ARC: A Game About The End

A coliseum fighter rises to glory before falling to an opponent’s blade in the ring. A struggling portside town becomes a thriving hub of commerce before being absorbed by a nearby metropolis. A centuries old Redwood tree lives out its final days in solitude. 

What subject will you follow and how will the passage of time lead to its transformative end? 

The Game

ARC is a GM-less, cooperative storytelling game for 2-4 players where you narrate the dynamic story of a Subject of your choosing all the way up until the end of its lifespan. 

This Subject can be almost anything: a person, an inanimate object, or even an idea! Throughout the game, players take turns establishing their Subject’s hopes and dreams and then will decide as a group whether or not they come to pass. Each story is guaranteed to be fun, unique, and to make you contemplate your own mortality just a little bit!

The best part? The game is entirely component-less: all you need are the rules, your hands, and the ability to count to ten! Download the rules below and give it a try yourself.

Content Warning

ARC is a game about endings. A Subject's story won't always end in death per se, but that is a theme that is potentially explored during play. Please be mindful if that is something you would rather not engage with. 

The Designers

This game was originally designed for the Portland Indie Game Squad 2021 Tabletop Jam. Game design by Zak Eidsvoog and Ian Rickett, two best friends tragically forced to live in different west coast cities. Art and graphic design by Zak Eidsvoog.