If there’s any game in which investing your hours gives you the biggest return, Ark: Survival Evolved is definitely somewhere at the very top, and it has plenty of maps where you can spend all that time.
The game is incredibly detailed with a very high skill cap, rewarding you for putting in extra time to learn the nitty gritty of the gameplay, and a large number of unique maps to play are an essential draw for players.
Since there are just so many different environments you can indulge in, you are almost never going to bore yourself playing the game. But even then, there are maps that are a cut above the rest, so we’re here to let you know which ones you need to look out for.
The eight best maps in ARK: Survival Evolved
8) The Island
The main reason why The Island gets a spot on this list is because of just how beginner-friendly this map is. The Island’s level distribution favors lower levels and was constructed with newer players in mind.
The Island is the first base map in the game that consists of five bigger mountains in the north and flat plains in the south, making the map very easy to learn. All the resources present in The Island are spread out in a way that is quite obvious to figure out where each item is. The outer area of the island is relatively safe compared to the inner island which can get tough to manage but is still doable.
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The chances of spawning high-level dinosaurs here are not so likely as well, so you will be surrounded by low-level dinos at all times, making The Island even better for those new to the game. Use this map to familiarize yourself with Ark before moving on to other maps available.
7) The Center
Just like a bunch of other maps on this list, The Center happens to be a free official expansion map for Ark: Survival Evolved.
The Center has various unique and beautiful environmental features such as an island with lava rivers and lava lakes flowing through it, a mountain with tons of ape statues carved from it, as well as a massive underground ecosystem containing its own miniature sun and branching tunnels that lead into different parts of the Underground World.
The Center also happens to have the only arena that can be viewed from the base map since it lies on the mountain overlooking the Redwoods biome.
The Center originated as a custom map by modder Ben “EvilMrFrank” Burkart, added as free DLC in a PC patch. It then underwent a “mega-update” that added the Redwood Forests in another PC patch, then was released on Xbox One and PS4.
6) Valguero
Sitting at 63 square kilometers of explorable area, Valguero is a map containing a vast number of new terrains to build on, while also letting you observe familiar and new Ark creatures in a sprawling environment.
You can also meet Deinonychus, a feathered theropod only found in Valguero. This dinosaur is an extremely aggressive killer, not able to be tamed. Its eggs, however, can be stolen and hatched to bring forth a potent riding creature that can be very useful in a bunch of land-based areas.
Valguero also happens to be immensely beautiful, showing off auroras and shooting stars in the nighttime, and vibrant rainbows during the day.
What’s interesting is that Valguero contains the Aberration Trench, an area in the map containing content from the Aberration map—a neat little addition to Ark.
5) Scorched Earth
Are you tired of the bright blue and green lush landscapes you find in most Ark maps? Looking to turn up the heat during your time playing the game? Well, look no further than Scorched Earth, an especially tough map that thrusts players into a desert wasteland.
Entirely consisting of a desert biome, water collection on the Scorched Earth map becomes a more daunting obstacle than usual. Natural water sources are rare, requiring the player to collect water from various other sources such as wells, cacti, Jugbugs, or Morellatops, which is a camel-like creature essential for transporting goods around the desert.
Suffering from heat stroke is also something you need to worry about, coming about as a potential side effect of too much heat exposure.
Even though survival is the name of the game for any map in Ark, Scorched Earth really tests your limit as a skilled player, forcing you to adapt to the harsh, arid desert wasteland environment if you wish to stay alive. Take on the challenge only if you think you are truly skilled at the game.
4) Aberration
Aberration is the most unique map entry on this list, boasting an eerie, dark, and dangerous world as compared to other maps that usually show off bright, blooming biospheres resembling light. Aberration will make you feel like its world is devoid of hope, on the other hand.
Everywhere you step in Aberration leaks deadly radiation, as the internal atmosphere of the world has leaked away. Rather than an island, the majority of Aberration consists of enclosed underground biomes, which means carrying around a Compass or GPS to avoid getting lost in the dark pathways might be a good idea.
Due to the radiation in the map, specific locations will cause damage over time to players that aren’t wearing Protective Gear so make sure you come prepared.
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This hostile underground biome will take you to a world with a vibe like you haven’t experienced before, and even though it may not be the most soothing, it certainly pulls off the decrepit aesthetic very well.
3) Ragnarok
Ragnarok is the all-around package when it comes to Ark maps, fitting in an unimaginably large amount of content into a map that is 2.5x the size of The Island in terms of land mass, and approximately four times in total size. These calculations don’t even account for the brilliant, wide-ranging cave networks and significantly large dungeons inside of Ragnarok.
Ragnarok is a map that was built with the clear goal of building in mind, which clearly shows as the map is unanimously loved by players for building bases in many iconic occasions such as the repurposable ruins, the large plateaus, or Viking Bay containing beaches which possess their very own built-in storage caves.
Ragnarok also has a ton of other unique features found in it, such as an active volcano that erupts to cause raining meteors and flows of lava. If you walk along the beaches, you can often find Basilosaurus corpses scattered across the shores.
2) Crystal Isles
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The Crystal Isles contains everything that you could ever want from an Ark map, and the best part is, all the components in the map are as gorgeous as it gets. Everywhere you go, you will most likely find yourself awestruck at the vibrance and beauty of your surroundings.
Being 150 square kilometers in size, Crystal Isles also happens to be one of the largest maps in Ark, with the layout of the map in the form of various islands of different sizes, along with an array of different environments and biomes covering them. From beaches to jungles to volcanoes to the tundra—you name it, Crystal Isles has it.
If you want a real treat for the senses, head on over to the Eldritch Isle—an island constantly engulfed in darkness and thunder with floating water bubbles and an abundance of rare resources.
Other than that, one of the most alluring features present in the Crystal Isles is the network of floating islands called the Apotheosis. You can reward yourself by building your base here, in the skies, while then being able to take in the stunning view that comes along with it.
1) Lost Island
Clearly the superior ‘Island’ map on this list, Lost Island takes a lot of elements that worked well for other maps and sprinkles them all over the 150+ square kilometers of explorable area in this one, along with adding a bunch of unique content made exclusively for Lost Island as well, giving this map a truly special experience like never before.
The world within Lost Island is sprawling, grand, and breathtaking, containing several different biomes to give you a biosphere that truly feels alive.
You can come across the various Wyvern Trenches on the map, such as one containing a lot more nesting places than Ragnarok or Crystal Isles, found close to the Red Obelisk. Additionally, you can also find an Ice Wyvern Trench containing various nests, found next to the Blue Obelisk.
Explore the huge ruined city within the Redwood Biome, check out the plethora of ships scattered within the ocean and caves, or feast your eyes upon the bubbling lava streams similar to the ones found in The Center—Lost Island has all that you could want and more.
Fun fact: Lost Island just so happens to be a visible replica of the Tamriel map from the famous Bethesda gaming franchise, The Elder Scrolls.
