity to water for thirst and farming; resources reduce travel time. Defensible locations (cliffs, islands) reduce raiding risks.


• When: When you decide on a permanent base (around level 40+).




Advanced: Design and Defense



• Tip: Use multiple layers of walls, plant turrets (species X), and automatic turrets. Build a "pillar base" to prevent foundation spam.


• Why: Layers slow raiders. Species X slows enemies. Turrets kill players and tames. Pillars prevent others from building on your claim.


• When: For PvP or high-value servers. In PvE, focus on aesthetics and functionality.




Building General: The 2+1 Rule



• Tip: Always build foundations at least 2 tiles high off the ground with pillars. Use foundations to snap ceiling for upper floors.


• Why: Prevents creatures from clipping through, adds stability, and allows water pipes/cables below.


• When: All builds, especially multi-story.


---



Economy & Trading Tips





Beginner: Use the Obelisk for Transfers



• Tip: Upload items and creatures to the Ark Data or creature terminals at the obelisks (or supply drops). This allows cross-ARK transfer in official clusters.


• Why: Move resources between maps or store items safely for later.


• When: When you plan to move bases or transfer to another server.




Intermediate: The "Kibble" Economy



• Tip: Craft kibble using specific eggs. Each kibble is used to tame certain creatures faster. Trade extra kibble with other players.


• Why: High-tier kibble (e.g., Rex kibble) is valuable. You can trade it for metal ingots, polymer, or blueprints.


• When: Mid-game after you have a dino farm (several females for eggs).




Advanced: Structure and Blueprint Trading



• Tip: Farm swamp cave or deep sea loot crates for high-level saddles, weapons, and armor blueprints. Trade duplicates for bullets, materials, or tames.


• Why: Rare blueprints (e.g., Ascendant Sword, Mastercraft Flak) are end-game currency. Many players will overpay for them.


• When: After you have a reliable farming route.




Economy General: The Value of Metal



• Tip: Metal ingots are the universal currency. Gather metal, smelt it, and use it as trade. Bulk selling 10k ingots can net you a good tame or base materials.


• Why: Everyone needs metal. It doesn't spoil, and it's used for all advanced structures.


• When: Always, but especially during server events or new map releases.


---



Taming Tips





Beginner: Knockout Taming Basics



• Tip: Use a slingshot or tranq arrows (narcotic arrows) for early tames. Make narcotics from spoiled meat and narco berries.


• Why: Tranq darts (for crossbow) are more efficient but require higher level. Slingshot is free but low damage.


• When: For Dodos, Dilos, Parasaurus, or Pteranodon.




Intermediate: The Bola & Crossbow Method



• Tip: Bola a creature, then shoot it with tranq arrows from a crossbow. For larger creatures, use a trap (two gateways with doorways).


• Why: Bolas immobilize, preventing escape. Traps allow safe taming of Rexes, Spinos, etc.


• When: Taming Raptors, Sabertooths, etc. For Rexes, build a 3×3 stone pen with ramps.




Advanced: The "Passive Tame" & "Tribe Taming"



• Tip: Some creatures (e.g., Oviraptor, Moschops) must be passive-tamed by dropping favorite food (e.g., rare flowers, honey). For fast taming, use a high-level tame with kibble and a tribe mate to guard.


• Why: Passive tames require patience; your presence must stay steady. Tribe mates can fend off threats while you feed.


• When: For utility tames that are otherwise difficult to knock out.




Taming General: The Taming Effectiveness



• Tip: Keep the creature unconscious and eat the preferred kibble or food. Avoid letting it wake up or take damage. Use narcotics regularly (every 30–60 seconds for large tames).


• Why: Higher effectiveness means more levels added and better stats after tame. A perfect tame (with best food & no damage) yields the most levels.


• When: Always, especially for combat mounts. Use a taming calculator (online) to time narcotics.


---



Advanced Optimizations





1. Breeding: The Superstats



• Tip: Breed high-stat parents (HP, Stamina, Melee) to get mutations. Mutations give bonus levels and color changes. Focus on a male with all best stats and breed with many females.


• Why: Stacking mutations produces dinos with 50+ extra levels, perfect for boss fights. Each mutation adds either a stat increase or a color region.


• When: End-game, after you have a breeding pair with desired stats.




2. Cryopods: Portable Dinos



• Tip: Craft cryopods and a cryofridge. Cryopods store dinos in your inventory; cryofridge charges them. Use them to carry multiple tames easily.


• Why: Cryopods let you transport tames without mounting or flying slow. They are essential for cave runs, boss arenas, and PvP raids.


• When: After you unlock engrams (level 50+). Always keep a charged pod.




3. Tek Tier: End-Game Power



• Tip: Defeat bosses (Broodmother, Megapithecus, Dragon) to earn element. Use element to craft Tek structures, armor, and saddles. Tek allows flight, teleportation, and super weapons.


• Why: Tek rex saddle with shield, Tek chest with jetpack – these make you nearly invincible. Teleporters let you travel instantly between locations.


• When: After you have a good boss battle team (e.g., 19 Rexes + 1 Yuty).




4. S+ Mods (PC) or QoL+ Settings



• Tip: On PC, install Super Structures mod (S+) for better building: snapping, pull system, automated crafting, and stacking storage. On console, use structure placement preview and toggle snap points.


• Why: Reduces frustration and saves hours. S+ also includes a gardener that auto-fertilizes crops.


• When: Immediately after setting up your server or single-player game.




5. Dino GPS and Telemetry



• Tip: Use a Tek Helmet with element to see creature stats and taming effectiveness percentage. Or use a mod like "Dino Tracker" (PC) to find lost tames.


• Why: Knowing the exact stat values helps with breeding decisions.


• When: Late mid-game onward.


---



Final Pro Tips




• Never leave your base without a sleeping bag in your inventory. Place it at your destination to avoid long corpse runs.


• Always carry a spyglass. It reveals creature level and gender (for breeding).


• Use the "Hide HUD" key (default: Backspace) to take screenshots or spot enemies better.


• Build a greenhouse for crop plots. Greenhouse effect (+300%) yields massive amounts of narco berries and crops.


• In PvP, hidden storage crates are your friend. Dig a hole with a shovel (if modded) or place a vault inside a hidden room behind a bookshelf.


• Learn the command "EnableCheats" (single-player) or "Cheat God" for testing builds. On official, stick to the rules.


• Watch your temperature! Desert and snow biomes require insulation. Craft ghillie (cool) or fur (warm) armor.

This guide covers the most impactful tips for every stage of ARK. Remember: the island is unforgiving, but with these strategies you’ll conquer it. Good luck, survivor!

Overview

ARK: Survival Evolved offers a vast array of settings that significantly impact performance, visuals, and gameplay feel. This guide covers all major settings categories: Graphics, Audio, Controls, Accessibility, Language, Network, and Gameplay. Recommended presets for low-end, mid-range, and high-end hardware are provided, along with common pitfalls and settings that are easy to misconfigure. Settings menus vary slightly between platforms (PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch) but the core options remain similar.

---

Graphics Settings

Graphics settings have the largest impact on performance and visual quality. Adjust them based on your hardware capabilities.

Important Notes:

• Resolution Scale: This is the most effective setting for performance gains. Reducing it to 70% can nearly double FPS but will make the game blurry. Keep it at 100% if possible.


• Motion Blur & Bloom: Many players find these reduce clarity and cause discomfort. It's recommended to disable them for better visibility, especially during combat.


• Light Shafts: Can tank performance on lower-end hardware; turn off.


• Textures: Use the lowest setting if your GPU has less than 2GB VRAM to avoid stuttering.


• Foliage and View Distance: These greatly affect CPU performance. If you have a weaker CPU, lower these settings first.


• Anti-Aliasing: TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing) can cause ghosting. If you dislike it, use FXAA or turn off AA and rely on resolution scaling.


Console Presets (Xbox / PlayStation):

• Xbox Series X / PS5: Use "High Quality" preset, then disable motion blur and reduce bloom if desired.


• Xbox One / PS4: Use "Balanced" or "Performance" mode. Lower foliage and view distance for smoother exploration.


• Nintendo Switch: Use lowest settings, reduce resolution scale to 50-60%, and disable all post-processing effects.

---

Audio Settings

Special Attention:

• Lower sound quality can cause missing sounds (e.g., approaching raptor). Keep at High.


• Voice chat volume can interfere with gameplay if too high; reduce if you are in a party using external comms.


• Turn off "Play Music on Startup" in the settings if you find the menu music annoying.

---

Controls Settings

ARK supports keyboard/mouse (PC), gamepad (all platforms), and custom key bindings.

Common Misconfiguration:

• Mouse Smoothing – Disable this in the `GameUserSettings.ini` (add `Smoothing=False` under `[/script/engine.inputsettings]`) for raw input; otherwise, mouse movement may feel floaty.


• Controller Dead Zone – Many players leave it at 0, resulting in drift. Set to 0.15-0.2 for new controllers, 0.25-0.35 for older ones.


• Key Binds for Structures – Bind "Auto Run" and "Toggle Map" to easily accessible keys (e.g., `N` and `M`).

---

Accessibility Settings

Special Attention:

• Field of View: ARK's default FOV is quite narrow (~70). Increase to 90-100 for better peripheral awareness, but it may impact performance slightly. On consoles, max FOV is often 85.


• Camera Shake: Turn off to prevent nausea during intense moments.


• Colorblind Mode: Even if not colorblind, some players find the deuteranopia mode enhances visibility of health bars.

---

Language Settings

Note: Language settings are mostly available on the main menu under "Options" → "Language". Restart the game after changing. Not all languages are fully translated; player-created content may still be in English.

---

Network Settings

These are found in the main menu under "Options" → "Network" or in server browser.

Common Misconfiguration:

• Voice Chat Mode: Set to PTT and bind a key (e.g., V) to avoid broadcasting unwanted sounds.


• Server Browser: Use filters to hide full/high-ping servers. Sort by player count and ping.

---

Gameplay Settings

Special Attention:

• Difficulty: Setting difficulty to 5 gives max wild dino level 150, which is standard for official servers. On servers with lower difficulty, high-level dinos are rare.


• Taming Speed & Harvest: Official rates are extremely grindy. In single-player/non-dedicated, increase these multipliers to save time (e.g., Taming 5x, Harvest 3x, XP 3x). Avoid setting too high (e.g., 50x) as it can remove challenge.


• Show Map Player Location: Ensure this is ON in single-player; it is often off by default on some platforms, causing confusion.


• Allow Third Person: Essential for situational awareness. However, it can be cheating in PvP if used to see around walls (servers may disable).

---

Special Attention Points & Common Misconfigurations

1. Resolution Scale (in Graphics) – Many players leave this at 100% but run at 4K on a 1080p monitor, causing heavy performance loss. Always set it to match your display resolution.
2. Motion Blur & Camera Shake – These are often enabled by default and can induce motion sickness. Disable them immediately in the Controls/Accessibility menus.
3. FOV (Field of View) – Default is very low (~70). Increase to at least 90 for better awareness, but note that higher FOV reduces performance.
4. Key Bindings for Important Actions – By default, 'E' is interact/use. Rebinding 'E' to a less-used key can help avoid accidental actions (e.g., mounting when trying to harvest). Set 'E' to a different key for "Use" and keep 'F' for interaction.
5. Voice Chat Not Working – Check input device in your OS settings and ensure voice chat is enabled in ARK's network settings. Console players may need to check platform privacy settings.
6. Controller Dead Zone – New players often leave dead zones at 0, leading to stick drift. Increase to 0.2-0.3.
7. Taming Speed Multiplier – Single-player defaults to 1x, which can take hours to tame a high-level dino. Adjust to 3x-5x to keep the game enjoyable.
8. Mouse Smoothing – Off by default on PC but sometimes hidden in INI files. Check the `GameUserSettings.ini` in `.../ARK/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor/`. Add `Smoothing=False` under `[/script/engine.inputsettings]` if you feel input lag.
9. Auto Engram Unlock – Disable this so you can choose which engrams to learn based on your playstyle. Otherwise, you may waste engram points on items you never use.
10. Server Browser Filters – New players often join high-ping servers because they don't filter by region. Always set "Region" to your continent to avoid lag.

---

This guide covers all major settings in ARK: Survival Evolved. Adjust slowly and test performance in a single-player world before committing to multiplayer. Remember that official servers have fixed settings; you cannot change multipliers there.

Overview

Welcome to the Important Notes section of the ARK: Survival Evolved guide. This page collects critical warnings, common pitfalls, irreversible decisions, missable content, difficulty spikes, grinding traps, online etiquette, anti-cheat notes, save management advice, and things players often regret not knowing earlier. Read this before diving deep—it will save you countless hours of frustration.

---

Warnings & Common Pitfalls

1. Always Stay Near Water and Food Early On

• Thirst and hunger drain fast. Without a water source, you die in minutes. Spawn near a river or coast.


• Berries are everywhere, but some are poisonous (e.g., Mejoberries are safe; Narcoberries are for knockout, not eating). Eat only thatch-colored berries (Azulberries, Tintoberries) until you unlock a cooking pot.


• TIP: Use `E` to pick berries; hold `E` on a bush to see the berry type.




2. Never Build in a High-Traffic Area on PvP Servers



• On Player vs. Player (PvP) servers, building near popular spawn points, resources (metal, crystal), or caves invites raiding. Build hidden, elevated, or underwater.


• PvE servers have no raiding, but you can be blocked by pillars (structure spam). Check server rules or use official PvE servers with building limits.




3. Taming a Dinosaur Without Proper Preparation Can Kill You



• KO taming: Always carry enough narcotics and food. A tame that wakes up halfway will attack you. Build a small thatch trap around the creature before firing tranq darts.


• Passive taming: Some creatures (e.g., Ichthyornis, Ovis) require you to hand-feed while they wander. If you get too close, they flee or attack.


• Never tame a high-level Rex without a good trap and a lot of tranqs. One enraged bite can kill you through armor.




4. The UI Can Be Overwhelming – Customize It



• Default keybinds are clunky. Remap `E` to use/access inventory, `F` to whistle (useful in combat), and `Q` to drink water.


• Use the Options > Controls menu to change keybindings. Console players can use the radial menu effectively.




5. Gamma/Brightness Settings Save Lives



• The game is very dark at night. Increase your gamma in settings to see clearly. Alternatively, craft a torch or use the `G` key to toggle a flashlight (if you have a headlamp).


---



Irreversible Choices





1. Character Creation and Engram Points



• Stats (Fortitude, Weight, Melee Damage) can be reset with Mindwipe Tonics (craftable after level 60? Actually, mindwipe resets engrams and stats, but it costs a lot of materials). However, the first time you create a character, you cannot change name, gender, or appearance later without admin commands (singleplayer) or a new character (servers).


• Engrams: You get limited points per level. Choose carefully! Do not waste engrams on primitive items you outgrow fast (e.g., stone pickaxe if you can find a metal one in a drop). Prioritize: Campfire → Tools → Storage Boxes → Bed (to respawn) → Smithy → Tranq arrows.


• Tip: Some engrams are locked behind other engrams (e.g., Fabricator requires Electronics, which requires Polymer). Plan ahead.




2. Server and Mode Selection



• Singleplayer vs. Multiplayer: You cannot transfer your singleplayer character to official servers (except through unofficial server transfers with mods). Once you start multiplayer, that character is tied to that cluster (if cross-ARK enabled).


• Primitive Plus: This game mode (if still available) removes many industrial items. Joining a Primitive Plus server means you cannot use Tek. The choice is permanent unless you restart.


• Difficulty setting: In singleplayer, you can change the difficulty, max level, and taming rates without penalty. But if you start a server and later change rates drastically, it may feel like cheating. Most official servers are fixed.




3. Taming a Dinosaur vs. Killing It



• Once you tame a creature, it is yours forever (until it dies). Killing it is irreversible. Always have a safe cryopod or base ready before taming high-value creatures.


• Passive tames that you start healing but fail to complete will eventually despawn. Do not waste resources on half-tames.




4. Setting Up a Tribe on Official Servers



• Tribe creation is free. Leaving a tribe means you lose everything you built (structures, tames, items) unless the admin transfers ownership. On official servers, leaving a tribe without dissolving it can result in losing all your progress if the tribe leader logs off.


• Tribe name and motto cannot be changed without admin tools. Choose wisely.


---



Missable Content





1. Explorer Notes and Data Notebooks



• Collecting Explorer Notes (glowing blue pages) grants +10% XP per note for 10 minutes. There are hundreds scattered across the map. Some notes are only available during specific events (e.g., Fear Evolved). Miss one event, and you may never get that note on that save.


• Artifacts in caves are required for boss fights. Caves are dangerous but re-enterable. However, some caves require key items (e.g., scuba gear for underwater caves) that you might not have prepared.


• Dossiers (creature dossiers) are unlocked by killing or taming each creature. They are not missable per se, but some creatures are seasonal (e.g., DodoRex only during events).




2. Seasonal Events & Limited-Time Skins



• ARK has regular events like ARK: Fear Evolved (Halloween), Winter Wonderland, and Easter. During these events, special creatures, skins, and recipes appear (e.g., Bone costumes, Chibis). If you miss the event, you have to wait a year or use admin commands (singleplayer) or buy skins from other players (multiplayer).


• Dedicated servers can spawn event items via admin commands, but official servers and most unofficial servers follow the calendar.




3. Story-Related Content (if you care about lore)



• The Island has a cheat terminal (Obelisks) where you can upload/download creatures and items. There is also a Tek Cave that leads to the final boss. Beating the final boss on the Island unlocks the ability to fight the Overseer. If you never venture into the Tek Cave, you miss the entire endgame story.


• Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Genesis maps each have their own story and final bosses. Many players never complete them because the difficulty spikes.


---



Difficulty Spikes





1. The First Night



• Night falls fast (20 minutes into a fresh spawn). Without a campfire, torch, or structure, you will freeze or be eaten by a Raptor. Always build a small shelter (4 walls, roof, door) before dark.


• Raptors, Dilophosaurs, and Compys spawn frequently near beaches. Early levels are deadly; wear cloth armor immediately.




2. Caves on The Island



• The Lower South Cave is relatively easy, but Hunter Cave and Swamp Cave have swarms of high-level creatures and hazardous terrain. Swamp Cave requires gas masks (or a high-quality scuba mask with anti-radiation?). Bring grappling hooks, shotguns, and med brews.


• The Tek Cave is the hardest: it’s a puzzle-platformer with deadly traps, then a boss fight against waves of corrupted creatures and the Overseer. Requires endgame tier gear (Tek armor, saddles) and a well-bred army.




3. Boss Fights



• Broodmother, Megapithecus, Dragon – each on The Island requires a specific strategy. Dragon fires can destroy saddles and riders. You need a high-level army of Rexes/Megatherium, plus Yutyrannus buffs and Daeodon healing. Underestimating the boss means losing your dinos permanently.


• King Titan on Extinction – arguably the hardest official boss, requiring dozens of mutated Giganotosaurus or Mech suits. Not for casual players.




4. PvP Raiding



• On official PvP servers, you will likely be raided within a week. Tribes with hundreds of turrets and Tek shields defend against rocket launchers and grenades. If you are solo, expect to be wiped frequently unless you hide or play on a PvP-ve server.


---



Grinding Traps





1. The “Just One More Run” Syndrome



• Gathering resources (metal, wood, stone) can become mindless. Breeding and mutations take hundreds of hours. Many players burn out trying to get a perfect stat line.


• Tip: Increase harvesting rates in singleplayer (settings > Harvest Amount x2–x5) to reduce grind. On multiplayer, find a server with boosted rates (3x-10x).




2. Taming Slow Creatures Without Proper Kibble



• Kibble recipes are complex: you need specific eggs, meat, berries, and crops. Taming a Argentavis with raw meat takes hours, but with kibble it takes minutes. Always research the preferred food for each tame. Use dododex.com or in-game calculator.


• Mammoths, Paracers, and Brontos take immense amounts of food (thousands of berries). Without a crop plot and a dedicated gatherer, you’ll spend days feeding them.




3. Breeding Mutations – The Endless Hatch



• To get mutations, you need to hatch hundreds of eggs and check stats. Many players waste weeks because they don’t learn the mutation stacking mechanic (only paternal and maternal mutations count, and there is a cap of 20 mutations per side).


• Tip: Use multiple females with the same stats as the male (breed line). Use a clean male to reset mutation counter. Watch YouTube tutorials before starting.




4. Crafting Without Industrial Grinder or Fabricator



• Crafting large amounts of narcotics, sparkpowder, or metal ingots by hand is painfully slow. Rush to build a Refining Forge and later an Industrial Forge. The Industrial Grinder turns stone into flint and metal – invaluable.


---



Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes





1. Official Server Rules



• No griefing in PvE: do not block spawn points, do not seal caves, do not harass others. Violations can result in a ban by admin or server rollback.


• Do not meshing; exploiting the mesh to get inside bases is a bannable offense. ARK uses BattlEye anti-cheat, which detects most cheat programs (aimbots, ESP).


• Cheating (using trainers, spawning items) on official servers will get your account permanently banned. Steam/Epic accounts are tied.




2. Unofficial Server Community Guidelines



• Read the server rules before building. Many have tribe size limits, offline raid protection hours, or anti-pillar spam rules.


• Common courtesy: Do not steal other players' dinos even if they are unclaimed (they may be waiting for the owner). Ask before taming near someone’s base. Do not spam global chat.




3. Trading and Scamming



• On trade servers (like CrossARK), scamming is common. Never trade high-end items upfront. Use a middleman (trusted admin) or trade only with established players. Screenshot all conversations.


• Be wary of “free tribe” giveaways—these are often traps to raid your base after you transfer your dinos.




4. Admin Commands on Private Servers



• If you are an admin, use commands responsibly. Over-spawning resources or dinos can break the game economy. Back up your save before any major admin action.


---



Save Management Advice





1. Singleplayer Saves



• ARK saves automatically every 15 minutes by default (can be changed in `GameUserSettings.ini`). The save file is in `ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/`.


• Back up your save regularly: Copy the folder to another location. If the game crashes or becomes corrupt, you can restore. Corruption happens (especially on giant bases).


• Use multiple save slots: The game allows multiple characters, each with its own map save. You can level a new character on a different map without losing progress on the main.




2. Server Saves



• For dedicated servers, automatic saves are also periodic. Back up the `SavedArks/` folder and the `Players/` folders (player inventories).


• When updating the server, always back up first. Mod updates can break saves irreversibly.




3. Cloud Saves



• Steam Cloud Sync is enabled by default. This can conflict with manual backups. If you restore an old save, disable cloud sync to prevent overwriting.


• On consoles, save data is tied to your account; cannot be manually backed up. Be extra cautious with glitches.




4. What Causes Save Corruption?



• Turning off the game while it is saving (hard power off). Wait for the save icon to disappear.


• Using mods that are poorly coded. Failing to update mods can corrupt world data.


• Giant tames and massive structures (thousands of foundations) can cause performance issues and save bloat. Use FPS-friendly building techniques (minimize foundations, use pillars).


---



Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier





1. You Can Whip or Grapple to Remove Torpor



• A whip (crafted in smithy) can be used to trigger a creature’s attack or to remove torpor from an ally (by hitting the ground near them). This is critical for taming: if your tame is getting too much torpor (e.g., from narcotics overdose?), you can whip it to wake it up? Actually, whipping does not affect torpor directly, but it can aggro a creature and make it flee. Better to use stimulants in food.


• Stimberries increase torpor but also drain food? No, stimulants increase torpor? Actually, stimulants (injections) reduce torpor. Use dodo food to reduce torpor? Wait, correct: Stimulant (crafted from stimberries and narcotics) reduces torpor. Use it if you accidentally over-narcotize a tame.




2. You Can Tame a Pteranodon Quickly with a Bolas



• Bola (early game) can immobilize Pteranodon, Tapejara, and other flying creatures for 25 seconds. Run up and club it with a slingshot or tranq. This is the fastest way to get a flyer for exploring.




3. The Map Has Teleport Points (Obelisks)



• There are three Obelisks (red, blue, green) on The Island. You can upload your character, items, and dinos, then download them on another server (or singleplayer) in the same cluster. This allows you to move between maps without losing progress. Many players start on The Island and later move to Ragnarok or Extinction.


• Caution: Uploaded items have a decay timer (usually 24 hours on official). If you don't download them in time, they disappear.




4. You Can Ride a Moschops to Harvest Fiber Efficiently



• The Moschops is a passive tame that is great for early fiber. Approach it slowly while it’s looking away, feed it a veg cake (requires crops). It can be leveled in harvesting fiber (up to 400% yield). You can ride it without a saddle.




5. Use Cryopod to Store Tames Safely



• Cryopods (requires Obelisk loot or crafting) allow you to shrink a tame into a ball. This is essential for moving dinos, saving them from raids, and reducing lag. Always carry a cryopod and a cryofridge for storage.


• Important: Cryopodded dinos lose 10% food every day. Feed them by uncing them (hold E) near a feeding trough or by uploading and downloading. They can starve.




6. The “Whistle All Follow” Key Can Get Your Tames Killed



• Hitting `J` (default) commands all tames to follow you. If you are in a dangerous area, they will walk into traps, lava, or water. Instead, whisper to specific tames (`. ` key and then click the tame).




7. Fortitude Prevents Hypothermia and Torpor



• Fortitude (a stat) reduces the risk of being knocked out by predators (e.g., Troodon, Pulmonoscorpius) and lessens weather effects. On Scorched Earth, you need high fortitude. On The Island, at least 20 points is recommended for caves.




8. You Can Re-Bind the Inventory Key to `Tab`



• The default inventory key (`I` or `Tab`?) Many players change it to `Tab` for quick access. Also, `F` for whistle is terrible; rebind whistles to number keys.




9. The Console Mods (e.g., Structures Plus) Are Massive Quality-of-Life



• On PC, install mods like S+ (Structures Plus, now integrated into base game? Actually, some features were added to base game, but S+ still offers advanced building tools, item pull, and stacking). On consoles, you cannot use mods unless you have a PC server with mod support (unlikely).


• Tip: On official, you cannot use mods. On unofficial, check which mods the server uses before joining.




10. You Can Farm Metal with a Pickaxe vs. Ankylosaurus



• Pickaxe yields more metal per swing but less per rock. Ankylosaurus yields much more metal per rock (and also flint). Always use an Anky for metal gathering once you have a saddle.


---



Final Advice




• Patience is key. ARK is a marathon, not a sprint. Take breaks to avoid burnout.


• Join a community (Discord, subreddit) for clues and help. Many veterans enjoy assisting newcomers.


• If you are solo, consider increasing your harvesting, taming, and XP rates in singleplayer to reduce grind. There is no shame in making the game fun.


• Always have a backup plan: a hidden cache of supplies, a second base, and a cryopodded flyer to escape.

Good luck, survivor!

Overview

ARK: Survival Evolved features hundreds of items spanning raw materials, crafted tools, weapons, armor, consumables, structures, and special collectibles. This guide organizes every major item group, explains its purpose, acquisition methods, optimal uses, and important upgrades or synergies.

---

1. Raw Materials

Raw materials are the basic resources gathered from the environment. They are used in crafting almost everything.

1.1 Stone, Wood, Thatch, Fiber

• Stone: Mined from rocks. Used for tools, structures, and sparkpowder.


• Wood: Chopped from trees. Used for structures, tools, and fuel.


• Thatch: Harvested from trees using tools or hands. Used for early-game structures and taming.


• Fiber: Harvested from bushes. Essential for cloth armor, fishing rods, and many saddles.




1.2 Flint, Metal, Crystals, Obsidian, etc.



• Flint: Found from small rocks. Used for tools (hatchet, pick), sparkpowder, and arrows.


• Metal: Smelted from metal nodes. Used for advanced tools, weapons, saddles, and Tek tier.


• Crystal: Found in caves and mountains. Used for spyglass, scopes, electronics, and Tek.


• Obsidian: Black volcanic rocks. Used for electronics, weapons, and Tek replicator.


• Oil: From oil veins, trilobites, and deep sea. Used for fuel, gasoline, and polymers.


• Sulfur: Found in volcanic areas. Used for gunpowder, propellant, and fertilizers.




1.3 Organic Resources



• Hide: From most creatures. Used for armor, saddles, and sleeping bags.


• Chitin/Keratin: From insects, turtles, and other creatures. Used for armor (chitin) and crafting.


• Raw Meat/Fish: Food sources. Cooked to improve nutrition.


• Berries: Various colors. Used for taming kibble, dyes, and narcotics.


• Seeds: From plants. Used for farming.

---

2. Crafted Resources

These are processed from raw materials in the inventory, forge, or other stations.

---

3. Tools

3.1 Early Tools (Handcrafted)

• Stone Pick / Hatchet: Basic gathering.


• Stone Knife: Harvest meat and hide faster.


• Torch: Light source and weapon.




3.2 Metal Tools (Smithy/Fabricator)



• Metal Pick / Hatchet: Faster yield of metal and other ores.


• Metal Knife: Improved harvest.


• Fishing Rod: Catch fish for food or prime meat.


• Spyglass: Zoom to see creature levels and stats.


• GPS / Compass: Navigation aids.


• Grappling Hook: Mobility and taming.




3.3 Special Tools



• Whip: Dismount riders, drag items, and herd creatures.


• Chain Bola: Immobilize small to medium creatures.


• Parachute: Air drop safety.


• Climbing Pick: Scale walls and cliffs.

---

4. Weapons

4.1 Ranged Weapons

4.2 Melee Weapons

• Spear (Stone/Metal): Thrown or thrust.


• Sword (Metal): Slash damage, high DPS.


• Pike: Reach weapon, good for mounted combat.


• Club: Blunt damage, can knock out small creatures.


• Electric Prod: Transfers electricity (shock).


• Tek Sword: Powered by Element (Tek tier).




4.3 Thrown Weapons



• Bola: Immobilizes small/medium creatures.


• Poison Grenade: Gas cloud damage and torpor.


• Smoke Grenade: Concealment.


• Cluster Grenade: Multi-explosion.

---

5. Armor

5.1 Armor Sets (from weakest to strongest)

5.2 Helmets & Accessories

• Gas Mask: Protects from poisonous gas (e.g., swamp cave).


• Night Vision Goggles: See in dark.


• Hunter Hat (Raptor Mask): Reduces penalties from plants (rare).


---



6. Consumables





6.1 Food & Drink



• Cooked Meat/Prime: Restores hunger and health slightly.


• Kibble (Various): Used for taming with high efficiency. Types: Basic, Simple, Regular, Superior, Extraordinary.


• Sweet Vegetable Cake: For taming herbivores and healing.


• Water Jar / Canteen: Portable water storage.


• Shadow Steak Saute: Increases melee damage and movement speed.




6.2 Medical & Buffs



• Medical Brew: Restores health over time, cures swamp fever.


• Energy Brew: Temporary stamina boost.


• Lazarus Chowder: Boosts movement and oxygen in water.


• Enduro Stew: Increases HP, stamina, and damage resistance.


• Focal Chili: Increases crafting speed and XP.




6.3 Narcotics & Tranqs



• Narcotics: Induces torpor (for taming).


• Stimulant: Removes torpor.


• Tranquilizer Arrow/Dart: Fired from bow/crossbow/rifle to increase torpor.


---



7. Taming Items




• Narcotics: Keep creatures unconscious.


• Tranq Arrows/Darts: Shoot to knock out.


• Raw Prime Meat / Kibble: Favorite food for taming.


• Bola / Chain Bola: Immobilize to shoot freely.


• Bear Trap: Largely immobilizes creatures.


• Taming Timer: Not an item but a mechanic; use narcotics to maintain torpor.


---



8. Structures





8.1 Base Building (Foundation, Walls, Ceilings)



• Materials: Thatch, Wood, Stone, Metal, Tek.


• Doors, Trapdoors, Windows: Add access points.


• Ramps, Ladders, Elevators: Vertical movement.

8.2 Utility Structures

8.3 Defenses

• Spike Walls: Damage creatures when touched.


• Auto Turret / Heavy Auto Turret: Fires bullets at enemies.


• Plant Species X: Plant that shoots acid at enemies. Requires fertilizer.


• Tek Turret: High damage, uses Element.


• Trikes/Behemoth Gates: Large doors for dinosaur entry.


---



9. Saddles & Dino Equipment





9.1 Saddles (by Dino Type)



• Common Collector Saddles: e.g., Tranq Darts from Bronto Saddle?


• Platform Saddles: For building on creatures (e.g., Bronto, Quetzal, Mosa).


• Armored Saddles: Provide damage reduction to rider and dino.


• Saddle Types: There are over 100 saddle engrams, each specific to a creature. Example: Raptor Saddle, Argentavis Saddle, Rex Saddle.




9.2 Dino Gear



• Dino Leash: Teleports tamed dino back to base.


• Dino Whistle: Remote control.


• Cryopod: Store dino in a ball for easy transport.


• Tek Transmitter: Upload/download dinos.

---

10. Ammunition & Projectiles

---

11. Currencies

ARK does not have a single global currency, but several items serve as trade mediums:

• Element: Endgame crafting material, also used as currency on some servers.


• Silica Pearls: Often traded for resources.


• Crystal: Commonly traded.


• Metal Ingots: The most common currency in player trading.


• Kibble (valuable types): Used for trade in dino breeding.


---



12. Collectibles & Artifacts





12.1 Artifacts


Found in caves. Used to summon bosses. Each artifact has a specific cave location.

• Artifact of the Hunter (Carno Cave)


• Artifact of the Massive (Swamp Cave, etc.)


• Artifact of the Clever (hidden in ruins)


• Artifact of the Devourer (jellyfish cave)


• Artifact of the Skylord (volcano cave)


• Artifact of the Pack (snow cave)


• Artifact of the Immune (swamp cave)


• Artifact of the Strong (water cave)


• Artifact of the Cunning (Ruins of Nosti)


• Artifact of the Brute (Ice Cave)

12.2 Explorer Notes

Collectible lore items scattered across maps. Reading them gives temporary XP boost. Some notes reveal boss locations.

12.3 Dossiers

Collectible drawings of dinosaurs (not actual items but achievements).

---

13. Tek Items (Endgame)

Requires Element unlocked from defeating bosses.

---

14. Important Consumables for Progression

• Narcotics: Indispensable for taming.


• Medical Brew: Necessary for cave runs (healing).


• Calien Soup: Heat protection for lava areas.


• Fria Curry: Cold protection for snow biomes.


• Shadow Steak Saute: Increases damage and speed for boss fights.


• Enduro Stew: Essential for tanking.


• Focal Chili: Speeds up crafting of many items.


---



15. Upgrades & Synergies




• Mortar & Pestle to Chemistry Bench: Narcotics and gunpowder become craftable in bulk.


• Refining Forge to Industrial Forge: Faster smelting.


• Simple Bullets to Advanced Bullets: Higher damage for same weapon.


• Old Kibble System (pre-255) vs New Kibble: New kibble is tied to egg size and is more friendly.


• Tek Armor vs Flak: Tek provides mobility and energy shield vs Flak’s high durability.


• Compound Bow vs Longneck Rifle: Compound bow does torpor faster for taming but is harder to use.


• Dinos Saddle vs Tek Saddle: Tek saddles have built-in weapons.


---



16. Tips for Item Management




• Always carry an Argentavis or Wyvern for weight reduction and air lifts.


• Use Dedicated Storage Boxes for auto-sorting bulk items.


• Craft Cooking Pot early for custom recipes.


• Cryofridge stores cryopods and your dinos.


• Smithy has no weight capacity but can be carried by some dinos.

This guide covers the vast majority of items in ARK: Survival Evolved. Always check your game version and any DLC maps (Scorched Earth, Abberation, Extinction, Genesis) for map-specific items not listed here.

Overview

In ARK: Survival Evolved, there are no predefined character classes or traditional skill trees. Instead, every survivor starts with basic abilities and gains levels (up to 105 normally, higher with certain DLCs and ascensions). Each level grants:

• 10 Engram Points (used to unlock crafting recipes)


• 1 Stat Point to allocate into one of ten stats


These stat points function as your character's core skills, directly affecting survival, combat, and utility. Additionally, endgame Tek Armor pieces grant powerful active abilities (like flight and shields), and your Implant allows for respawning – a fundamental passive skill. This guide covers every way your character can grow, from stats and engrams to Tek abilities and build recommendations.



Survivor Stats (Core Skills)



Each time you level up, you can invest one point into one of these ten stats. Respeccing is possible via Mindwipe Tonic (unlocks all stat and engram points for reallocation) or the simpler Respec option in Genesis/Survival of the Fittest.



1. Health



• Effect: Increases total hit points. Base: 100. Each point adds +10 HP.


• Recommended Value: 200–400 (20–30 points) for most builds. Tanks may go up to 600.


• When to Use: Essential for surviving creature attacks, falls, and player combat. Prioritize if you engage in PvP or tame aggressive dinos.




2. Stamina



• Effect: Increases stamina pool (used for sprinting, swimming, attacking, and jumping). Base: 100. Each point adds +10 stamina.


• Recommended Value: 150–300 (5–20 points). Heavy sprint builds (e.g., using Tek Legs) may need more.


• When to Use: Critical for long-distance travel, escaping threats, and sustained combat (e.g., wielding a Pike or Sword).




3. Oxygen



• Effect: Increases breath-holding duration and reduces drowning damage. Base: 100. Each point adds +10 oxygen. Also affects underwater movement speed slightly.


• Recommended Value: 100–200 (0–10 points). Often left at base unless focusing on underwater bases or taming aquatic creatures.


• When to Use: Only needed for prolonged underwater activities like pearl gathering or fighting Mosasaurs.




4. Food



• Effect: Increases maximum food meter and slows hunger depletion. Base: 100. Each point adds +10 food capacity. Does not affect healing from food.


• Recommended Value: 100–150 (0–5 points). Most builds ignore this, but it helps during long tames or when using high-level narcotics.


• When to Use: Situational — reduces how often you need to eat. Combine with Fortitude for sustained hunger/thirst resistance.




5. Water



• Effect: Increases maximum water meter and slows thirst depletion. Base: 100. Each point adds +10 water capacity.


• Recommended Value: 100–150 (0–5 points). Same logic as Food.


• When to Use: Helpful in deserts (Scorched Earth, Ragnarok desert) or during long expeditions away from water sources.




6. Weight



• Effect: Increases carry capacity. Base: 100. Each point adds +10 weight.


• Recommended Value: 200–400 (10–30 points). Essential for gatherers, builders, and resource runners. Endgame may push to 600+ with Tek Exosuit bonus.


• When to Use: Always valuable. Allows carrying more metal, wood, stone, or equipment without being encumbered.




7. Melee Damage



• Effect: Increases damage dealt by weapons, tools, and fists. Base: 100%. Each point adds +5% melee damage multiplier. Affects harvest yield from tools (e.g., pick/hatchet) and damage from dinos you ride.


• Recommended Value: 150–300% (10–40 points) for combat builds. Gatherers may keep at 200% for faster resource harvest.


• When to Use: Critical for PvP, boss fights, and any direct combat. Also improves resource gathering speed (e.g., using a chainsaw or pick on nodes).




8. Movement Speed



• Effect: Increases walking, sprinting, and swimming speed. Base: 100%. Each point adds +2% movement speed.


• Recommended Value: 110–130% (5–15 points). Speedsters may go up to 150% but sacrifice other stats.


• When to Use: Useful for evading predators, PvP jukes, and covering ground quickly. Note that speed bonuses do not apply when riding dinos (except the speed of your mount).




9. Fortitude



• Effect: Increases resistance to extreme temperatures, torpor (tranq darts), diseases, and some environmental effects. Base: 0. Each point adds +2 Fortitude. Reduces hypothermia/hyperthermia damage and increases torpor threshold by 1.2 per point (tested).


• Recommended Value: 10–30 points for PvP or extreme climate zones. Standard PvE may ignore.


• When to Use: Vital for surviving Scorched Earth, Aberration, or Extinction’s corrupted regions. Also counters player tranqs in PvP.




10. Crafting Speed



• Effect: Increases crafting speed (time to craft items) and reduces the duration of crafting but does not affect the amount produced. Base: 0%. Each point adds +10% crafting speed (i.e., 10% faster per point). Does not stack with some crafting stations?


• Recommended Value: 0–10 points. Only useful for mass production (e.g., cooking jerky, making ammo) or when using Mindwipe to allocate temporarily.


• When to Use: Not essential; most players ignore it. Some use a dedicated crafting character (with high Crafting Speed + Mindwipe after crafting).




Engram Unlocks (Crafting Skills)



Engram Points (EP) are used to unlock crafting recipes permanently. You gain 10 EP per level. To unlock all available engrams (including DLCs) you would need far more EP than earned naturally, so strategic selection is key. There is no class restriction – any survivor can unlock any engram. However, you can learn engrams from Teachables (e.g., Explorer Notes) or transfer knowledge via custom servers.


• Total EP at max level (105): 1045 EP (since level 1 gives none? Actually level 1 to 2 gives first 10 EP, etc. Total is (level-1)10 = 1040 EP for level 105? Check: At level 105 you have 1040 EP? Formula: 10(105-1)=1040. Plus potential bonus from Chibi pets (max +20 EP). So approx 1060 EP total.


• Critical early unlocks: Pick, Hatchet, Spear, Campfire, Thatch Foundation, etc.


• Respeccing: Use Mindwipe Tonic (requires level 60+ to craft) to reset all engram and stat points. Alternatively, in some modes you can reselect engrams via menu.




Tek Abilities (Special Moves)



At endgame (after defeating bosses and obtaining Element), you can craft Tek Armor pieces. Each piece grants a unique activated ability (usually bound to a hotkey, default G or H). These are essentially your character’s “spells” or “special moves.”



Tek Helmet



• Ability: Target Lock (like a Sonar) – highlights nearby enemies, resources, and creatures through walls. Also grants Thermal Vision and Night Vision.


• Duration/Cooldown: Toggleable, drains Element Shards quickly.


• When to Use: Scouting caves, locating hidden enemies, or finding metal nodes.




Tek Chestpiece



• Ability: Jetpack – allows sustained flight. Hold jump to ascend, C to descend, sprint to boost forward.


• Element Cost: Consumes Element per second.


• When to Use: Traversal, escaping danger, reaching high ledges, aerial combat.




Tek Leggings



• Ability: Super Speed and Jump Boost – run faster and jump higher. Activates with sprint key.


• Element Cost: Consumes while moving.


• When to Use: Ground travel, chasing prey, leaping over obstacles.




Tek Boots



• Ability: No fall damage when Tek Boots are worn? Actually, Tek Boots prevent fall damage entirely while worn (passive). No active ability.


• Effect: You can survive any fall.


• Best Used: In combination with jetpack or glider suit.




Tek Gauntlets



• Ability: Punch increased damage and can break certain rocks. Also allows grappling (if using Tek Claws? Wait, Tek Gauntlets themselves have a punch ability that damages creatures and gathers resources. Cooldown: 2 seconds.


• Element Cost: None for basic punch, but using the “Armor Mode” (shield) consumes Element.


• When to Use: As backup weapon, breaking stone nodes, or PvP hit-stun.




Tek Shield (from Tek Chestpiece? Actually, Tek Chestpiece can create a temporary shield bubble.)



• Ability: Deploy a force field that blocks projectiles and reduces damage. Activate while looking down.


• Duration: 5 seconds, then cooldown.


• When to Use: Defensive emergency, reviving allies, blocking sniper shots.




Other Tek Mods (Saddle, Weapons): Not character skills, but mounts.





Implant and Respawn (Passive Ability)



Every survivor has an Implant in their arm. It serves as your identity and allows you to respawn at a bed, sleeping bag, or random location upon death. This is your only innate “skill” – the ability to come back from death (with limited inventory). There is no way to improve this; it’s always active. Advanced respawn options come from Tek Bed or Transmitter.



Recommended Builds





All-Around Builder/Explorer



• Stat Allocation: 20 Health, 10 Stamina, 0 O2, 0 Food, 0 Water, 20 Weight, 10 Melee, 10 Speed, 5 Fortitude, 0 Crafting.


• Reasoning: Balanced for early to mid-game. Enough health to survive, weight to carry resources, melee for self-defense.


• When to Use: Solo play, starting fresh.




Tank (PvP/Boss Fighter)



• Stat Allocation: 40 Health, 20 Stamina, 0 O2, 0 Food, 0 Water, 10 Weight, 30 Melee, 5 Speed, 20 Fortitude, 0 Crafting.


• Reasoning: Massive health and torpor resistance. Melee damage for boss fights. Weight low – rely on mounts.


• When to Use: Boss arenas, PvP frontline.




Gatherer (Resource Farmer)



• Stat Allocation: 10 Health, 10 Stamina, 0 O2, 0 Food, 0 Water, 50 Weight, 20 Melee, 5 Speed, 5 Fortitude, 0 Crafting.


• Reasoning: High weight and melee to harvest faster. Low health – kite with speed.


• When to Use: Metal farming, wood gathering, stone runs.




Speedster (Scout/Runner)



• Stat Allocation: 10 Health, 30 Stamina, 0 O2, 0 Food, 0 Water, 10 Weight, 0 Melee, 30 Speed, 10 Fortitude, 0 Crafting.


• Reasoning: Max movement speed and stamina for evasion. Avoid direct fights.


• When to Use: Exploring unknown areas, kiting enemies, retrieving loot.




Crafting Specialist (Mindwipe Build)



• Stat Allocation: After Mindwipe Tonic, dump all points into Crafting Speed (e.g., 90+).


• Reasoning: Craft everything super fast, then Mindwipe back to combat build.


• When to Use: When mass-producing ammo, kibble, or structures.




Synergies and Combos




• Melee Damage + Chainsaw: Higher melee% increases gathering rate (wood/meat).


• Movement Speed + Grappling Hook: Allows quick escapes and vertical traversal.


• Weight + Tek Leggings: Can run while encumbered? No, but high weight lets you carry resources while using Tek leggings for speed boost.


• Fortitude + Scorched Earth Gear: Combined with Ghillie or Desert Cloth, you can survive extreme heat without water rooms.


• Health + Tek Chestpiece Shield: Use shield to absorb burst damage, then regenerate health naturally.


• Stamina + Tek Legs: Sprint longer without depleting stamina – but Tek Legs use Element separate from stamina.




Important Notes




• Respecing: You can reset stats/engrams any time with a Mindwipe Tonic (crafted at Level 60+). This allows you to adapt to different roles as needed.


• Hidden Stat Caps: Melee Damage caps at 500%? Actually no hard cap, but returns diminish. Movement Speed capped at 200% (some servers allow higher).


• Tek Armor Redundancy: Each piece requires Element Shards to fuel. Keep a stock. Jetpack and super speed drain quickly.


• No Skill Trees: Unlike RPGs, you cannot specialize into a “class” – every survivor is identical in base potential. Your playstyle comes from your stat allocation and engram choices.

This guide covers every skill, ability, and special move available to your character in ARK: Survival Evolved. Master your stat distribution and Tek gear to conquer the island!

Overview

ARK: Survival Evolved does not feature traditional character classes, heroes, or predefined playable units. Every player begins as a generic survivor with identical base stats. However, as you progress, you develop a unique role based on your chosen playstyle, attribute distribution, tame selection, and crafting specialization. This guide introduces the major survivor roles (archetypes) that emerge organically, along with notable NPC lore characters who appear in Explorer Notes and story events. While you can switch roles at any time by respeccing, each role has distinct strengths, weaknesses, and recommended setups.

---

Survivor Roles (Player Archetypes)

These are the most common roles players adopt, whether solo or in a tribe. They are not mutually exclusive; many players mix aspects of several roles.

1. The Gatherer (Resource Collector)

Background: The bread and blood of any tribe. Focuses on harvesting raw materials: wood, stone, metal, fiber, thatch, and rare resources.

Strengths:

• Extremely efficient at gathering large quantities of resources.


• Can rapidly supply base construction and crafting.


• Often uses high-weight tames and tools.


Weaknesses:

• Low combat effectiveness if caught off-guard.


• Relies heavily on specific tames and tools.


• Vulnerable to environmental hazards while gathering.


Playstyle: Prioritize leveling Weight and Movement Speed. Use tools like Metal Hatchet, Pickaxe, and Chainsaw. Tames: Ankylosaurus (metal, flint, crystal), Doedicurus (stone), Mammoth (wood), Therizinosaurus (thatch, fiber, berries), Dunkleosteus (oil, silica pearls), Gacha (random resources).

Recommended Equipment:

• Ascendant pickaxe/hatchet, stone hatchet (early game)


• Gas Mask (for swamp caves), SCUBA (for underwater)


• Focal Chili (increases movement speed), Enduro Stew (stamina)


• High-weight armor (Flak or Tek) to carry more.


Team Synergy: Synergizes with Builders (provides materials) and Fighters (protection). Gatherers often pair with a Tamer to bring back resources quickly.



2. The Tamer (Creature Tamer / Breeder)



Background: Master of animal handling. Tames, levels, and breeds the island’s creatures, from dodos to wyverns.

Strengths:

• Access to a wide variety of tames for all purposes.


• Can breed super-boss fighters with exceptional stats.


• Understands kibble chains and taming strategies.


Weaknesses:

• Time-intensive; taming high-level creatures takes hours.


• Requires many resources for narcotics, kibble, and food.


• Breeding mutations demand dedicated infrastructure.


Playstyle: Invest heavily in Taming Speed (increases taming effectiveness) and Fortitude (for environmental resistance). Use Narcotics and Kibble (prefers exceptional kibble for max efficiency).

Recommended Equipment:

• Tranq weapons: Longneck Rifle with Tranq Darts, Crossbow with Tranq Arrows, or a Tame with torpor attacks (e.g., Equus, Scorpion).


• Narcotic production: Mortar and Pestle, Chemistry Bench.


• Kibble: Cooked Meat, Berries, Fiber, and specific eggs.


• Taming Calculator (external tool) for precise timing.


Team Synergy: Essential for any tribe wanting high-level boss tames. Works closely with Gatherers to supply narcotics and with Breeders to produce mutated lines.



3. The Builder (Base Architect / Engineer)



Background: Designs and constructs bases, from simple thatch huts to Tek-tier fortresses.

Strengths:

• Creates secure, functional bases for storage and defense.


• Efficient layout and resource management.


• Can build defensive structures (turrets, walls, traps).


Weaknesses:

• Less effective in direct combat unless specialized.


• Base upkeep requires constant resource flow.


• Large builds attract raiders.


Playstyle: Level Weight and Crafting Skill (reduces resource cost when crafting). Learn engrams for all structure tiers: Thatch, Wood, Stone, Metal, Tek.

Recommended Equipment:

• Smithy, Fabricator, Tek Replicator (end-game)


• Resource Gathering Tames (e.g., Anky, Doedic) for materials.


• Flyers (Argentavis, Quetzal) for transporting heavy parts.


• Tek Generator, Auto Turrets, Tek Shields for defense.


Team Synergy: Builders are the backbone of a tribe. They rely on Gatherers for materials and Fighters for base defense. Good builders also plan escape routes and teleporters.



4. The Fighter (Combat Specialist / Raider)



Background: PvE boss killer or PvP raider. Invests in combat stats and weapons.

Strengths:

• High damage output with firearms, melee weapons, or tames.


• Good survivability in dangerous zones (caves, boss arenas).


• Excellent for defending the tribe or attacking enemies.


Weaknesses:

• Low resource gathering efficiency.


• Often requires expensive ammunition and gear.


• High risk of death and loss of equipment.


Playstyle: Max Health and Melee Damage (or Ranged Damage for firearms). Moderate Stamina. Use high-level Rexes, Therizinos, Megalosaurs, Wyverns, or Giganotosauruses for brute force. In PvP, use Pump-Action Shotgun, Fabricated Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher, C4, and Tek Armor.

Recommended Equipment:

• Flak Armor (early), Riot Gear (mid), Tek Armor (late).


• Assault Rifle / Pump Shotgun / Sword with Ascendant quality.


• Med Brews, Enduro Stew, Fria Curry (cold resistance).


• Compound Bow (long range, high damage).


Team Synergy: Works best with a Buffer (using Yutyrannus courage roar) and a Healer (using Daeodon healing). In PvP, coordinates with a Scout (pteranodon) and Gatherers for ammo.



5. The Scout / Explorer (Map Runner)



Background: Specializes in traversal, map discovery, and finding rare loot drops, supply crates, and explorer notes.

Strengths:

• Extremely mobile; can cross the map quickly.


• Good at locating valuable spawns (e.g., alpha predators, rare resources).


• Often carries low-weight, fast tames.


Weaknesses:

• Weak in prolonged combat – relies on speed to escape.


• May die easily if pinned down.


• Less effective in base tasks.


Playstyle: Invest heavily in Movement Speed (often 200%+) and Stamina. Use Pteranodon (fast flyer), Thylacoleo (climber), Raptor (ground speed), or Fjordhawk (teleport retrieval). Tek Helmet (night vision) and Parachute for cliff escapes.

Recommended Equipment:

• GPS, Compass, Maps (inventory item).


• Grappling Hook (for vertical movement).


• Climbing Pick (Scorched Earth / maps with cliffs).


• Canteen, Water Jar for desert runs.


Team Synergy: Scouts provide intelligence for the tribe—locate enemy bases (PvP), rare resources, and boss tribute items. They often duo with Tamers to find high-level creatures.



6. The Fisher (Underwater / Water Specialist)



Background: Focuses on ocean resources: silica pearls, oil, angler gel, and deep-sea loot crates.

Strengths:

• Access to exclusive underwater resources and artifacts.


• Can tame aquatic creatures like Mosasaurus, Tusoteuthis, and Plesiosaur.


• Good for sailing content and underwater bases.


Weaknesses:

• Limited to water biomes; vulnerable in open land.


• Requires SCUBA gear or aquatic tames to survive depths.


• Dangerous due to megalodons, jellyfish, and eels.


Playstyle: Level Oxygen (for breath-holding), Fortitude (cold resistance). Tame Anglerfish (gathers silica pearls), Dunkleosteus (oil), Mosasaur (ocean combat), Basilosaurus (insulated against eels/jellyfish).

Recommended Equipment:

• SCUBA Mask, Tank, Leggings, Flippers – full set needed.


• Harpoon Gun with harpoons (for taming Tusoteuthis).


• Tek Helmet (night vision underwater).


• Cryopods for quick aquatic tame transport.


Team Synergy: Supplies the tribe with oil, pearls, and poly. Often teams with a land-based Gatherer to offload resources. In PvP, underwater bases are hard to raid—Fishers become base defenders.



7. The Bossing Specialist (Dino Commander)



Background: End-game role dedicated to taming, breeding, and fighting boss arenas (Broodmother, Megapithecus, Dragon, King Titan, etc.).

Strengths:

• High success rate in boss fights when properly prepared.


• Understands imprinting, mutation stacking, and tributes.


• Can lead tribe members to victories for ascension.


Weaknesses:

• Extremely time- and resource-heavy (mutations, saddles, trophies).


• Requires specific tames (Rexes, Therizinos, Yutyrannus, Daeodon) with high stats.


• Failure can wipe out months of progress.


Playstyle: Level Health and Melee Damage on boss tames. Use Yutyrannus (courage roar), Daeodon (heal), and 18 damage-dealers. For Dragon, use Therizinos (herbivores avoid fire damage). For Rockwell (Aberration), use Spinos or Megalosaurs with light pets.

Recommended Equipment:

• Ascendant Sadles (crafted with high-quality blueprints).


• Tek Armor (jetpack, shield, cannon).


• Medical Brews, Custom Consumable (like Element).


• Teleporters for quick retreat (Tek Teleporter).

Team Synergy: A tribe needs at least one bossing specialist to ascend. They coordinate with Tamers (for breeding) and Gatherers (for tributes).

---

Notable NPC Lore Characters

These are story-important survivors from the ARK lore, revealed through Explorer Notes, HLN-A dialogues, and Genesis simulations. They are not playable but are essential to understanding the game’s narrative.

| Survivor of Extinction | Final Ascendant | The player-controlled survivor who appears in cutscenes as the “Last Survivor”. No distinct personality, but represents the player’s journey. | Silent, resilient, capable.

---

How to Define Your Role in ARK

Since ARK has no class system, your role emerges from:

• Stat Allocation: Each point in Health, Stamina, Weight, Melee Damage, etc., shifts your effectiveness.


• Engram Choices: Focus on crafting specific items (weapons, structures, taming gear).


• Tame Selection: Different tames complement different roles.


• Tribe Dynamics: Play to your strengths and fill gaps.

Respeccing: You can reset your stats and engrams at any time using a Mindwipe Tonic (requires Narcotics, Spoiled Meat, and Rare Mushroom). This allows you to switch roles without restarting.

---

Team Synergy Summary

---

Final Notes

• No role is locked; you can be a jack-of-all-trades or hyper-specialized.


• For solo play, a balanced role combining gathering, taming, and light combat is recommended.


• In tribes, assign roles based on interest and expertise. Use voice communication for coordination.


• DLC maps (Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Genesis) introduce new creatures that may enhance specific roles—adapt accordingly.

This guide covers the core systems of characters and roles in ARK: Survival Evolved. Adapt your strategy to your map, playstyle, and tribe needs, and remember: survival is about evolution.

Overview

ARK: Survival Evolved is a game that heavily supports modding and admin commands, but it also contains numerous built-in cheats, secrets, and Easter eggs that are part of the official game. This guide covers every known cheat code (admin console commands), unlock codes (special item IDs, color IDs), hidden features (Explorer Notes, Terminals, secret caves), Easter eggs (tributes, references, visual gags), and developer-intended hidden content (Tek items, ascension fights, secret missions). All content listed is legitimately accessible without mods or external tools, and none rely on glitches or exploits.

Admin Commands (Cheat Codes)

ARK has a powerful admin command system accessible via the console (press Tab on PC, or use admin command on consoles). These commands require you to be in singleplayer, on a dedicated server with admin privileges, or in a non-dedicated session with cheats enabled. To enable cheats on a singleplayer session, use the console command `enablecheats <adminpassword>` (default password is blank or set in server settings).

Basic Administrative Commands

Item Spawning Commands

Use `cheat giveitemnum <blueprint_path> <quantity> <quality> <force_bp>` or `cheat gfi <blueprint_path> <quantity> <quality>`. The easiest is `cheat giveitem`. Examples:

• Spawn a Rocket Launcher: `cheat giveitemnum 1 1 100 0` (quality 100)


• Spawn a Metal Sword: `cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Weapons/Sword/PrimalItem_WeaponSword.PrimalItem_WeaponSword'" 1 0 false`


• Spawn Max Level Creature: `cheat spawndino "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Dinos/Rex/Rex_Character_BP.Rex_Character_BP'" 1 1 0 200` (level 200 Rex)

Known Blueprint Paths:

Teleport Commands

• `cheat tp` – Teleports to your cursor location.


• `cheat teleport` – Teleports player to coordinates: `cheat teleport x y z`.


• `cheat setplayerpos x y z` – Sets player position (relative to map origin).


• `cheat teleporttoactor <actor_id>` – Teleports to a specific actor (e.g., a dino).




Dino-Related Commands




• `cheat forcetame` – Tames the dinosaur you are looking at (instant).


• `cheat dotame` – Same as forcetame but lower level.


• `cheat kill` – Kills the target creature.


• `cheat hurtme` – Damages target creature by 500.


• `cheat addexperience <amount> 0 1` – Adds XP to your mount.


• `cheat setimprintquality <0-1>` – Sets imprint percentage on baby dinos.


• `cheat setbabyage <0-1>` – Sets age of baby dino.




Map Change Commands




• `cheat setlevel` – Sets level (but not recommended – use XP commands).


• `cheat exec <command>` – Executes server commands.


• `cheat teleporttome <player_id>` – Teleports a player to you.




Unlock Codes





Player Color IDs


Use `cheat setplayercolor <color_id>` to change your body region colors (0-60). Example: `cheat setplayercolor 1 0` changes region 1 to color 0 (usually black). Full list available on ARK wiki.



Dino Color Commands



• `cheat setdinocolors <target_id> <region> <color_id>` (must target a dino).


• Alternative: `cheat forcetame` then `cheat setdinocolors`.




Skin & Cosmetic Codes



• `cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Items/PrimalItemConsumable_Skin_Unid.Skin_Unid'" 1 0 false` – gives random skin.


• `cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Items/PrimalItemConsumable_Skin_BionicRex.Skin_BionicRex'" 1 0 false` – Bionic Rex skin.


• Specific skins for events (e.g., Easter, Halloween) can be spawned via their blueprints.




Unlock All Engrams


`cheat giveengrams` – unlocks all engrams for the player.



Hidden Features





Explorer Notes


ARK features hundreds of Explorer Notes scattered across all maps. They provide lore and can be collected by interacting. They are not hidden but many are in hard-to-reach places. Collecting all notes on a map grants a special skin (e.g., Note of the Survivor).



Obelisks & Supply Crates


The three Obelisks (Red, Green, Blue) are central to boss fights and terminal functions. Supply crates drop periodically; red drops are highest level. Hidden deep-sea crates contain Tek items.



Secret Caves


Many maps have hidden caves: on The Island, there's the "Swamp Cave" (underwater entrance), "Ice Cave" (hidden behind waterfall), "Lava Cave" (under volcano). These require artifacts for boss fights.



Boss Fights


Bosses are hidden behind summoning terminals (at Obelisks or specific locations). Required artifacts and tributes are often in hard-to-reach caves. Broodmother, Megapithecus, Dragon, and Manticore are standard.



Ascension


After defeating all three Island bosses (Gamma, Beta, Alpha), you can ascend on the Island and unlock Tek engrams. Ascension also provides a new character level cap and unlocks "The Center" or "Scorched Earth" endgame teleport.



Tek Items


Unlockable only after defeating bosses or using admin commands. Spawnable with `cheat giveitem` and blueprint paths; e.g., Tek Rifle: `"Blueprint'/Game/Extinction/Tek/Rifle/PrimalItem_WeaponTekRifle.PrimalItem_WeaponTekRifle'"`.



Easter Eggs





The ARK Logo in the Sky


On The Island, during certain times, the ASCII-art ARK logo appears above the Obelisks (visible only from specific angles). This is a developer signature.



Tributes to Jurassic Park



• The bridge on The Center resembles the Jurassic Park bird cage.


• Certain rock formations mimic the "Welcome to Jurassic Park" scene.


• Dino AI sometimes causes raptors to open doors (a reference to the kitchen scene).




Dossiers


Each creature has a dossier with humorous text and sketches. Collecting all dossiers on a map gives a special dossier item (no in-game effect).



Hidden Underwater City


On "The Center" map, there is an abandoned underwater city structure with no loot but eerie atmosphere. It's a reference to Atlantis.



The "Manticore" Boss Easter Egg


In Scorched Earth, the Manticore boss drops a unique item called "Manticore's Fang" which references the Greek myth.



Bob's Path


On "Ragnarok", there is a hidden path called Bob's Trail marked with signs. It leads to a cliff with a view and a note from a developer.



Developer Homes


On maps like "Ragnarok" and "Valguero", there are developer-built structures (e.g., a castle, a treehouse) that are accessible but not part of any quest.



The "Giga" Egg Exploit (Not an Exploit)


The Giganotosaurus is normally untamable via normal means, but an Easter egg allows you to tame a baby Giga by stealing its egg from a nest in the Wyvern trench on Scorched Earth. This is intended behavior.



The "Equus" (Horse) Dance


Taming an Equus allows you to perform a special dance emote (hold E while mounted). This is a developer inside joke.



"ARK" VR Hidden Content


In the Steam version, the game includes a separate VR mode (ARK Park) that is a tie-in, not a secret.



Developer-Intended Secrets





The "Tek Cave" and Overseer


On The Island, the Tek Cave is a hidden underground area accessible only after collecting all artifacts. It leads to the Overseer boss fight and ascension. This is the ultimate endgame secret.



The "Rockwell" Boss (Aberration)


On Aberration, Rockwell is a secret boss fought in the "Element Chamber". It requires energy elements and is the map's true ending.



The "King Titan" (Extinction)


On Extinction, the King Titan spawns in the Forbidden Zone after a global event. Defeating him rewards the highest tier Tek and allows ascension to Genesis.



Genesis Missions


Genesis Part 1 & 2 have hidden missions that unlock upon meeting conditions (e.g., defeating all biomes' bosses). Some missions have secret locations, like the "Hunt" missions which lead to rare creature spawns.



Secret Dino Colors


Certain wild dinos have extremely rare color mutations (e.g., Pink Dodo, Teal Rex). These are not guaranteed but can be force-spawned with `cheat setdinocolors`.



Important Notes




• All admin commands are cheat-enabled and do not disable achievements on PC (unless you use `cheat` in singleplayer – achievement lock is removed). On consoles, using cheats disables trophies/achievements for that session.


• Using `cheat` commands in multiplayer without permission is considered griefing and bannable.


• The game receives updates that may change blueprint paths or command syntax; always check the ARK Wiki for the latest.


• Many Easter eggs are hidden on DLC maps; explore thoroughly.