Noglins, named after being ‘Noggin Goblins’, oddly cute and disgusting at the same time, are mind-sucking creatures and player utilitarians
Some call Noglins scary and some call them cute; in fact, these little creatures are both. Noglins come from the Genesis: Part 2 expansion of ARK: Survival Evolved and don’t seem to be inspired by any real creature, although they resemble the brain-controlling parasites often found in science fiction. What these “noggin goblins” do best is take control of the minds of other creatures and even survivors. If these creepy-cute creatures are around you, you should be careful. If you manage to tame one, you can play very powerful tricks on your opponents.
Updated October 2026. We corrected the taming method and abilities and added the map where Noglins are found, based on the ARK Wiki.
How can you tame a Noglin?
Noglins do not eat normal food. Their preferred food is live creatures, and they are tamed passively: you offer your own tamed creatures to a wild Noglin, and it mind-controls them. Each full mind-control session adds to its taming progress.
As simple as this method seems, it is not that easy. The timing of the Noglin’s mind control is very inconsistent, which can make taming slow and frustrating. Knocking out a Noglin that refuses to attack can make it more likely to start.
Unbred tames give more taming affinity, and cloned tames work as well as originals. A wild Noglin prefers not to control the same creature more than once per taming attempt, so bring several tames. The Noglin can only take control of a target of a lower level that has at least 50% health, so choose healthy creatures, and keep in mind that a controlled creature can be turned against you.
When taming a Noglin, it helps to build an enclosure around the spot where you find it, so that it cannot wander off while it controls the creatures you bring.
How can Noglins be used?
As you already know, Noglin is great for manipulating, blocking, and outright killing opponents. Some of the things that Noglins can do very easily are:
Vandalism – A Noglin can mind-control non-allied survivors for a limited time and interact with their structures, such as doors or generators. For example, you can make an enemy survivor turn off the generators that power their turrets. This can be an infamous method of sabotage.
Diversion – Due to the extremely small size of the Noglins, they are very difficult to shoot. These noggin goblins can be unleashed to distract the opponents.
Instant Kill – Ending a Noglin’s brain control early kills the controlled creature. Bosses cannot be controlled, and detaching from some creatures, such as the Arthropluera or Kentrosaurus, kills the Noglin instead.
Rampage – A menacing wild creature can be mind controlled and released to destroy the enemy’s territory, creating havoc and giving you time to attack the rest of the opponents.
Also Read – 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Resident Evil’s Albert Wesker
FAQs
How to tame a Noglin in the ARK?
Noglins are tamed passively by letting them mind-control your own tamed creatures. Unbred, healthy tames that are lower level than the Noglin work best, and a Noglin prefers not to control the same creature twice during one taming attempt.
Where to find Noglin ARK?
Noglins are small mind-controlling creatures in ARK: Survival evolved. They are found on the Genesis: Part 2 map.
