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About Arcs
Arcs is Cole Wehrle's space game of rival factions in a collapsing empire, published by Leder Games. Actions come from a hand of cards played like a trick-taking game: the leader sets the suit, and everyone else must follow higher, copy weakly or pivot to a different suit for less. Players declare ambitions that decide what scores each chapter, so the scoring target moves constantly. It is tight, aggressive and over in a couple of hours.
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Is Arcs Right for You?
Best for
Arcs is for groups who enjoy direct conflict and reading the table, and who want a space game that finishes in an evening. Its trick-taking action system means every card you play is also a statement about what you can and cannot do next, and the ambition system keeps scoring contested. Three and four players is ideal, and players who liked Root will recognise the designer's taste for tension.
Maybe skip it if…
It is unforgiving and interactive, and a first game often ends before new players understand what they should have been doing. Anyone who dislikes having their plans wrecked by an opponent's attack should look elsewhere.
How to Play Arcs
Setup
Place starting cities and ships as shown on the setup card for your player count, and set out the court of guild cards. Deal six action cards to each player at the start of every chapter.
On Your Turn
- The lead player plays an action card and takes as many actions of its suit as it shows pips.
- Each other player surpasses with a higher card of the same suit, copies face down for one action, or pivots to a different suit for one action of that suit.
- When leading, a player may declare an ambition, which sets one of the categories scored at the end of the chapter.
How to Win
Players score power from declared ambitions at the end of each chapter. The game ends after the chapter in which someone passes the power target, or after the fifth chapter, and the most power wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
Declaring an ambition you are already winning is only half the job. Count what the other players can do with the cards they have left.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Playing your strongest card as soon as you can. Leading high is powerful, but a hand with nothing left for the second half of the chapter is a weak hand.
- Declaring an ambition you cannot defend. Other players can pile into any declared category, and a second-place finish may score them more than you.
- Ignoring the court. Guild cards give lasting abilities that change what your action cards can do.
- Spreading ships too thinly. Isolated fleets are easy targets, and every ship destroyed becomes a trophy for someone else.
Advanced Strategy
- Count pips before you lead. A card that surpasses easily invites the table to take full actions in your suit.
- Copying is not weakness. A face-down copy gives one action without revealing a card you want to keep.
- Pivot to take the action you actually need. One well-chosen action in a different suit can matter more than three in the led suit.
- Declare an ambition when the remaining cards in hand favour you, not when the board does. The board can change in a single turn.
Variants & House Rules
Arcs: The Blighted Reach
A large campaign expansion that turns Arcs into a three-act story, with each player's fate branching from game to game. It is the way many groups end up playing.
Arcs: Leaders & Lore Pack
Adds eight leaders and fourteen lore cards to those in the base box, giving the base game more starting variety.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Arcs is one of the sharpest competitive designs of recent years. The card system turns every play into a small negotiation, and the moving ambitions stop anyone from settling into a comfortable lead. It is demanding and it can be harsh, but we think it is the best way to get a full space-conflict game into two hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need The Blighted Reach?
No. The base game is complete and plays well on its own. The Blighted Reach is for groups who want a linked campaign.
Is Arcs good with two?
It works, but the ambition race and the card play are richer with three or four players.
Who designed it?
Cole Wehrle, who also designed Root and Oath. It is published by Leder Games.