Root creator’s next board game, Arcs, will feature a two-player mode

Arcs, the next board game from the creator of Root – Cole Wehrle – will feature a two-player mode.

In an update on the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign page for the upcoming board game, Wehrle revealed that they had been working on designing a two-player game mode for Arcs. Though Arcs’ core game is intended to support between three to four players, Wehrle decided to conjure up a version that would enable a couple of people to play it.

Despite having focused on the core three to four player mode up to this point, Wehrle started devising a two-player game mode that turned out “very well”. In the update, Wehrle explains that the two-player mode will not require an automated player – wherein a non-existent players’ moves are decided by an automated series of actions and reactions – but will see players making a few adjustments to the game.

Firstly, the two-player mode will Arcs has players restricting the map’s size, then altering how cards are drawn and finally changing how players acquire resources and score points. Rather than shuffling the game’s deck every round, the players will need to exhaust the deck before being able to shuffle – which will allow players to move through the deck in a pace that better suits only having two players interacting with it.

The merchant gameplay mechanic added to the game through the two-player mode will see players attempting to influence a fictional figure in order to change the thresholds for scoring objectives, which will make obtaining points a little more difficult but less complicated than an automated player. Wehrle also confirmed that the two-player mode would work alongside Arcs’ campaign, enabling players to experience a consecutive number of games whose elements will be influenced by the previous ones.

Arcs is a space-themed board game that has players scoring points by fulfilling various public and secret objectives. Players begin the game as space-explorers in a universe populated by various strange species, technology and worlds. Throughout the game, players will be able to construct buildings, upgrade their respective spaceships, gather resources and wage war on their opponents. Many of Arcs’ actions require players to obtain resources that can be found on the various planets on the game’s map.

Every round will have one player ‘leading’ by placing a card from their hand onto the table. The actions that player can perform will depend on the card’s suit, with the order of play being determined by the number listed on the card. Players who are able to beat the leader’s number will have a choice to perform a different action listed on the card, whilst players who have to play a card of a different suit will need to do the same action as the leader. Combat is decided by power level provided by the number of ships on each side and the result of a dice roll.

Besides designing Arcs and Root, Wehrle is also responsible for creating Oath – a board game about vying for political power in a fantasy kingdom – and the likes of Pax Pamir: Second Edition and John Company: Second Edition. Leder Games is the publisher behind Arcs, as well as the aforementioned Root and Oath.

Arcs is currently in an ‘early access’ stage of development, with updated versions of the board game being released in the next month and full retail versions coming further down the line. Late Pledges for the title are still open on Kickstarter.