Arcs - Board Game Review - Game Of The Year? Is it Really?

Arcs - Board Game Review - Game Of The Year? Is it Really?

Many are going to have their keyboards on standby in the comments I'm sure.............

Arcs is a sharp sci-fi strategy game for 2–4 players, set in a dark yet silly universe. Ready yourself for dramatic twists and turns as you launch into this galactic struggle.

Seize the initiative:
Take actions with multi-use cards. Copy the leader, pivot to new tactics, or take the initiative for next round. Timing is everything.

Declare ambitions:
In each game, you define the objectives that everyone competes over to win.

Crush your foes:
Amass your navy for battle, plan your strategy with three kinds of dice, then roll them all at once to resolve the battle in a flash.

Each game contains a hundred wooden ships and agents, 18 custom engraved dice, a beautiful six-panel board, and tons of cards with over 60 pieces of unique art.

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Related Content

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Who Am I?

One single batchelor from the UK talking about his passion for board games and the people who play them! I support small content creators, board game cafes and go against the status quo when it comes to the board game industry. I give my honest opinions without bias towards any publishers or designers and will not hold back if I don't like a game.

The Broken Meeple is a variety channel that hosts all kinds of board game content from reviews to Top 10 lists to playthroughs to live stream collaborations with special guests (predominantly small channels who deserve more exposure).

I look forward to engaging with you, the community on my live streams or in the comments on my videos!

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Background
04:29 - Basic Overview
07:54 - The Good Things
13:52 - The Bad Stuff
32:20 - Summary, Verdict & Player Scaling

#brokenmeeple #arcs #shutupandsitdown #gameoftheyear #boardgames #boardgame #lukehector #supportsmallcreators #tabletop #tabletopgames #bgg #boardgamer #boardgamereview

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Useful Links

Full credit to BoardGameGeek and its members for any images used that aren't my own or part of the publisher press kit.

[mihaidiaconescu]

I will be honest, I used to not like your style in the past and even if sometimes it seems that you're complaining too much, the more I watch your reviews the more I begin to appreciate them. I might not agree with you always but you bring something unique to the palette of board game reviewers. The fact that this is not your full time job is also very impressive! Keep up the good work!

[PhilCunliffe]

I'm a fan of the hand randomization, it forces thinking outside the box. If I'm all set up for tycoon but don't get a card to declare the ambition I might think, ok I have fuel and materials to spend that means I am extremely mobile and can build as prelude actions, I should spend this chapter expanding, or building up my army and go for warlord. If I could always declare what I was best suited for I would just declare tycoon every round and win, it would get boring.

My biggest complaint with the game so far is just how "brutal" it is, it can definitely cause conflict at the table. With the right group of players though I think it's pretty damn amazing.

[Joseph_B__________]

Great video, thank you! I appreciate that you are not afraid of call out negatives you see in a game despite the hype. I was getting similar negative vibes from watching other people's videos about it but they were very subtle or not mentioned (reading between the lines). I know you are not against liking a hyped game if it is good. Eg, I remember all the hype about Ark Nova with people saying their #1, dice tower, etc. I watched your video with all the positives and negatives then decided to go for it and it is now one of my top games. There are some games you don't like that I do (and that is okay - this is the beauty of gaming). But you explain what doesn't work for YOU and why other people might infact like it still. So THANK YOU! Keep up the good work!

[larrytedmcbride]

I really appreciate your "regardless of the consequences" reviews, mate. I may not always agree but I always know you're legit. Keep'em coming.

So, I had suspicions that the hype for this game was to good. While, it may be a great game, I can see where it may fall short of my own likes and expectations.

[zirkvandenberg]

In the four or so weeks since getting this game, it got played six times. I own many games that never saw a fourth or fifth play. I played with my adult son and his mate one evening. (Both very experienced gamers.) Got a phone call in the morning, asking if we could do it again. And we did. For us, this is definitely the best game we've encountered in some years.

[TheBrokenMeeple]

Woot! The troll disliker only took 30 seconds this time to skip to the end and see it wasn't a 10/10 rating! Thanks for contributing to the algorithm! :D

[shatnershairpiece]

I figured I wasn’t a Cole fan even before opening root. I then sold it and a 4 expansions sealed after staring at them for 8 months deciding if it was worth even attempting at two players. It was not. Very rare for me to sell a sealed game but in this case, I was happy to get rid of them. Thanks for making me avoid ARCS as well.

[toon_tabletop]

Great review. I enjoyed your fair assessment. One thing I do think you didn't totally sell was the prelude actions. They are definitely the way to control bad hands. If you really need to construct but you can't because you don't have the suit - it might mean you have Tax cards. That way you can collect some cubes in order to build with those

[andrewstewart]

This video is exactly why Luke's channel is so great. The clear explanation of what he sees as the good and the bad, and the, open honest opinions on a hyped game he has spent his own money on, are invaluable. One does not have to agree but it is useful research of things to poke into more before making one's own decision. Much more helpful than 20 minutes of "wow this is amazing" fluff. Components and art are also important to me so, again, helpful to have some sort of assessment of this side of things.

[mrsteve]

I never disagree with someone for their personal likes and dislikes. I despise Terraforming Mars. It just doesn’t click with me, but apparently, from what I have been told, I’m wrong in my dislike.

Based on your review, I will disagree with your assessment of some of the mechanics. IMO, too many people focus too much on their cards and what they cannot do that turn or round as opposed seizing opportunities presented to them by pivoting that round. The game mitigates bad card draw. In fact, it’s a core element to the game, and it rewards creative thinking.

I have zero issue in burning a card to seize initiative. Many feel it’s a hinderance in losing a turn, but considering your opponents will do the same, it equals out in the end. People don’t want to declare an ambition because they don’t want to lost the initiative. Cool, I’ll do it. Initiative is important, but folks are too afraid to lose it.

Wait, my opponent wants to declare X? Oh, well, let me declare something different because he waited too long because he was afraid to lose initiative or he wanted to ensure he was going to win it. Sucks to be him and to have wasted an entire chapter.

I can’t follow suit or surpass? Well, let me use these materials in a prelude to build, or this fuel to move, or this weapon to attack. I’m constantly reminding new players about prelude actions since they get too focused on their cards.

You get up to six turns per chapter and there are five chapters = 30 turns. With initiative changing hands, in most games, every player will get right around the same number of actions (not turns). Most board games are right around 30 turns or less. The key (or puzzle if you will) to this game is maximizing each of those precious few turns, especially since you’ll either lose the total number of turns or be limited to one action on many turns, and players need to figure out how to squeeze in the maximum number of actions in that finite number of turns.

Again, this system may not click with everyone. I don’t care for Ark Nova, and as I have been told, I’m wrong. However, for those whom this game clicks, it truly is a gem.

[HoudiniSplicer]

Hello there,

as a big fan of Cole's work and design style, I don't regard many of your negative points as negative, but just as designed, however it is only fair to state them for people who are not yet familiar with this approach, which needs specific mindset to enjoy, I think.

Similar to Oath, this game is surely not for everyone. Although it is far more approachable and cleaner, I would say. After all, the base game is "just" distilled core of what was meant to be the base game before it became the Blighted Reach expansion.

But there are few points you make, which don't seem fair to me.

First the downtime and length of play in general.

In my so far experience it is nor long nor downtime-ish, quite the opposite. The feel of the play seems pretty fast and snappy and in this context I just can't agree that the 2-3 h playtime is slog or too much, when game like Arnak (which I also love) takes me approximately the same time.

This is especially in stark contrast when compared to Oath, where the downtime is so much worse. I love Oath as well, but as a person who tends to AP a lot, damn, it's sometimes a killer.

Second thing, I don't agree with that "what you get in the box isn't worth the money quality and quantity wise" statement. I can't think of any concrete arguments for this, but just quickly compering it to other games on the market, I just don't think this statement is true or fair.

Although I agree that leaders and lore pack could be part of the box and not sold separately.

And last but not least the "average" scoring. This is just semantics, but I just don't think this game deserves that, "Not for me" I would totally understand, but average...I just don't think it is. Of course that is just my subjective opinion.

Anyway take care and have a nice day :)

[LCS]

I enjoyed playing the game but I think the negatives called out here are spot on and exactly my thoughts as well.

[greghinzmann]

The ARCS review I’ve been waiting for. Thanks!

[Nwolf]

My wife never forgave sit down for not reviewing Robinons Crusoe Adventures on Cursed Island and simply saying "It wasnt for us"... turns out that was because of the COVER ART (they found it sexist). There was nothing wrong with the game and she didnt pick it up. Once she realised how good it was she had to wait a half a year for it to be in stock. :D Wife also loved the cover art!

[mike_howes]

Fantastic review. Really enjoyed the nuance of knowing this is a great game for a niche but not to be enjoyed by all and explaining why that is the case.

[chillionaire]

I've had a genuinely great time following all the ARCS coverage on YouTube. There are just too many games releasing that are iterations / refinements on games that are already out there. That's fine, no issue with those games existing and continuing to inch the hobby forward, but too often the "final thoughts" on a game are one of two things: "this is good/great, but if you already have XYZ game, do you really need this also?" or, "this is good/great, and I can't see myself wanting to play XYZ game anymore because I now have this".

ARCS has not followed that mold. Clearly a love it or hate it, but either way, it's been a lot of fun listening to people's play experience with this game. I also think most of the coverage on this game has been honest (at least within the list of content creators I've chosen over the years to continue following; which does include SU&SD). Maybe SU&SD went a little crazy using the term game of the year in what... June/July - but the actual content of their video felt honest and did a good job of also highlighting what could turn people off of this game. There just needs to be a level of responsibility on the buyer of understanding what a game is about; what games they enjoy; and then making an educated purchasing decision.

Either way - thanks for making the investment in picking up this game, and getting more honest thoughts out there to help in educating all of us.

[christopherbristow]

It's interesting to hear this perspective and I found the length and luck elements a bit much also. However, you didn't really talk about the prelude element. I have only played twice, but I found that when luck wasn't going my way in the second game, I used the prelude actions a lot more than I did in the first, and it did help balance the luck aspect... but still not quite enough!

[meewarwoowoo]

The Venn Diagram of "I didn't like the action selection" and "Arcs is bad" is an eclipse.

[cabbage]

Been waiting for an unbiased review to actually express advantages and disadvantages instead of just saying “Wow! Cole Wehrle has done it again!” So thankyou for that

[HeyImBode]

RE: time issue, i have played with slow players and it's such a bizarre clash to see it happen. Yes I understand every group I've seen essentially learns to walk in the 1st two chapters, yes I understand people are faced with two major hurdles #1 getting over not being able to do what you wanted/hope to do #2 wrestling with the card play is genuinely mind bendy, tactical and hard to parse in a way that feels efficient.

But at the same time, so many turns will be single actions, and quick actions at that. And so much of the game presents you with uncertainty, it feels to me like that speeds up how it's best played. I have a fork of decisions, I don't know what's gonna be better. Let's just send it and see what happens. And if it blows up in my face, we'll slash an hour off the game and might even be able to table it again.

I'm aware this comes off a bit selfish of how others engage with a game, but I also can't help but feel as if it contributes in creating a self-imposed pain point when approaching it this way. This isn't even just with Arcs, but with a lot of 1st time plays on a new game. Although player conflict games with luck involved probably suffer even more from this. Sloppy but pacy plays are so much fun.