
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,549
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Royals
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2014

2008
Rules assistance for Heads of State
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Heads of State is a board game released in 2008 for 2–5 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Peter Hawes and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Area Majority / Influence.
A board game with nobles rising to power in the Provinces and the Royal courts of 16th-18th century Europe. There is a hierarchy of nobles and players compete to get the best nobles in each area to gain control of countries. Players collect sets of cards - like Gold, Troops, Dueling Skills, Titles, Castles, Bishop - to raise nobles in four European countries: England, France, Spain and the German States. There are different paths to victory: getting the first noble in as many provinces as possible, dominating a country, having a noble in every province and capital of a country, getting the full set of 7 different nobles first and having the most of each rank of noble at the end of the game. Treachery cards are played to remove opponent's nobles and replace them with your own line of nobles: methods include- the guillotine, Spanish Inquisition, the axeman, the gallows and assassinations.
Heads of State supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Heads of State is 90–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Heads of State for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Heads of State has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Heads of State belongs to these categories: Political, Age of Reason, and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Heads of State are: Peter Hawes. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Heads of State as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.