Love Letter

About this board game

Love Letter is a game of risk, deduction, and luck for 2–4 players, with a playing time of about 20 minutes. Your goal is to get your love letter into Princess Annette’s hands while deflecting the letters carried by competing suitors.

The princess of Tempest has locked herself in the palace, so you must rely on others to deliver your message. Every eligible young man—and many of the not-so-young—seeks to win her favor, making every card play part of a contest for attention and survival.

Love Letter uses a deck of only sixteen cards. Each player begins with one card in hand, while one card is removed from play. On your turn, draw one card and play one card, using its effect to expose other players and try to knock them from the game.

• Risk: Powerful cards can produce early gains, but they may also make you a target.
• Deduction: Watch the cards others play and work out what they might still be holding.
• Luck: A single draw can change your options and the course of the contest.

Choosing when to use a strong card is central to the game. Rely on weaker cards for too long, however, and your letter may be tossed into the fire before it reaches the palace.

First released in 2012, Love Letter is number 4 in the Setting: Tempest Shared World Game Series. Its small deck and direct turns create a compact challenge in which every card can matter.