The board gaming community has once again been captivated by Cole Wehrle, who is well-known for his inventive board game designs. His most recent Kickstarter, Arcs (2024), promises the same thematic richness and strategic depth that have come to characterize Wehrle’s previous ideas.
Let’s examine why Arcs is creating such a stir, contrast it with Wehrle’s earlier creations, and find out how to get it.
What is Arcs?
Arcs: Conflict & Collapse in the Reach is a strategy board game that takes place in a futuristic universe where players construct and grow their own intergalactic empires. The game combines narrative, exploration, and strategy components in an attractive package.
Players move politically, travel a dynamic cosmos, and make crucial choices that affect the future of their space-faring civilization.
Key Game Mechanics:
- Empire Building: There are several ways for players to advance their civilizations, such as via diplomacy, combat, and technological advancements. Because players must manage their expanding empires and balance their resources, the game promotes careful strategic planning.
- Dynamic Galaxy: Arcs features a randomly generated galaxy, so no two games are alike. With each game, this mechanic guarantees replayability and a different experience each time.
- Story-Driven Decisions: The game has narrative components where players can make decisions that influence the course of their empire’s history. Multiple endings and gameplay effects are possible with these decisions, which heightens the complexity and level of engagement.
- Player Interaction: Arcs places a strong emphasis on player interaction, whether it is through trade, alliances, or conflicts, much like Wehrle’s earlier games. Since player choices are dynamic, no two games are ever the same.
Comparison with Wehrle’s Previous Games
Wehrle’s games are known for being both narratively and technically engrossing. Prior works like Root (2018) and Pax Pamir (2015) demonstrate his ability to skillfully combine thematic storytelling with strategic depth.
- Root: Known for its asymmetric gameplay and deep strategy. Root introduced players to a woodland conflict with distinct factions, each with unique abilities and win conditions. Arcs opts for a simpler approach in its base game in the hopes of making the learning process easier for new players.
- Pax Pamir: A strategy game that emphasized political intrigue and historical narrative while focusing on political scheming in Afghanistan in the 19th century. While keeping the richness of the story, Arcs moves the action to a futuristic universe and mixes sci-fi elements with political and economic maneuvering.
Arcs builds on Wehrle’s tradition of complex and thematic gameplay but explores new territory with its space setting and procedural galaxy. The game promises to offer the same level of strategic richness and replayability that fans have come to expect from Wehrle.
The Blighted Reach
The Arcs campaign, available as an expansion rather than part of the base game, introduces a rich, narrative-driven experience spread across three distinct sessions.
This expansion makes the game much more asymmetrical. As players progress through the campaign, their empires evolve based on their actions and decisions. This can include changes in resources, technological advancements, and political influence.
Players progress through multiple chapters in each game, with unique objectives and narrative events that shape the overall story. Choices made during the campaign affect future scenarios, leading to different outcomes and multiple endings, which significantly enhances replayability.
The campaign also features legacy elements, where players’ actions have lasting effects on their empire’s development throughout the series of games. It differs slightly from the legacy systems in his previous game, Oath (2021), which incorporates story elements into a single, ongoing game experience with a persistent world that evolves based on the player’s actions to create a constantly changing game state that will impact each subsequent session.
Arcs focuses on a structured campaign spread over three sessions, with legacy elements that influence the story and empire development across these chapters. The legacy system in Arcs is designed to reflect the growth and development of players’ empires over the course of the campaign, influencing both gameplay and narrative outcomes.
This expansion allows for both competitive and cooperative play, providing a dynamic and evolving storyline that deepens the game’s strategic and thematic engagement.
Cost and Availability
Arcs is available for pre-order and is set to release in late September. Leder Games’ website has a $60 MSRP, though online retailers have pre-orders going for $48. The campaign expansion is listed on their website at $100 MSRP and on online retailers at $80.
Where to Get It:
- Local Game Stores: Check your local board game shops, which often offer pre-order options and might have “Kickstarter-exclusive” promotions. Always good to support your local game store!
- Online Retailers: Websites such as GameNerdz and Miniature Market carry Arcs. These platforms usually have discounts over MSRP and may offer Kickstarter exclusives.
- Publisher’s Website: Arcs’ publisher, Leder Games,sells the game directly through its website, where you might find additional information and exclusive content.
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Wehrle’s newest game showcases his interest in crafting highly strategic and compelling narratives. It looks to build on his previously explored mechanics while providing a new setting and intriguing gameplay experiences.