Arcs is more than just a board game – it’s a Star Wars TTRPG in disguise
Critically acclaimed sci-fi board game Arcs is a great way to spend an afternoon. However, thanks to the Leaders & Lore Pack, our gaming group wove a dramatic space opera worthy of a Star Wars TTRPG.
At its most basic level, Arcs is a symmetrical strategy game where players compete to achieve galactic ambitions by building cities, reaping resources and waging interstellar war. However, thanks to the character and narrative impetus contained within the Arcs: Leaders & Lore Pack, the game wound up offering an unfolding, player-driven space-opera worthy of the best Star Wars board games.
With Leaders & Lore, each player selects one of a cavalcade of different faction leaders, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Crucially, these attributes almost always tell a story. For instance, the Rebel leader gets bonuses in battle due to their dedicated followers, but suffers penalties to moving their ships due to the disorganised nature of the rebellion. Meanwhile, the tyrannical Overseer can damage their cities to extort additional taxes from the scared populace, but have a slightly smaller pool of ships and agents since they’re reviled by the galaxy at large.
Our most recent game saw the Overseer and the Rebel face off. Soon, a narrative took shape. Guided by their buffs and debuffs, the players began to embody their chosen roles. The Overseer expanded rapidly, choking out cities to extract resources. All the while, the Rebel launched daring, small-scale raids into enemy territory. Despite introducing only a relatively minor mechanical change, these Leader cards had given us just the nudge we needed to begin telling the story of a plucky underdog battling it out with a tyrant.
In a manner reminiscent of the best TTRPGs, players at the table even began to roleplay, telling a winding tale of political intrigue, space battles and resource wars which put us all in mind of Star Wars at its best.
If you’re looking to start a grand narrative of your own, come join us in the Wargamer Discord community.
