The review kinda left it ambiguous if Tom liked the game or not

Oh god, Tom, your superpower is making me buy four-letter board games.

For future reference, if anyone has a really long video and then there's a second part and they want me to watch the second part, ending part one with "and it gets weirder" will 100% do the job every time.

BUT DO YOU LIKE IT?

A vanishingly small number of American viewers will have the first idea what "a stick of rock" is, let alone what the hell Tom's use of it in a tortured metaphor could possibly mean. As a public service: Rock is a Britishism for a specific kind of hard candy similar to what Americans would call a peppermint stick. Originally called Blackpool Rock (or, for you Graham Greene fans, Brighton Rock) based on whatever resort town sold it. The difference between rock and peppermint sticks is twofold: first, rock is quite a bit thicker, maybe twice the diameter of a peppermint stick. Second, the candy is made so that in cross-section, it has a design - for instance, the letters BLACKPOOL ROCK. The design runs the length of the stick, so that wherever you break it, the design's visible. As with millefiori, which uses a very similar production technique, only for glass. (Millefiori: also a Reiner Knizia board game. Onward.) Hence: "dramatically lopsided games that have an asymmetry running through them like a stick of rock...though it would have to be a really _wide_ stick of rock to fit the word "asymmetry" through it, you know?"

If I had a nickel for every 30+ min Leder Games review from Tom where he said their new game is his favourite of all time, I’d have two nickels, etc etc. In all seriousness though, I’m super happy to see this game deliver on its promises!

Thank you for drawing attention to the Kyle Ferrin Artwork Klaxon. It's always going off at my house and my children are so tired.

SUSD this is a call to come and visit the Twin Cities the birthplace of both Arcs & Earthborne Rangers!

We played our first 3-player game (non-campaign) last week and it blew us away. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. My personal game of the year (at least until I get Earthborne Rangers in my hands - then we'll see)

Played through 2 acts of the campaign last weekend. After first game, we all said, "Well that was kind of interesting...but I can't quite see where this is going". After the second game where planets were being obliterated, space mushrooms were being befriended, and one player was desperately trying to hold together the crumbling empire while the rest of us gleefully pushed the metaphorical head of the drowning empire underwater while also somehow paying taxes into it we all realized, "Ah...this is not what I thought it was going to be at all." In the best way. Cole, Kyle, and Leder Games have done it again.

You know it’s serious when the cards are sleeved. 😅

IT IS SO GOOD! The designers learned everything they could from making Root and Oath and combined the best parts of both to create a Ti4 sized experience in half the rules and double the convenience. A masterstroke.

who the fuck has friends who will play the same board game 40 times in a month??!! must be nice

The one thing I hate about kickstarter games, is hearing about them after the campaign has already ended. I look forward to getting this at retail though.

Arcs is brilliant. But it is NOT straightforward. Like many Leder games, it approaches a genre that is well trodden (such as space game) and turns everything on its head (by making action selection into a trick taking game). I think grokking the mechanics of the game takes a game at least for most people. This is mostly because not only is the shared rulespace between space game and trick taking game is basically 0 (knowing how to play the Crew is only half the battle!), but also that Arcs doesn't do almost anything else like other Space games either. Control is based on fully repaired ships, but damaged ships still have guns. Combat is based entirely on the aggressor, but can cause tremendous backlash for those who are not cautious enough. Victory points are based on who controls what resources (in a very limited pool of resources) at any given time. You might even run out of ships or agents if the relevant scoring hasn't happened in a few turns. Everything works together, but how it works together is absolutely unlike any other game you've played.

I’ve had the game out on my kitchen table since it came in the mail. I just enjoy looking at it. I’m nearly to the point I’m going to put a sign in the yard telling strangers to come in and play with me.

Holy shit I remember when the Oath review dropped it’s been 3 years 😳

If Tom doesn't eat a raw onion in the part two we riot.

“This game will please absolutely everyone” (Two minutes later) “You can’t play peacefully”

I taught this game to someone who got a bit on edge that the attacker makes all the decisions in combat. At first, I didn't understand why it seemed to sit ill with him, but then he explained that it felt like some of the perceived gaming agency he had been accustomed to, trained to in most other board games had been taken from him. I wonder how particular that is, but if that's something that might bother you or your gamer pal, too, just a thing to put on radars: the attacker makes all combat decisions in base Arcs, including choosing which defending units were hit/destroyed when the dice rolls need to be doled out. In this and many ways (said video above), it turns the formula on its head.

LETS GOOOOOOO! Hyped for Blighted Reach video, was lucky enough to be apart of the playtesting team I hope everyone enjoys it!!

Tom is such a great barometer for games I should not purchase. This review really helped me understand what Arcs is and why I shouldn't get it. I genuinely appreciate that.

Somewhere in Minneapolis, Cole and the Leder team are watching this review and all of the great work making this masterpiece is being validated. Almost officially.

"There's just so much game in this individual system" hell yeah, that's better than the other way around

Well thats arks being out of stock literally everywhere :D

SUSD's review arrived before my copy 😭

@13:05 casually putting these specific BGG users on blast. I'm here for it.

This is amazing, Tom! The atmosphere you create, the music, the beautiful shots of the game. I really like the sincere reviewing interspersed with silly bits to keep our attention. More sustainable for you to make but still informative and a joy to watch ❤

The satisfactory music as background music! what the hell!!!! I got sooo messed up because I was like... what?! (7:58 for anyone wondering)

I get that this game may be genius, but I can't shake the feeling that I, personally, would hate Arcs but adore Oath. Which I still need to get my grubby little hands on to try.

THE REVIEW IS HERE? AND ITS TWO PARTS? Tom is cooking

Was expecting the classic mid review turnaround 'BUT' to close out the video but that ending made me even more interested

I actually prefer Cole’s Wehrlegig games (Pax Pamir, John Company, etc) to his Leder stuff. But Root is still a Top 10 game for me. I basically worship at the altar of Cole’s game designs.

*wipes tears away with a Fuel Cartel card* It's beautiful!!!! 😭

Do I sense a "Dharma Initiative Orientation Video"-style format when explaining resources? Fantastic video.

"It's like trying to wrestle an eel. An eel that hates you. Probably hates you because you're trying to wrestle it. Why are you trying to wrestle it? What's wrong with you?" ... "They're just questions, Leon... It's a test designed to provoke an emotional response."

It's about time. I've only been able to play three games… 1 2 player, 1 3 player, and 1 4 player, but it is captivating. I always leave the game thinking about each chapter, wondering what I could have done to be more efficient.

Thank you SUSD for inevitably knocking “The Dick Sits” off of the top of the BGG hot list with this video

The asymmetry of the Leaders and Lore stuff reminds me a lot of Cosmic Encounter, which is a favourite in my family. Can't wait to get my hands on Arcs

Colour me fuckin' stoked. Spent the afternoon unboxing and prepping my copy for a cottage trip. Thanks for the awesome vid!

I fully expected Arcs to be a masterclass in game design. But I never expected it would overtake Root as my favorite game of all time.

I was not sure about buying Arcs once it got to retail...until this review. The thing that gets me most excited about Arcs is all of the absolutely beautiful reviews packed so full of emotion and narrative. And this is the best of those reviews by far. Can not wait for part 2!

There is a very big question that this review raises for me. Tom is saying this is a game that gives something for everyone, and suffers nothing from it. But everything that he is highlighting in the video seems to indicate that Arcs requires a careful attuning and learning how combos and strategies work, understanding how the context of interaction of other player action should affect your plans. This kind of game tends to review stable gaming groups where proficiency with a game develops roughly equally within the group. If you say a game "has something for everyone", and is the "best game of 2024", without specifying "for experienced gamers", the game should be one that allows a mix of older and newer players to sit down and have fun. However, I would imagine, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that an experienced player of Arcs will have a significant advantage over a new player, and it would be clear during the game. That said, if the gameplay itself is satisfying enough, a newer player might still feel relevant in the game, and enjoy the mechanics and interactions. I'm reminded of playing a cube draft in Magic: the Gathering, which could be said to be one of the most challenging puzzles in the game, as every draft, you need to create a functional deck based on the synergies and powers that come your way, and then be able to make use of them in an optimal way as you play. Knowing the cards well gives you an enormous advantage, but the puzzle of the cards themselves, and opportunities to mix and match cards you like can be fun even if you are less experienced (and end up losing each match anyway). I guess TL;DR, I would have wanted a bit more talk about how the game works when playing with players of various level of experience with the game, or even gaming in general. How accessible and clear is it? Does it meet the "easy to learn, hard to master" sweet spot?

I am (I guess similarly to Tom) Werhle pilled. John Company, Oath and now Arcs are absolutely in my top shelf games in the board gaming space. Just fantastic game design and development all around with a big ol' BUT - they take such a specific mindset to really engage with and appreciate, so it's very easy (and understandable) for folks to bounce off them if it's not the style of game they are looking for. I'm glad that Arcs is the most accessible as it has the core design foundations that interest me (unreliable planning, emergent narrative, some campaign elements that aren't permanently destroying game pieces). Anyway, looking forward to the 2nd part of this vid (I say, while still watching this'n).

Great review. Really captures what an unexpectedly elegant game that Arcs turned out to be. So happy I backed.

So, let me ARCS you a question...

This review may have taken awhile to come out, but boy was it worth it. Just wish I had more friend to play it with.

i skimmed this the other day and saw this in store yesterday and immediately invested. i was genuinely shocked at how affordable the box and the lore/legends addition was im so excited to play. coming back around to make sure i have the gameplay down before i host a game. i love yalls work, i got the vibes immediately and just know this will be a hit. Thank you for all this great work you do to help us sort out which games we want! the last few games i got were all susd recommended and theyve all been hits.

Empahis on tactics means snowballing, turtling to hoard and slowly advancing a tech tree gets replaced by more fast and conflict driven play. Reacting on your feet instead of researching grand strategy before the game even begins. Love it!

I pre-ordered Arcs after watching your Patreon-only First Thoughts on it. I had the opportunity to play it this past weekend after a Twilight Imperium Session. His intro is not hyperbole, it is one of the best, if not, the best board game ever made. There is so much more to explore and I cannot wait for my copy to arrive in September.

Awesome review Tomy can't wait for part 2! On a sidenotey what music did ya'll use in this one? I've definetly identified satisfactory, and maybe citizen sleeper so far....

I'm gonna finish the video first but from that intro I'm very sold that I want this game. I haven't bought a board game in about a year because I'm pretty reserved about adding new things to my collection but this seems like the exception and it doesn't play like anything I have. I also really like this art style for a scifiish game. It almost feels like it could fall into any genre and is close to minimalist but still beautiful

Is the feel of this game something like Eclipse meets Inis?

Arcs is the game that finally pushed me over the "the churn" line. I'm sick of not getting to replay favorite games because I feel guilty about the new game sitting on my shelf. I want to rip Arcs apart and know every nook and cranny of that box. I sold dozens of games in the last few weeks. I'm much happier now. Thanks Leder. You've made me a happier gamer.

I've only played the base game a couple times so far, but I think what it addressed in Cole's designs from Root and Oath (snappier turns, clear journey arcs -haha-) that you point out, particularly applied to grand strategy space games, is what I think I love MOST about this. I'm a play fast kind of board gamer and I think that --finally-- aligns well here

Holy shit what a beautiful review - thanks for the wonderful insight, this really helped me understand the idea behind Arcs and the massive potential it holds.

Played this game last week and really enjoyed it. I can't wait to play it a few more times now that I know how it works.

what? a leder games game with aggressive dice? is the sun still hot? I bet it is but the flavors man.... I wanna taste them now

I must admit I was very close to being put off when you described one of the key ingredients as being "trick taking", but thankfully it seems to only have a small amount of that DNA. I'm very intrigued by this one! I'll probably pick this up over TI as my first proper 'space game'.

I'm sold on this! Oath is my favorite game of all time, so this should fit nicely in my collection.

The 2 versions of Vast are still my favorite Leder games. I owned Root and Oath, kept Root for awhile, and Oath for a single game before selling them both. I had backed this but then pulled out as it was very uninspiring in its earlier stages of the campaign. Between your video here, and a local friend likely bringing it to a meetup, I'll have to give a try, and ascertain how well it works for us.

Classic Tom! Can't keep him from monopolizing and then subsequently drinking-all-of the fuel in the Reach! Boy loves his diesel!!!

I wish this review had a section at the end: who won't like this game. Is SUSD leaving this format?

Really does seem like a lot of fun :D thank you for the review

Looks awesome ! I hope they plan to release a french version of the game !

Excellent B-roll framing and on point editing as always. Definitely a game I need to see if my friends who enjoy this kind of game would be interested in.

The first versions of the map was almost enough to scare me from backing the game. The final map on the other hand is absolutely gorgeous in my opinion and I can't wait for my Kickstarter copy to arrive!

Great review Tom. I feel I could tell from your description that it is not my group's cup of tea, despite having some interesting mechanisms. Which is important to convey, even in a review that's as glowingly positive as this one.

BEST wow, that's the highest praise. I guess I'll need to try it out.

That intro and I'm like "Is this a bit?" :)

Tom your point about games feeling temporary or disposable couldn't be more will timed for me. 3 minute board game reviews recently spoke about this feeling and it struck me, now here you are repeating it. Even though the games we own physically last a lifetime or longer they seem to expire in our awareness. Buy the new thing, maybe play it twice, put it on the shelf for 3 years and then sell or trade. Novelty is more valued than mastery when consumerism runs the hobby. I'm hoping that Arcs can challenge that, at least in my group.

How important would you deem the language of the game? Trying to decide if I need this asap and preorder it in english or wait for the inevitable language release quite some time down the line. Me and my playgroup are quite capable in english but playing in your own language always is a bit more chill.

Seems like an intriguing game,but looks like a beast to teach.

Loved this! Can't wait for Part 2

Alright alright im sold. I'll try playing the game with my group lol

Yet another game I'd love to play that I know won't fit in my group

Looking forward to it ♥️ love you guys, stay true 🍻

There seems to be more el grande in this box than I anticipated

The VHS style Resourses and You bit was dope

I didn’t expect ‘technically difficult’ to make me laugh so much

Tom, why have you stolen my favourite jacket? Give it back! Looking sharp though.

Show us the tier list!

And there was much rejoicing!

I’ve only played it once so far (and not the campaign) but it’s already among my favorites

I enjoyed this review, and personally, I too love this game. For a Leder two player experience, we find Ahoy is quite good. We have not tried Root at two player with the hirelings…yet.

Did I see some "the crew" cards at one point? Hilarious!

40 games? Brah!

Darn, this looks soooo awesome! But I really hope I can figure out a way to play this solo...

Oh you can't do this to me

A lot of this made me think of cosmic encounter with just a little more structure to hang things off.

Just ordered from your review. I'm stoked to play it.

A question for those that played Arcs (please only people who actually played): Does it, on average, feel like the winner is the person that played and maneuvered the best, or is it mainly decided by dice and big risks succeeding/failing?

If I couldn't learn to love or at least like Oath, should I still give Arcs a shot? I really was disappointed that in Oath one could merely be a king maker instead of classically win the game by making clever moves.

I'm awaiting Tom's thoughts in Part2, but would like to share a comment here for this excellent review. Comparing the "index space games" at the beginning of this video, TI4 is merely augmented by Prophecy of Kings expansion content rather than significantly transformed by it. This is why I think that the "expansion" label for the Blighted Reach content is a little bit of a misleading term, as the rule set and sequence of play creates a very distinct experience from the base game (perhaps akin to changing the engine in an old chassis- many things feel similar but the "ride" is different). Having said that, I would be hard-pressed to think of a more appropriate title other than "The Blighted Reach: A Campaign in the Arcs Universe".

Toms reviews are the best in the business

I own all but Oath from Leder and man...ARCS is by far their best. And I love love love Root, but this game is incredible.

Love this review and video. Well done. I haven’t been buying games in a while but this convinced me this game is worth it. Quick question, what sleeves are those that you are using ? Looks like a matte sleeve. Really trying to find a good set of sleeves that aren’t reflective. Thanks !

I'm honestly just so delighted to see Tom *beaming*

Not a game I was expecting to want to play, but you make it sound intriguing. My best interpretation so far would be "Scythe meets Brian Boru, with dice". My main issue there is the "with dice" part...

Only played once but I could feel the vast depths of complexity lurking beneath the surface sucking me in. 10/10 would become obsessed again.