Best Ark Map: Features, Creatures, Weather And More

Our best Ark Map lists all the top-tier maps players should explore while riding the dinosaurs, farm materials, and can do much more.

By Rachel Cooper June 24, 2023

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The current version of Ark: Survival Evolved features ten maps that consist of different environments, terrain, creatures, prehistoric animals, extreme weather, and much more. The Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, or Ragnarok, which one do you think is the best Ark map? Well, we have broken down the details and of each one and entail everything you should know about them.

Key Highlights

The Best Maps in Ark Survival Evolved include:
- The Island.
- Scorched Earth.
- Aberration.
- Ragnarok.
- The Center.
- Crystal Isles.
- Genesis Part 1.
Each of these maps has its own unique characteristics.
In this guide, we are going to discuss in detail the Creatures, Event Creatures, Explorer Notes, Dossiers, Artifacts, and Weather in all these maps.

Best Ark Maps To Explore

BEST ARK MAPS	MAP CREATURES	UNIQUE CREATURES	EVENT/ MISSION CREATURES	WEAPONS/ ARMOR/ ARTIFACTS / TOOLS	WEATHER AND ENVIRONEMENTAL CONDITIONS
The Island	123	None	17	10 different Artifacts only	Rain and Fog
Scorched Earth	49	18	10	15 distinctive weapons, armor, and tools	Extremely Hot
Aberration	3	22	10	14 different weapons and tools	Earthquakes, Poisonous plants, radiations, and fluids.
Ragnarok	159 (some from The Island and Scorched Earth)	8	19	2 different Weapons and 11 unique Artifacts	Normal/ easy Conditions
The Center	116 (all creature of The Island except a few)	None	15	11 unique Artifacts only	Normal/ easy Conditions
Crystal Isles	152	6	14	18 unique Artifacts only	Normal/ easy Conditions
Genesis: Part 1	99	21 (X-Creatures)	55 Mission and 12 Event Creatures	10 different weapons and tools	Easy Crystal Farming conditions
Genesis: Part 2	136	12+19 R-Creatures	96 Mission and 18 Event Creatures	6 different weapons	Tech Environment and Conditions
Extinction	98	15+18 Currupted Creatures	20	11 distinct weapons	Suitable for Crystal Farming
Valguero	134	3+30 Aberrant Creatures	20	10 different Artifacts	Normal non-canon map like conditions

The Island

The Island is the most common map among players as it is the first map you play on. This was the first canon map introduced in the game. It is great for new players to establish their skills and make their way to the top of the food chain. The Island map is also highly regarded as an arena for PvP battles due to the relatively small size of the map, fewer hiding places, and no real weather challenges. It is also known to be a great spot to farm Silica Pearls. The Island has many caves and other places to explore to gain experience and learn everything about the basics of the game.

MAP FEATURES

Creatures: There are a total of 123 creatures that spawn on The Island.
Event Creatures: Players will find 17 creatures altogether while taking part in events.
Explorer Notes and Dossiers: These notes have plenty of useful info that helps us on many occasions. These can be found scattered anywhere around The Island.
Artifacts: In this map, you can find ten different artifacts all over the place.
Weather: There are two kinds of weather on this map and those are rain and fog. Rain can be used to store water while in the fog; laying low is the best option (as you can’t see much happening ahead).
The Island is the first map, introducing players to the game

Scorched Earth

Set in the Desert, Scorched Earth is another canon map that was released and added to the game in September 2016. It is regarded as one of the toughest maps to play. With scorching heat and disastrous conditions, you have to bear the risk of heatstroke and dust storms status effects.

Players must be careful while building shelter and must keep an eye while consuming energy you’re conserving, such as keeping thirst, stamina, hunger, etc., in check. Any reckless action while roaming Scorched Earth can be the cause of your death.

MAP FEATURES

Creatures: In this map, players will find 49 different creatures roaming around the map.
Unique Creatures: In addition to normal creatures, 18 unique creatures are also present in Scorched Earth.
Event Creatures: Scorched Earth has only ten event creatures. They spawn whenever there is a timed event.
Explorer notes and Dossiers: These too can be found in different places on the map. Keep on the lookout for them.
Weather: Extremely hot weather regardless of where you go.
Weapons and tools: Players can get access to 15 different weapons, armor, and tools.
Extreme conditions and everything you need to do to survive in it

Aberration

First released in December 2017 with a price tag of $19.99, Aberration is a canon map with tons of content to explore. Since its release, it has been considered the hardest ark map to play. Set up in a place where the atmosphere has been damaged that has resulted in all kinds of changes in animals, surroundings, and everything in it.

A Similar Read: The BEST Ark Single Player Settings

Dinosaurs have been genetically mutated and have got new abilities, creatures are more deadly, the weather is extreme, and the environment has changed drastically. This map is a fascinating addition to the game as it is completely different from what the other maps have to offer. As hard as it is, this map has probably the coolest features and additions out of all.

Aberration has mutated creatures — Dinosaurs and mutated creatures

MAP FEATURES

Event Creatures: In an event, players may find a total of 10 different creatures.
Unique Creatures: With one of the highest number of creatures in the game, Aberration has 22 unique creatures altogether.
Note: There are only three creatures that can be found in all parts of the map.
Weapons and Tools: You can acquire 14 distinctive weapons and tools to take your game to the next level.
Environmental Threats: Earthquakes, radiations, poisonous plants, and fluids.

Ragnarok

A free DLC map, Ragnarok is a non-canon area that was first released in June 2017 for ARK: Survival Evolved on Steam. It is one of the easiest maps out of the ten players can play. Ragnarok is an extremely large map that has a little bit of everything. It has nice weather, environment, dinosaurs, farming opportunities, and much more. It is a great spot for exploring and getting to know the game altogether.

As it is free, it is a great opportunity for new players to try it and get to know what the other (paid) maps have to offer. It has beautiful scenery that will add to the experience. Due to its large size, the Ragnarok map is substantial for clans to explore and collect everything that can be useful in the future. The best Ark map? Maybe the best free map by a mile.

MAP FEATURES

Creatures: 159 different creatures from both The Island and Scorched Earth combined in one map with some exceptions.
Event Creatures: During events, 19 more creatures are spawned.
Unique Creatures: After doing some exploring, you’ll find a sum of eight unique creatures on this map.
Weapons: You’ll find only two weapons on the entire map.
Artifacts: If searched well, 11 different artifacts can be found on Ragnarok.
Ragnarok map has 159 creatures

The Center

Initially released in May 2016, The Center is also a free DLC non-canon map. Similar to Ragnarok, this map is another one that is sort of easy to play, and it is a brilliant opportunity for players to harness their skills before moving to Canon maps.

The Center has almost everything that all the other maps have to offer and is regarded as the easiest map out of all. The Center is the perfect place to learn how to tame, farm, and explore and is regularly used for PvP battles.

MAP FEATURES

Creatures: Every creature that is present in The Island except seven are spawned here as well making the sum total of 116.
Unique Creatures: None
Event Creatures: Players will find 15 creatures in events.
Artifacts: 11 Artifacts can be searched and found on this map.
Weapons: NONE
Everything clumped together in one map, good idea or bad?

Crystal Isles

Originally released in 2020, Crystal Isles is the third free DLC non-canon map. This map is one of the few Ark maps where you can find Argentavis (a flying creature that can carry huge weights and travel long distances) and explore the whole map in no time.

Flying around can save you from many land threats and provide you with a great view of the whole place. This helps when you’re looking for a specific thing and don’t want to get caught in-between anything else. In Crystal Isles, dinosaurs can be found and tamed relatively easily and can be used for many expeditions conserving our stamina.

MAP FEATURES

Creatures: With 152 spawns on this map, this makes Crystal Isles one of the most densely populated maps in terms of creatures and living things.
Unique Creatures: There are about six unique creatures a player can find.
Event Creatures: In an event, you may find 14 different creatures more.
Artifacts: Venturing this map will help you discover 18 artifacts.
Crystal Isles and one of the few places where Argentavis exists

Genesis: Part 1

Released in February 2020, Genesis: Part 1 is a canon map that was listed at a price of 34.99 USD. One of the newer maps introduced in the game, Genesis Part 1 is a mid-difficulty map where you can tame dinosaurs explore all parts of the map, and advance in the game.

Completing missions is the go-to choice for players as there is nothing quite distinctive in this map that other maps don’t offer. It is a prominent spot for crystal farming and is probably the easiest map to farm crystal and due to this, players prefer to play on this map.

MAP FEATURES

Creatures: Genesis Part 1 has 99 creatures.
Mission Creatures: When doing missions, players will find 55 creatures
X-Creatures: A new species of creatures was introduced called X-Creatures. There are 21 of them on this map.
Unique Creatures: In addition to X-creatures, there are 11 Unique Creatures as well.
Event Creatures: Genesis Part 1 doesn’t lack when it comes to creatures, and here too, they have a good range of creatures. There are 12 whenever there is an event.
Weapons: You can acquire ten weapons and tools that provide you safe passage throughout the journey.
One of the newer maps in ark survival evolved

This is all you need to know about the best Ark maps. Have you tried roaming the lands and mounting dinosaurs on all of the maps? Let us know more of your thoughts in the comments section below.