Arcs

Arcs is a sharp, tactical space opera game set in a dark yet silly universe. Players represent officials from a distant, decaying and neglectful Empire who are now free to vie for dominance whether through battle, gathering scarce resources or diplomatic intrigue. Ready yourself for dramatic twists and turns as you launch into this galactic struggle.

Leder Games are mostly known for two things: Kyle Ferrin's trademark whimsical art style, and their love of 4-letter titles for their games! Arcs is what happens when Cole Wehrle (the designer of the incredible, asymmetric wargame Root among others) decides to get in on the latest craze of reimagining classic game mechanics (trick-taking, in this case) and commits to an epic space opera played out over 3 Acts. During the kickstarter some of the backers suggested that they might actually prefer a lighter, standalone game, so the campaign was split into Arcs itself, and the meatier, much richer and more complex Blighted Reach expansion. (I haven't yet managed to pull a group who knows Arcs together for a full day to play through the campaign... what is it with 4X games set in space that require a full day to play? *cough* Twilight Imperium *cough*)

Combining Trick-Taking (Hearts, 500, Euchre) with space exploration, dice rolling in combat and resource management, Arcs is a game that really sings and will reward multiple plays as deeper strategy becomes apparent.

Perfect for: Amateur galactic emperors who know what trump suits are, and know that a single hand isn't the whole game

Complexity: 3.42/5 (4.5/5 With the Blighted Reach)

If you like this, try: Origin Story, Dune: Imperium