Love Letter

2019

Outwit opponents in Love Letter, a captivating card game where players vie for the Princess' favor. Utilize unique character skills to deliver your letter and win her trust!

20
minutes

2 - 6
player(s)

10+

Medium Light

About the game

Love Letter is an engaging, fast-paced board game that combines elements of strategy, deduction, and luck. The game is set in a fictional medieval kingdom, where players aim to deliver their love letters to the princess, while simultaneously sabotaging the letters of other players. This dynamic setting adds a layer of intrigue and drama to the gameplay, making each round an exciting race against time.

The core mechanic of Love Letter is hand management. At the beginning of each round, players are dealt a single card, representing a member of the royal court – each with their own abilities. On their turn, players draw another card and choose one of the two in their hand to play, activating its special ability. These abilities can help players get closer to the princess, or hinder their opponents. The round ends when the deck is exhausted and the player with the highest ranked courtier in hand wins.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Love Letter is a game of risk, deduction, and luck. The game is designed for 2-4 players and contains several components that interact in unique ways. Here’s a list of components included in the game and their respective roles:

1. 16 Game Cards

The game consists of 16 cards, each represents a different character with a unique numerical value and ability. Players draw and play these cards to eliminate others and be the last one standing or have the highest value card at the end of a round. Here are the cards included:

Guard (1): This card allows a player to guess another player’s hand. If the guess is correct, the targeted player is out of the round.
Priest (2): When played, this card allows a player to see another player’s hand.
Baron (3): This card allows a player to compare hands with another player. The player with the lower-value card is out of the round.
Handmaid (4): This card provides immunity from other players’ actions until the player’s next turn.
Prince (5): When played, this card allows a player to choose any player (including themselves) to discard their hand and draw a new card.
King (6): This card allows a player to trade hands with another player.
Countess (7): If a player has this card and the King or Prince in their hand, they must discard the Countess.
Princess (8): The highest value card in the game. If a player discards the Princess, they are out of the round.

2. 4 Reference Cards

These cards provide a quick overview of the game rules and card abilities. They are handy for new players and as a quick refresher for experienced players.

3. 13 Tokens of Affection

These are red, heart-shaped tokens. A player receives a token of affection as a reward for winning a round. The game ends when one player has a certain number of tokens, depending on the number of players.

4. Rulebook

The rulebook provides complete details about the game, including setup, gameplay, and card explanations.

Overall, the components of Love Letter work together to create a dynamic and engaging game experience, full of strategy, deduction, and a hint of luck.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Love Letter is a quick and easy game to set up and play. The game is designed for 2-4 players and each game lasts about 20 minutes. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up and start playing Love Letter.

Step 1: Shuffle the Cards

Begin by shuffling the 16 game cards. Make sure they are mixed well to ensure a fair game.

Step 2: Remove Cards

Depending on the number of players, you will need to remove a certain number of cards from the deck:

For a 2-player game, take out 3 random cards from the deck and set them aside, face-down, without looking at them.
For a 3-player game, remove 1 card from the deck and place it aside, face-down.
For a 4-player game, no cards need to be removed.

Step 3: Set Up the Draw Deck

Place the remaining cards in the center of the table, face-down, as the draw deck. Leave some room beside the draw deck for a discard pile.

Step 4: Deal Cards

Deal one card to each player. This card is the player’s starting hand. Players can look at their own card but should not show it to others.

Step 5: Draw a Card

The oldest player goes first. On their turn, a player draws one card from the deck and adds it to their hand.

Step 6: Play a Card

After drawing a card, the player then chooses one of the two cards in their hand to play. They place it face up in front of them in the discard pile and carry out the action listed on the card. After this, their turn ends.

Step 7: Continue Game

The game continues in a clockwise direction. Players must draw one card at the beginning of their turn and play one card before the end of their turn.

Step 8: End of the Game

The round ends when the deck is empty at the end of a player’s turn. Each player then reveals their hand. The player with the highest ranking card wins the round. If there is a tie, the player who discarded the highest total value of cards wins.

Step 9: Start a New Round

The game consists of multiple rounds. The first player to win a certain number of rounds wins the game. The number of rounds required to win depends on the number of players:

2 players: 7 rounds
3 players: 5 rounds
4 players: 4 rounds

After determining a round’s winner, gather all the cards, shuffle them, and start a new round following the same rules.

Game flow Round and round we go

Love Letter is a game of risk, deduction, and luck designed for 2-4 players. The game is played in rounds, with each round comprising several turns. The player who wins the most rounds after a predetermined number of rounds is declared the winner.

Set-Up Phase:

Shuffle the deck of cards and deal one card face-down to each player.
Set aside the top card of the deck without looking at it if you are playing with two or three players. In a four-player game, no card is set aside.
The player who was most recently on a date goes first.

Turn Phase:

On a player’s turn, they draw the top card from the deck and add it to their hand.
Then they choose one of the two cards in their hand and discard it face up in front of them. They apply any effect on the card they discarded.
Turns proceed clockwise around the table.

End of Round:

A round ends if the deck is empty at the end of a player’s turn. Players compare the cards left in their hands. The player with the highest value card wins the round.
If there’s a tie for highest value, the player who discarded the highest total value of cards wins.
A player also wins a round if all other players are out of the round because of card effects.
The winner of a round receives a token of affection.

End of Game:

The game ends when a player has won a number of tokens based on the number of players: 2 players = 7 tokens, 3 players = 5 tokens, 4 players = 4 tokens.
The player with the most tokens of affection wins the game. In case of a tie, the player who was first to achieve their current score wins.

In Love Letter, strategic thinking, luck, and careful deduction are key to gather the most tokens of affection and win the heart of the princess!

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Love Letter is a game of risk, deduction, and luck, designed for 2-4 players. The game is played in rounds. During a player’s turn, they draw one card from the deck and then choose one of their two cards to play, trying to expose others and knock them from the game.

A player’s turn in ‘Love Letter’ consists of the following steps:

Drawing a Card: At the start of their turn, a player draws one card from the top of the deck, adding it to their hand. At this point, they will have two cards.
Playing a Card: After drawing a card, the player must choose one of their two cards to play and place it face up in front of them. Each card has a number (representing its power) and a role with an ability. The played card’s ability is triggered when it is played.

Here is a brief overview of the roles and their abilities:

Guard (1): Allows the player to name a non-Guard card and choose another player. If the chosen player has that card, they are out of the round.
Priest (2): Allows the player to see another player’s hand.
Baron (3): The player and another player secretly compare hands. The player with the lower value is out of the round.
Handmaid (4): The player is protected from other players’ actions until their next turn.
Prince (5): Allows the player to choose any player (including themselves) to discard their hand and draw a new card.
King (6): The player trades hands with another player of their choice.
Countess (7): If the player has this card and the King or Prince in their hand, they must discard this card.
Princess (8): If a player discards this card for any reason, they are out of the round.

Strategically, deciding which card to play and which to keep is a crucial part of Love Letter. The players have to deduce what the others might have based on their actions and what has been played/discarded. They must choose their actions carefully, trying to knock out other players or protect themselves. The last player remaining in the round or the player with the highest card when the deck runs out wins the round. Typically, the game is played until one player wins a certain number of rounds.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Love Letter’ ends when one of two conditions is met:

The deck has no more cards left at the end of a round
A player reaches the required number of tokens of affection

When the deck has no more cards left:

At the end of a round, if the deck has no more cards left, each player who still has a card must reveal their hand. The player with the highest ranked card will win the round and receive a token of affection. However, if there is a tie, the player who discarded the highest total value of cards will win the round.

When a player reaches the required number of tokens of affection:

A player wins the game by reaching the required number of tokens of affection before anyone else. This number varies depending on the number of players:

2 players: 7 tokens of affection
3 players: 5 tokens of affection
4 players: 4 tokens of affection

It’s important to note that players don’t have to announce when they reach the required number of tokens. The game continues until the end of the round, and if no one else has reached the requirement, the player with the required tokens wins the game.

Before final scoring:

Before the final scoring, players should ensure that they have taken all possible actions during their turn, including playing or discarding a card. Once the last card has been drawn and the player has taken their action, the round ends and the final scoring takes place.

If a player was forced to discard the Princess (either by their own action or another player’s), they are immediately out of the round and cannot win, regardless of the number of tokens they have.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Love Letter is a game of risk, deduction, and luck. The player with the most tokens of affection at the end of the game is declared the winner. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

At the end of each round, one player will win and receive a Token of Affection.

A round ends when the deck is empty at the end of a turn. The player with the highest ranked person wins the round.
A round also ends if all players but one are out of the round, in which case the remaining player wins.

Points are awarded in the form of tokens of affection. The player who wins a round receives a token.

The game ends when one player has won a set number of tokens, which varies depending on the number of players:

In a 2-player game, the game ends when one player has received 7 tokens of affection.
In a 3-player game, the game ends when one player has received 5 tokens of affection.
In a 4-player game, the game ends when one player has received 4 tokens of affection.

At the end of the game, the player with the most tokens of affection is declared the winner. If there’s a tie, the player who was the first to be out in the last round is the loser. If there’s still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

If a player is caught with the Princess (card 8) and either the King (card 6) or Prince (card 5 or 4) in their hand, they are automatically out of the round.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The card game ‘Love Letter’ is a simple and elegant game of strategic deduction and luck. While the game rules are quite straightforward, there are several special rules, exceptions and clarifications that players should be aware of:

1. The Countess Rule

One of the unique and exceptional rules in Love Letter is the Countess rule. If a player has the Countess card (7) and the King card (6) or Prince card (5) in their hand, they must discard the Countess. This is mandatory and the only instance in the game where a player must discard a specific card.

Note: A common clarification here is that the player only needs to discard the Countess if they have the King or Prince in their hand at the start of their turn. If they draw either card during their turn while holding the Countess, they do not need to discard her.

2. The Prince Card

The Prince card allows a player to choose any player, including themselves, to discard their hand and draw a new card. This can be a powerful move, but it also comes with a potential risk. If the targeted player discards the Princess, the targeting player is immediately out of the round.

3. The Baron Card

The Baron card allows a player to compare hands with another player in secrecy. The player with the lower card is out of the round. However, if there is a tie, nothing happens and play continues. Note that the hand comparison is between the Baron card and the other player’s card, not the newly drawn card.

4. The Guard Card

When a player uses the Guard card, they have to choose another player and guess a non-Guard card that the chosen player might have. If the chosen player has the guessed card, they are out of the round. However, if the guess is wrong, the game continues. It’s important to note that you cannot guess that a player has a Guard card.

5. Ending of the Game

If the deck runs out of cards before a player wins: the remaining players compare their hands. The player with the higher card wins the round. If there’s a tie, the player who discarded the highest total value of cards wins.

If only two players are left: The game continues until one player is out of the round. This includes situations where one player is forced to discard the Princess due to the Prince’s ability.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

In the game of Love Letter, a player’s strategy can greatly influence their success. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay:

Advanced Strategies:

Card Counting: Keeping track of the cards played in each round will give you a better idea of what your opponents might be holding. This will allow you to make more informed decisions and increase your chances of winning.
Understanding Opponent’s Play: By observing your opponent’s moves, you can get a glimpse of what card they might be holding. This can help in making strategic decisions.
Strategic Discarding: Knowing when to discard a card is key. Sometimes, it’s beneficial to hold onto a high card, other times, it’s best to play it right away. This depends on the current play situation and your understanding of your opponents.

Beginner Tips:

Try to hold on to the Princess card if you get it. If you discard it, you’ll be out of the round.
The Guard card can be very useful if you have a good idea of what another player is holding. Don’t be afraid to make educated guesses.
Use the Priest card wisely to view another player’s hand. This can provide critical information.
Remember that the Baron card can be a double-edged sword. It can lead to your elimination if you challenge a player with a higher-ranking card.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Don’t overlook the power of lower value cards. Each card in Love Letter can be beneficial when played correctly.
Avoid using the Prince card on yourself unless necessary. It might lead to discarding a valuable card like the Princess.
Do not ignore your opponents’ game. Keeping an eye on their moves can provide important clues.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Always keep track of the discarded cards. This can greatly help in predicting future plays.
Try to be unpredictable in your play style. If you become predictable, other players may use that to their advantage.
Use your cards wisely. Remember, the game isn’t just about having the highest card, but also about outsmarting your opponents.