Check Your 6!

Check Your 6! is a turn-based tactical air combat wargame set during World War II, specifically during the Battle of Britain. Players engage in strategic dogfights as either the British RAF or the German Luftwaffe, utilizing 14 different aircraft with unique strengths and weaknesses across 18 missions. The game features an AI that challenges players with tactical decisions, multiplayer options, and detailed historical accuracy, offering an immersive experience of aerial warfare.

Check Your 6!: Review

Introduction
“Check Your 6!” is a turn-based tactical air combat wargame that transports players to the skies over WWII Europe, specifically the Battle of Britain. Developed by Lordz Games Studio and published by Slitherine Ltd., this digital adaptation of the award-winning board game by Scott Fisher aims to capture the high-stakes, strategic essence of aerial dogfights. With its emphasis on pilot skill, realistic aircraft mechanics, and historical authenticity, the game promises a cerebral challenge for wargaming enthusiasts. Yet, despite its noble intentions, Check Your 6! emerges as a niche title—faithful to its roots but hampered by technical constraints and design choices that limit its broader appeal. This review dissects its legacy, mechanics, and cultural impact to determine its place in gaming history.

Development History & Context

Lordz Games Studio, known for titles like Panzer Corps, brought Check Your 6! to life in collaboration with board game creator Scott Fisher and a cadre of real-world pilots (including former USAF and USMC aviators). The board game, released in 2007, won the Origins Award for Best Historical Miniature Wargame, praised for its streamlined yet deep ruleset that mirrored the “man over machine” philosophy of combat aviation. The digital version, built on Unity and launched on March 15, 2018, faced a turbulent development landscape: the studio prioritized fidelity to the board game’s hex-and-counter system over modern graphical flourish, while the market was saturated with more accessible air combat titles like Wings of Glory. This choice constrained Check Your 6! to a niche audience already versed in tabletop wargaming, as its simultaneous movement plotting (WEIGO) and complex stat calculations demanded a steep learning curve.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Check Your 6! eschews traditional narrative in favor of scenario-driven gameplay. Its 18 single-player missions and two short campaigns (Axis/Allied) are based on historical engagements, such as the Battle of Britain and the Battle of France. Each mission concludes with a text blurb detailing the real-life outcome, framing victory or defeat within a historical context. However, the narrative coherence is fragmented: scenarios lack interconnecting arcs, and there is no persistent campaign progression or character development. Thematically, the game excels in its portrayal of aerial combat as a pragmatic, high-stakes chess match. As one reviewer noted, it reflects the mentality of “officers flying government property,” where disengagement is tactical, not cowardly. The mantra “It is the man, not the machine” underscores the critical role of pilot skill (Green, Skilled, Veteran, Ace) in outmaneuvering superior hardware, adding psychological depth to each engagement. Yet, the absence of a dynamic campaign or live-to-fight-another-day mechanics robs the experience of emergent storytelling.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

The core gameplay revolves around simultaneous turn-based movement and combat. Players plot maneuvers (e.g., turns, climbs, dives) and speeds for each aircraft on a hex grid, with altitude tracked via flight stands. The system rewards foresight: a poorly executed climb might leave a fighter stranded, while over-aggressive speed control could lead to overshooting targets. Combat is deterministic yet probabilistic: players declare targets during the shooting phase, with hit chances calculated using weapon type, range, angle, and speed. Damage results are granular—ranging from engine fires to crew casualties—making kills difficult but creating tense, attritional duels.

Aircraft (14 variants, including the Spitfire, Bf 109, and Stuka) have dual stat sets for low/high altitudes, reflecting real-world performance differences. Pilot skill modifiers (+0 to +3) act as hidden advantages, with Aces reacting last to enemy moves. This mechanic elevates strategy, as veterans can exploit openings created by novice errors. However, the system’s complexity is a double-edged sword. Managing multiple units (up to 15 per scenario) requires constant cross-referencing of charts and maneuver keys, exacerbated by the absence of an initial scenario editor (added later). Multiplayer via server or hotseat offers depth but suffers from a small player base. While the tutorial and in-game manual are thorough, they cannot fully bridge the gap for newcomers, leaving Check Your 6! accessible only to patient tacticians.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Set meticulously over WWII Britain, the game’s world-building is rooted in historical accuracy. Maps feature recognizable landmarks like the English Channel and industrial targets, though ground textures are notably blurry, as noted in reviews. The aerial arsenal is lovingly rendered: the hangar gallery showcases detailed 3D models of aircraft, accompanied by robust stat cards and historical lore. Sound design, however, is austere. Engine whines and gunshots present faithfully but lack atmospheric weight—no radio chatter or ambient tension elevates the skies. This minimalism reinforces the game’s board-game origins, where visual simplicity aids clarity but sacrifices immersion. The diagonal-down perspective and free camera offer tactical flexibility but can become cluttered during dense battles, obscuring unit identity. Ultimately, art and sound serve the gameplay, not vice versa, prioritizing function over spectacle.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, Check Your 6! received mixed-to-negative reviews. Critics like Riot Pixels (60/100) lamented its “clunky” feel, arguing that Lordz Games Studio’s expertise in WWII land combat did not translate to aerial mastery. User reviews on Steam (54/100) echoed this, citing the lack of a scenario editor, disconnected scenarios, and confusing visuals as dealbreakers. Yet, the game garnered a devoted following among board game purists. Players praised its “one more turn” addiction and the depth of its rules, with one enthusiast calling it “practically no system better” for air combat simulations commercially available. Its legacy is one of niche reverence: it digitalized a beloved wargame but failed to broaden its appeal. While it influenced subsequent titles like Canvas Eagles by proving the viability of hex-based air combat on PC, it is overshadowed by more accessible alternatives. The board game’s enduring popularity (via SkirmishCampaigns’ scenario books) underscores the digital version’s status as a faithful, if flawed, adaptation.

Conclusion

Check Your 6! is a time capsule of wargaming—a meticulous digital translation of a board game that prioritized simulation over spectacle. Its strengths lie in its authentic flight models, strategic depth, and respect for aerial history, offering unparalleled tactical satisfaction for dedicated players. However, its high barrier to entry, lack of narrative cohesion, and technical shortcomings (blurry visuals, sparse sound) relegate it to a niche audience. For historians and wargamers, it is a commendable preservation of Scott Fisher’s vision, but for casual players, it remains an archaic curiosity. In the grand tapestry of WWII games, Check Your 6! occupies a specialized niche: a testament to the enduring appeal of tabletop principles in the digital age, yet a reminder that not every classic translates seamlessly to the screen. Verdict: For the hardcore tactician, a flawed masterpiece; for the masses, a missed opportunity.