All Game Items
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.
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
1.2 Flint, Metal, Crystals, Obsidian, etc.
1.3 Organic Resources
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2. Crafted Resources
These are processed from raw materials in the inventory, forge, or other stations.
| Item | How to Obtain | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Sparkpowder | Flint + Stone (mortar & pestle) | Fuel for torches, bullets, and early electricity |
| Gunpowder | Sparkpowder + Charcoal | Bullets, grenades, rockets |
| Cementing Paste | Chitin/Keratin + Stone (mortar & pestle) or from beaver dams | Structures, saddles, advanced items |
| Polymer | Obsidian + Cementing Paste or from organic (e.g., Mantis) | Electronics, armor, weapons, Tek |
| Electronics | Silica Pearls + Metal (fabricator) | Tek gear, scopes, generators, etc. |
| Gasoline | Oil + Hide (refining forge) | Fuel for generators, vehicles, and fabricator |
| Narcotics | Spoiled Meat + Narcoberries (mortar & pestle) | Taming and tranquilizing |
| Medical Brew | Narcotics + Stimulants + Water + Tintoberries | Healing and curing disease |
3. Tools
3.1 Early Tools (Handcrafted)
- Stone Pick / Hatchet: Basic gathering.
- Stone Knife: Harvest meat and hide faster.
- Torch: Light source and weapon.
- 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.
- 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.
3.2 Metal Tools (Smithy/Fabricator)
3.3 Special Tools
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4. Weapons
4.1 Ranged Weapons
| Weapon | Ammo | How to Obtain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slingshot | Stone | Engram (Lv.6) | Stuns small creatures |
| Bow / Crossbow | Stone Arrow / Tranq Arrow | Engram | Crossbow has higher damage but slower reload |
| Longneck Rifle | Tranq Dart, Bullet | Engram (Lv.20) or loot | Best for taming with darts |
| Pump-Action Shotgun | Shotgun Shell | Engram (Lv.60) | High spread damage, excellent vs dinos |
| Assault Rifle | Advanced Bullet | Engram (Lv.55) or drops | Automatic fire, versatile |
| Sniper Rifle | Advanced Bullet | Engram or loot | High damage, long range |
| Fabricated Pistol | Pistol Bullet | Engram (Lv.30) | Medium damage, cheap |
| Rocket Launcher | Rocket Propelled Grenade | Engram (Lv.80) | Explosive area damage |
| Compound Bow | Metal Arrow or Tranq | DLC or loot | Higher damage and accuracy |
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).
- Bola: Immobilizes small/medium creatures.
- Poison Grenade: Gas cloud damage and torpor.
- Smoke Grenade: Concealment.
- Cluster Grenade: Multi-explosion.
4.3 Thrown Weapons
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5. Armor
5.1 Armor Sets (from weakest to strongest)
| Armor | Material | Engram Level | Protection | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloth | Fiber, Hide | Lv.5 | Very low | Very low | Good for heat, poor for cold/hits |
| Hide | Hide | Lv.10 | Low | Low | Balanced for early game |
| Chitin | Chitin | Lv.32 | Medium | Medium | Good vs carnivores, bad vs cold |
| Flak | Metal | Lv.38 | High | High | Standard PvP/PvE armor |
| Riot | Polymer, Electronics | Lv.70 | Very high | Very high | Best non-Tek protection, but heavy |
| SCUBA | Chitin, Polymer, Electronics | Lv.45 | Underwater | Medium | Required for underwater breathing and speed |
| Tek | Element, Polymer, Crystal | Lv.96-100 | Extremely high | Medium | Provides fly, jump, and special abilities |
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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Narcotics: Induces torpor (for taming).
- Stimulant: Removes torpor.
- Tranquilizer Arrow/Dart: Fired from bow/crossbow/rifle to increase torpor.
- 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.
- Materials: Thatch, Wood, Stone, Metal, Tek.
- Doors, Trapdoors, Windows: Add access points.
- Ramps, Ladders, Elevators: Vertical movement.
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6. Consumables
6.1 Food & Drink
6.2 Medical & Buffs
6.3 Narcotics & Tranqs
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7. Taming Items
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8. Structures
8.1 Base Building (Foundation, Walls, Ceilings)
8.2 Utility Structures
| Structure | Function | Engram Level |
|---|---|---|
| Campfire | Cooking, warmth | Lv.3 |
| Mortar & Pestle | Crafting narcotics, sparkpowder | Lv.4 |
| Smithy | Crafting metal items (alloy) | Lv.20 |
| Fabricator | Advanced electronics, polymer, ammo | Lv.30 |
| Refining Forge | Smelt metal, create gasoline and ingots | Lv.15 (requires engram) |
| Industrial Forge | Fast smelting for large quantities | Lv.70 |
| Chemistry Bench | Mass production of narcotics, gunpowder | Lv.70 |
| Generator | Provides electricity using gasoline | Lv.50 |
| Tek Replicator | Craft Tek items using Element | Lv.100 |
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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9. Saddles & Dino Equipment
9.1 Saddles (by Dino Type)
9.2 Dino Gear
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10. Ammunition & Projectiles
| Ammo Type | Weapon(s) | Crafting Recipe (if crafted) |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Arrow | Bow, Crossbow | Stone + Fiber |
| Tranq Arrow | Bow, Crossbow | Narcotics + Arrow |
| Shocking Tranq Dart | Longneck Rifle | Tranq Dart + Bio Toxin |
| Bullet (Simple) | Pistol, Rifle, Turret | Gunpowder + Metal Ingot |
| Advanced Bullet | Assault Rifle, Sniper | Polymer? Actually: Gunpowder + Metal Ingot + Sparkpowder? Check: Requires Spinoferum? No, standard recipe: Gunpowder + Metal Ingot (Fabricator). Advanced uses more resources. |
| Shotgun Shell | Shotgun | Gunpowder + Metal + Chitin/Stone? |
| Rocket Propelled Grenade | Rocket Launcher | Polymer + Electronics + Metal + Gunpowder |
| Element Shard | Tek Weapons | Element (obtained from bosses) |
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.
- 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)
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12. Collectibles & Artifacts
12.1 Artifacts
Found in caves. Used to summon bosses. Each artifact has a specific cave location.
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).
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13. Tek Items (Endgame)
Requires Element unlocked from defeating bosses.
| Tek Item | Function |
|---|---|
| Tek Helmet | Night vision, target tracking, radar |
| Tek Chestpiece | Jetpack flight |
| Tek Leggings | Super speed, jump boost |
| Tek Boots | Increased movement in water |
| Tek Shield | Absorbs damage (sword and shield) |
| Tek Sword | High damage, disables some creatures |
| Tek Rifle | Laser beam, drains Element |
| Tek Bow | Arrows that home? |
| Tek Tapejara Saddle | Fast flying with guns |
| Tek Rex Saddle | Mount laser cannon on Rex |
| Tek Turret | Automated defense with Element |
| Tek Generator | Powers base without gasoline |
| Tek Teleporter | Instant travel between points |
| Tek Replicator | Mass crafting of Tek items |
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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15. Upgrades & Synergies
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16. Tips for Item Management
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.