Löwenherz

About this board game

Löwenherz is a 1997 board game for 2–4 players, with a playing time of about 90 minutes, in which rival princes compete to dominate a kingdom and secure the throne.

The game unfolds across a board made from six tiles randomly placed inside a frame, creating a different landscape from one game to the next. Each player begins with three castles, making the board crowded from the start. By building walls, players shape kingdoms and claim territory, while trained knights help defend their holdings.

On every turn, an action card is revealed showing three possible actions. Players choose in turn by playing a card marked 1, 2, or 3, corresponding to the action they want. With three actions available and four players ideally competing, someone is always left without their preferred choice.

• Action selection: Choose among three actions revealed each turn.
• Territory control: Build walls to create kingdoms and capture land.
• Defence: Train knights to protect your expanding domains.
• Conflict: Negotiate when players select the same action, or resolve the dispute with a duel if no agreement is reached.

This action-selection system creates constant tension, especially when players converge on the same option. Negotiation can settle the matter, but refusal to compromise leads to a duel, making every choice a potential confrontation.

With its crowded map, shifting opportunities, and high-conflict struggle for land, Löwenherz combines area control with a strong negotiation element. It is often regarded as the third game in a thematic trilogy alongside Entdecker and Catan, and its contested kingdom offers a distinctly interactive contest for power.