Arcs Board Game Review

Where to begin with Arcs. It’s a question I think I’ve asked with every single Leder Games title we have reviewed in the past few months, but I’m saying it yet again. There is something different and grand about Leder Games titles that you need to play to appreciate. Written words, YouTube videos, those are great. But actually holding the pieces and taking the turns is the best way to know whether a Leder Games experience is right for you. That, however, would be a very expensive “test” so we do our best to put pen to paper and explain to you why Arcs is one of the best releases of 2024, if you are willing to invest.

If you read my review of Oath a few months ago, you’ll think that perhaps you are having some deja-vu. And you would be correct, because we said the exact same thing about Oath. The more you put into the game, the more you will get out of the game. It was true for Oath, and it is true for Arcs as well.

There are good and bad things about being a board game reviewer. The bad is when you have to play a bad game multiple times to write a review, only to tell people it’s bad. The good is that when you think a game is bad, you are basically required to play it again and again to make sure that feeling is right. And for me, the feeling was wrong.

Arcs is at its core a tactical war game that you will play over a specific number of chapters. During each chapter, players will play numbered and suited cards from their hand that will potentially provide them a number of actions based on the card type played, which could range from moving ships, building stations, defeating enemies, and perhaps influencing cards that can be collected, capturing rival agents in the process.

Scoring points in Arcs is based on objectives, which will be declared each round and then fought over by the players. These objectives are Tycoon, Tyrant, Warlord, Keeper, and Empath. These all equate to various actions you can take, and are scored when the chapter is over.

That is the most basic of overviews, and worth noting that there is so much more to discover within this game. That being said, each round within the chapter begins with the lead player – the player with initiative – plays a lead card from their hand. This card will determine the suit that others will need to follow.

Each card has a number, the higher the number the better chance you will hold on to, or take initiative, but the less actions you’ll be able to take. And vice-versa for the lower cards, more actions, less chance you win the trick taking mini game. How you play these cards and when you play these cards has a big impact on the game, and really drives what you will do chapter to chapter. This is what drives each chapter, but with bonus actions from cards, the ability to go off suite to perform different actions, and more, there are tons of ways to manipulate the game to get what you need done.

It seems that the hot thing to do in 2024 is rag on Arcs. I’d be a millionaire if I got a dollar for each time I read, “I played Arcs and I thought it was overrated.” How many times did you play Arcs? Did you play Arcs correctly? Who did you play Arcs with? Did you play Arcs correctly? All the things I asked myself when I also said in my head, “This game is overrated.”

So I played again, and again, and again. And the more I invested into the world Arcs was building, the more enjoyment I got out of it. I’m not saying you should force yourself to play a bad game until you think it’s good. But Arcs isn’t a bad game, so that isn’t what I’m saying here. Arcs is brilliant, from the turn-to-turn flow to the way things play out on the board. It all makes sense, and once you understand how it works, the experience becomes so much more enjoyable.

At this point, this should be expected from a Leder Games title. I’m shocked that people still think it makes sense to invest in Leder Games and expect to be blown away after one play. Some people will be blown away, but I would argue many more are going to be left scratching their heads. I was, and I consider myself a seasoned, veteran board game player.

At this point we are 500 words in and you are sitting and reading my eloquent – I hope? – discourse on Arcs and all you want to know is – how the hell do you play this game? Nope, this isn’t the time, nor is it the place. I’ve linked above to the Meeple University video on how to play Arcs. If you want to really understand, put a pin in this article, watch that video, and then come back.

You are back? Good. So if you learned nothing from a 27 minute How to Play video, hopefully you at least picked up on this – Arcs has a ton going on, and at times its going to be crazy, at times you might feel like the game is crumbling around you, and then you have the glorious moment of triumph. That’s Arcs. So many low-lows, so many high-highs – it’s all about managing those in game moments and preparing for what’s coming next.

It’s the decision space within the game that gets me excited to get this to the table again and again. Deciding whether I want to win the mini trick-taking experience, or maximize my potential actions. Do I want to go first? Do I want to move units? Do I want to build? When is the right time to engage in combat?

These decisions are present to you each and every turn, and pulling the trigger on specific actions at specific times, and seeing the fruits of those decisions is mesmerizing. Few games in the last few years have given me that sense of accomplishment and sheer excitement when a move I made a few turns back pays off. One of those games was Oath, the other is Arcs. It’s just a coincidence they both come from the same company, right?

Wrong. At this point, Leder Games has such a good reputation in my mind, and in the mind of my gaming group, that anything they release is a must own or a must play. And until we are burned, probably more than once, we know what to expect when a Leder Games title crosses our gaming table, and my review desk – deep experiences, tons of player interaction, unique ideas and mechanisms, and a world that begs to be explored and researched.

At this point, I’m not sure if I have accurately detailed how much I enjoy Arcs, but in case it hasn’t been clear – I love this experience, and everything that it offers. It offers a lot, and there is a lot that players are going to need to invest in.

Time to learn the rules, time to learn strategies, time to learn what cards are worth having and what cards are not. This is not a one-and-done board game experience, because I’d argue that you most likely will walk away disappointed. It is possible that Arcs is not going to be for you, and that’s OK. But one of two things is going to be true: 1) Leder Games titles, in general, are not for you; or 2) You just are not willing to put in the effort required to maximize your entertainment benefits.

Neither of those two things are wrong or bad, and you are still an OK person if you feel that way. But if you love a great, grandiose experience with tons of player interactions, themes, mechanics (tableau building, trick taking, area control…), and so much more, I think Arcs could be the game for you. And at the price, and how much game it could provide to you and your gaming group, it might just be one of the better games you purchase this year.