# Love Letter ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2012 - **BGG Rating**: 7.2 - **BGG Rank**: #367 - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 20 min - **Weight**: 1.18 / 5 - **Designers**: Seiji Kanai - **Artists**: Andrew Hepworth, Jeff Himmelman, John Kovalic, Kali Fitzgerald, Nina Matsumoto, Robb Miller - **Publishers**: Alderac Entertainment Group, Kanai Factory, (Web published), 963.com, 999 Games, Arclight Games - **Categories**: Card Game, Deduction, Renaissance - **Mechanics**: Deduction, Hand Management, Player Elimination, Score-and-Reset Game, Take That ## Verdict If you're looking for a quick, clever game of deduction and bluffing, Love Letter is a brilliant choice that proves less is often more. It's perfect for those who enjoy big decisions in a small package. Elegant deduction and bluffing gameplay Extremely portable and quick to play High replayability in a tiny box Engaging tension with few components Can feel random with bad draws Limited strategic depth for some HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Love Letter is a minimalist card game that packs a punch of bluffing, deduction, and tension. Set in the kingdom of Tempest, the goal is simple: deliver your love letter to Princess Annette while sabotaging your rivals. Each game starts with just one card in hand (and one card mysteriously removed from the 16-card deck), creating a cat-and-mouse game where you must guess what others hold. Playing a powerful card gives you an immediate edge but paints a target on your back. Weaker cards are safe but might leave your love letter literally burning in the fire. In 20 minutes, you experience a courtly micro-drama full of twists, where a single round can decide everything. It's one of those games that proves you don't need a thousand components to be brilliant—just a velvet bag, 16 cards, and plenty of trash talk after your opponent's move. ## How to Play Objective of the Game Welcome, aspiring Witcher! In Love Letter, your goal is to be the most cunning and observant player, earning enough coins to win the favor of the court. You'll achieve this by strategically playing cards, eliminating opponents, and having the strongest hand at the end of a round. Gather your wits, for only the sharpest will claim victory! Preparation (Setup) Getting ready to play Love Letter is quick and easy. Here's how to set up your game: First, shuffle all the cards together to form the main deck. For each round, keep one card hidden from the game. This card is not used in the current round. Deal one card face down to every player. This is your starting hand. Before each round, roll a die to determine the Target of the Contract. This target is important for certain card effects and scoring. If playing a 3-player game, remember to remove the Ban Ard (4) cards from the deck before starting. The Turn of Play A round of Love Letter flows simply, but each decision carries weight: On your turn, you will always draw one card from the main deck. You now have two cards in your hand. Next, you must play one card from your hand face up in front of you, placing it into your personal discard area. When you play a card, you must immediately resolve its effect. Card effects can vary widely: Witcher (0) cards (Wolf, Cat, Viper, Griffin): Choose one player and name a character card (from 1-9, or 1-8 depending on the Witcher). If that player has the named card in hand, they are immediately out of this round. If your guess matches the contract, you gain 1 coin. Northern Kingdom (6) cards (Radovid V, Meve): Choose one player. If they have a specific card (Ban Ard (4) or Aretuza (5) for Radovid V; Witcher (0) for Meve) in hand, they are kicked out of this round. Druid (7) cards (Mousesack, Gekhira): Mousesack lets you secretly look at the hidden card or the top two cards of the deck. Gekhira allows you to secretly return your hand to the deck in any position, then redraw your hand. Master (Vesemir, Erland): These cards involve comparing hands, with either the lower or higher valued hand being out. Friend (Dandelion, Zoltan): These cards can discard a player's hand or change the target of the contract. Monster (Leshy, Succubus, Godling): These cards offer various defensive or counter-attack abilities. Leshy, for example, changes the end-of-round comparison to the lowest hand winning. Aretuza (Yennefer, Triss): Yennefer allows two players to exchange hands, while Triss protects you until your next turn. Ban Ard (Vilgefortz, Alzur): Vilgefortz grants you one more turn, while Alzur reverses the turn order for the round. Doppler (Dudu): Dudu allows you to duplicate any card in your discard area. Master Mirror (Gaunter O'Dimm): This card redistributes all players' hands. Equine Phantoms (Roach): With Roach, all players pass their hands to the player before their turn. Ciri (9): If you have Ciri in hand, you must reveal her immediately. If you discard Ciri for any reason, you are immediately out of this round. You must play Ciri if you have another card of value 6 or higher in your hand. Bonhart (8): If you hold Bonhart, you must reveal Ciri if another player has her. You must play Bonhart if you have another card of value 6 or higher in your hand. After resolving the card's effect, your turn ends, and play passes to the player on your left (unless a card effect changes the turn order). End of Game and Scoring A round of Love Letter can end in two ways: Last Player Standing: If only one player remains in the round (all others have been eliminated), that player immediately wins the round and gains 1 coin. Deck Runs Out: If the deck runs out of cards before only one player remains, the round ends. All remaining players reveal their hands. The player with the highest value card in hand wins the round and gains 1 coin. In case of a tie for the highest value, those tied players share the victory, and each gains 1 coin. Remember, the Target of the Contract card is considered a 10 at the end of the round for comparison purposes. The game ends when a player reaches a certain number of coins, depending on the number of players: 3 players: 5 coins to win 4 players: 4 coins to win 5 players: 3 coins to win 6 players: 3 coins to win The first player to reach the required number of coins wins the game! Tips for Winning Want to become a master of intrigue? Here are a few tips to help you on your way: Observe and Deduce: Pay close attention to which cards other players discard. This gives you clues about what cards they might still be holding. Knowing what's out of the game is almost as important as knowing what's in it! Manage Your Hand: Some cards, like Ciri (9), force you to play them under certain conditions or risk elimination. Be mindful of these "hot potato" cards and plan your discards accordingly to avoid being caught off guard. Leverage the Contract: Don't forget the Target of the Contract! If you have a Witcher (0) card, guessing the contract number not only eliminates an opponent (if correct) but also grants you an immediate coin. This can be a powerful way to secure an early lead. ## FAQ ### How many players? 2-4 players. With 2, it's more cerebral and pure bluff; with 3-4, interaction and deduction ramp up significantly. ### Average game length? About 20 minutes. It's a quick filler, perfect for bridging gaps between heavier games or for multiple rounds in a row. ### Is it hard to learn? Not at all! The rules fit on one card. Complexity comes from decisions and reading opponents, not the mechanics themselves. ### What's in the box? A velvet bag, 16 illustrated cards, 'heart' tokens for scoring, and a very short rulebook. ### Is there a lot of luck? There's a dose of luck in the draw, but the game is dominated by bluffing, deduction, and calculated risk. Skilled players usually win. ### Can kids play? Yes, from about 8-10 years old, as long as they grasp basic bluffing. It's a great gateway to modern card games. ### What is 'player elimination'? Does it hurt? It means you can be 'knocked out' of a round if your card is discovered. But with 20-minute games, you're back in the next round in 5 minutes! ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 8.49 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4886629&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/14/love-letter?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com