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Ever dreamed of climbing the social ladder and rubbing elbows with royalty? In League of Six, you step into the boots of an ambitious noble, crisscrossing the land to collect taxes for the King. It’s no small task; your rivals are just as determined to outshine you! Only the most successful tax collector will be rewarded with a coveted seat at the King’s table. Will you claim the throne’s right-hand spot, or be left in the dust of your competitors?
👥 2-6 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 90 minutes
📝 Designer: Vladimír Suchý
🎨 Artwork: Jindřich Pavlásek
🏢 Publisher: Dino Toys (review copy provided)
Gameplay Overview
Over six rounds, you’ll scheme, strategize, and outmaneuver your opponents to prove yourself as the wealthiest noble of all. Each round begins with players choosing a town to collect taxes from. Placing your wagon in an empty city is simple; you park it at 0 on the guard counter. But things heat up when you set your sights on a city already claimed by another player. To compete for that spot, you’ll need to offer more guards than they did.
Here’s where things get interesting: your opponent can either accept your offer, taking your guards as payment, or they can double down and raise the stakes. This back-and-forth continues until one of you relents. The winner pays up and secures the city, while the loser must move their wagon to another town, potentially sparking a fresh standoff with someone else. Fancy a peaceful round? Not likely! Even moving through towns comes with a cost in guards.
Once every player has locked in their city, the real work begins. In reverse player order, you get to reposition that city’s tax tile to maximize your gains. Slide it one way or another to rake in resources like goods, guards, and horses. When you’re happy with your haul, you claim the tile for yourself and also gain the depicted ongoing benefit of the tile from then on.
Those horses you’ve collected? They’re about to come in handy. Depending on the number of horses each player has, everyone receives a team of horses to pull their carriage. Players then take turns, starting with the player who has the most horses, to choose a warehouse row. If you have goods that match the requirements of the chosen row, you fill as many spaces as possible. The next player(s) do the same for the selected row. For each space filled, players earn points. If a row is completely filled, the player who selected it also earns a bonus; either extra points or estate cards, depending on the value of the row. Estate cards contribute to endgame scoring, with players competing for majorities across three different symbols featured on the cards.
Once the dust settles, it’s time for a quick cleanup phase. New tax tiles are added to cities, horse teams are returned, and a fresh round kicks off. The final rounds (five and six) up the stakes with tax tiles that grant endgame points based on specific conditions. After six rounds of competition, players tally their scores, counting points from tax tiles marked with a laurel wreath and their collected estate cards. The noble with the highest score claims the title of the King’s new right-hand.
Game Info
League of Six: Complete Edition is a eurogame that comes from the mind of Vladimír Suchý, a name that might ring a bell if you’re into strategic modern board games. His portfolio includes hits like Underwater Cities, Praga Caput Regni, and Pulsar 2849. Fun fact: League of Six was his debut design, first hitting tables in 2007, followed by the Loyal Retinue expansion a year later.
Now, thanks to the Czech publisher Dino Toys, we have a refreshed version that combines the base game with its expansion, while also introducing a new two-player mode featuring automated opponents. This edition is tailored for 2–6 players and clocks in at around 90 minutes, though the exact playtime can vary based on how competitive your group gets. For a eurogame, it plays relatively quickly and stands out with its above-average player interaction, especially with its bidding mechanics. While the game works with two, we’d recommend playing with at least four players to enjoy its dynamic interplay fully. After all, what’s the fun of a good tax war if you don’t have plenty of opponents to outbid?
Components, Production, and Artwork
Opening the box reveals a nice array of components: sturdy cardboard tiles, cleanly designed boards, wooden pieces for players, and colorful goods cubes. Everything is practical and easy to use. While it doesn’t dazzle with flashy or extravagant components, everything is designed with functionality in mind, which is perfect for a game where the mechanics take center stage.
The updated artwork by Jindřich Pavlásek complements the theme beautifully. It’s clear and practical, with an intuitive iconography system that makes the game easy to follow. One of our friends who played the original version frequently did comment that this updated design feels a little less charming compared to the older edition. While that’s a matter of personal taste, it’s worth noting for those nostalgic for the original version’s design.
Gameplay
At its heart, League of Six offers medium-weight gameplay that is both engaging and accessible. While some mechanics might initially seem unconventional for modern eurogames, they start to click after a couple of rounds, and you’ll soon find the flow quite smooth.
The core mechanics revolve around bidding for the right to collect taxes in cities, as well as transporting and storing goods. Bidding wars bring out the best (and worst!) in players, with plenty of opportunities to bluff, outbid, or force your rivals into tough decisions. Turn order shifts dynamically based on actions like bidding and resource use, meaning you’ll constantly need to adjust your strategy.
As you gather resources, you’ll store them in rows in warehouses. Fully filling a row grants valuable bonuses, such as estate cards or extra points. Keeping track of your opponents’ resources can give you an edge here, as you might strategically block their plans while bolstering your own. Nothing says teamwork like sabotaging someone else’s carefully crafted storage strategy. Players also collect estate cards throughout the game, vying for majorities that will determine endgame scoring. Watching what your opponents grab is just as important as building your own sets
Replayability and Player Interaction
Player interaction starts right from the city selection phase. Each player must end up in a different city, but getting there often means bidding against others for the prime spots. These bidding battles are one of the highlights of the game, with plenty of room for clever plays and unexpected turns.
Even during the storage phase, interaction remains strong. Players must work together to fill warehouse rows, whether they like it or not. Watching your opponents’ resources is key, as you can disrupt their plans or claim bonuses that they were eyeing. The blend of cooperation and competition adds a special vibe that’s rare in eurogames.
The randomness in setup each round keeps the game fresh. Tax tiles are distributed randomly, and the special endgame tiles from rounds five and six are known from the start but shuffled before use. These tiles can provide one-time powers or ongoing bonuses, and their order can significantly influence strategies.
Scalability
The number of towns available changes with the player count, bringing a bit of variability to each session. While the game includes a two-player mode with automated opponents, we believe League of Six truly shines with higher player counts. More players mean more interaction and more opportunities to outwit your friends. After all, why settle for outsmarting just one rival when you can dominate an entire table?
Final Thoughts
What makes League of Six special for is how all game mechanics tie together beautifully. The rules aren’t overly complex, and there aren’t endless exceptions to memorize, yet the game delivers plenty of depth through its mechanics and player interaction.
The competitive nature of the game can feel a bit harsh at times, like when your carefully gathered resources end up fueling someone else’s row bonus, but even in those moments, you’re still earning points. It’s the kind of game that rewards forward planning while keeping you on your toes with ever-changing dynamics.
While it’s technically playable with fewer players, we found that the game really comes into its own with four or more. The added interaction enhances the experience and creates those memorable moments that keep you coming back. If you enjoy eurogames with high interaction, strategic decision-making, and just a touch of player-driven chaos, this one is worth the try.
📝 We received a review copy of the game from the publisher, Dino Toys.
