Escape the News: Games to Distract you… arcs - conflict and collapse in the reach
Welcome to our new series, designed to help distract you from the nonstop onslaught of eye-watering chaos we call the news. Instead, we heartily recommend you grab some whisky, and launch into battle for mystical and alien realms. Check back at noon every day this week for another game and whisk(e)y recommendation!
Arcs in action! Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com
The art in Arcs is amazing.
Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com
Arcs: Conflict and Collapse in the Reach is a sci-fi 4X(ish) wargame of area control, bombarding planets, executing daring raids, wooing the imperial court, and declaring your ambitions loudly and in public, daring the other players to stop you in your ascent to the throne. It is a game simultaneously and consistently tense, tactical, and truculent, throwing players into head-to-head competition for the resources needed to win. The presentation, especially the art, is top-tier and players won’t be disappointed to see this laid out on their table. (Note: we earn a commission from the affiliate link at no additional cost to you.)
Each player in Arcs takes on the role of a Leader of a civilization within a particularly nasty corner of the galaxy known only as The Reach. These civilizations are armed only with unique lore, special cards that grant different powers on top of a Leader’s own abilities to create a unique and highly replayable combination of possibilities.
We at W&W could wax poetic about Arcs for a good long while, but will leave you with this: two key mechanics that earn Arcs your precious shelf space:
Laphroaig Lore is.a W&W favorite.
Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com
First, Arcs is driven by a core trick-taking(ish) mechanism that determines what actions a player can take and how strong they are when taken. This mechanism speaks to the heart of what makes Arcs so unique, forcing players to have both a strategic direction about how they are going to go about scoring points as well as a tactical flexibility necessitated by a hand of cards that may not give you the exact actions you would prefer on any given round.
Second is the way players score points - they must publicly declare, on their turn, which (if any) of the game’s five Ambitions they are trying to achieve. Think of Ambitions like Objectives in other games, which direct players to amass or secure the most of some resource…or trophies from combat. Once declared, that player is eligible to score the Ambition, but it is not a guarantee of points. Further, only 3 of the 5 Ambitions could be declared in a given round! I don’t know about you, but this all has me reaching for a good drink.
So what should you pair with this deeply lore-driven game?
We suggest Laphroaig Lore: The Richest of the Rich, a smoky, deep blend of Laphroaig whiskies that brings together all the best of the distillery’s offerings. Every sip unearths a new part of the Laphroaig story, just like every card you play in Arcs advances your faction’s trajectory across the stars. Though it has no age statement, every bottle of Lore contains whiskies young and old, spanning the spectrum from 7 to 21 years and a variety of finishes.
This is a dram to dwell on… savoring the smoky, sea spray essence, the vanilla nose, the deep chocolate taste, and the lingering finish as you plot your next move. Just don’t take too long- no one likes a slow player!
