Love Letter

Check the edition, then deal one card each

This guide uses the physical Z-Man 21-card revised edition, checked against the publisher’s current English bag rulebook with a 2025 copyright. The deck has two Spies (0), six Guards (1), two Priests (2), two Barons (3), two Handmaids (4), two Princes (5), two Chancellors (6), one King (7), one Countess (8) and one Princess (9). A 16-card older edition, Premium or a themed edition may change numbers, effects or scoring; do not mix their rules into this game.

Seat 2–6 people around a shared table, each with a reference card and room for a separate faceup play area. Keep all played cards spread so everyone can count them. Put the 13 favor tokens in a shared supply. Shuffle all 21 character cards and set the top card aside facedown without looking at it. Keep that reserve separate from the draw deck. In a two-player game, also set the next three cards aside faceup for both players to see. Those three do not enter play that round.

Deal one character card facedown to each person. Look only at your own card. The remaining cards form the facedown draw deck within reach. The player who most recently hand-wrote a letter starts; if nobody can determine that, this guide suggests choosing randomly. Keep the group’s favor target visible on the reference cards or explain it before starting: 2 players need 6 tokens, 3 need 5, 4 need 4, and 5–6 need 3.

Draw one, play one, resolve its effect

What each character does

• 0 — Spy, two copies: Playing or discarding a Spy does nothing immediately. At the round’s end, if exactly one surviving player has played or discarded one or both Spies into their own play area, that player gains one bonus favor token. An eliminated player cannot earn it. Two surviving players with Spies cancel the bonus. Holding an unplayed Spy does not qualify. This bonus is separate from winning the round.
• 1 — Guard, six copies: Choose another unprotected survivor and name a character other than Guard. They answer truthfully whether they hold it. A correct guess knocks them out; a wrong guess does nothing. You may name Spy or either high character. You cannot guess Guard even if you know they hold one.
• 2 — Priest, two copies: Secretly look at another unprotected survivor’s hand. Return it without showing anyone else. Nothing is discarded or exchanged.
• 3 — Baron, two copies: Privately compare your remaining hand with another unprotected survivor’s hand. The lower value is out. Equal values leave both in. Comparing a Princess does not discard her.
• 4 — Handmaid, two copies: Other players cannot choose you for card effects until the start of your next turn. This does not block a Prince you play on yourself, the final hand comparison or the Spy check.
• 5 — Prince, two copies: Choose any legal survivor, including yourself. They discard their hand faceup without applying its ordinary play effect, then draw a replacement. If the draw deck is empty, use the facedown reserve card instead. Discarding Princess eliminates that player immediately and they draw no replacement. Discarding Spy can qualify its surviving owner for the end-of-round bonus.
• 6 — Chancellor, two copies: Draw two additional cards, choose one of the three cards now in your hand to keep, and secretly put the other two on the bottom of the draw deck in either order. With only one card available, draw it and return one of your two cards. With none available, Chancellor has no effect; do not take the reserve. Countess’s forced-play rule does not apply during this selection. Returning Princess to the deck does not discard her.
• 7 — King, one copy: Secretly exchange your remaining hand with another unprotected survivor’s hand. Each keeps the newly received card. Exchanging Princess does not eliminate anyone.
• 8 — Countess, one copy: She has no played effect. On your ordinary turn you must play her if your other card is King or Prince. You may voluntarily play her with any other card. Keep the other card secret.
• 9 — Princess, one copy: Playing or discarding her for any reason knocks you out immediately. Keeping her, privately showing her, comparing her, exchanging her or returning her to the deck is allowed.

Award favor, check the target, then reset

If only one survivor remains, that player earns one favor token for winning the round. If the draw deck is empty after a completed turn, all survivors reveal their remaining cards: the highest value wins. Every player tied for highest wins and earns one token. Do not total discarded values to break a tie in this edition.

Now check Spy cards in the play areas of survivors only. Exactly one surviving Spy owner earns one extra token, even if they did not have the highest card. A round winner who also qualifies gets two tokens. Playing or discarding both Spies still earns only one bonus token. The Spy bonus alone does not make someone a round winner.

After awarding all round and Spy tokens, the game ends if anyone has reached or exceeded the target for the original group size. If several players reach it in this round, they share the game win; do not add an unannounced tiebreak. If nobody has reached it, retain earned tokens and gather all character cards, including hands, faceup play areas and set-aside cards. Shuffle the complete 21-card deck, repeat the set-aside step and deal one card to everyone, including eliminated players. Turn reference cards back to their active side.

The previous round’s winner starts the next round. If several tied for the highest card, choose randomly among those round winners. A Spy-only token earner does not get that starting privilege. Play another round and repeat until the target is reached.

Help the group read the table

Teach the draw-one, play-one choice first, then point out three easy-to-miss rules before the opening turn: Guard cannot guess Guard; Countess must be played with King or Prince; discarding Princess eliminates you. Leave reference cards reachable. Show the Priest-and-Guard example before dealing, or use the open-hand practice variation below. The extra Spy and Chancellor decisions can be taught when they first appear.

Visible cards are evidence, not certainty: the facedown reserve is unknown, Chancellor can return cards to the deck, and King or Prince can change a previously inspected hand. Spread every play area so card counts remain visible. Announce which person a card targets and, for Guard, name the character clearly before the target answers. Protected and eliminated players are different: neither is a legal opposing target, but only eliminated players skip turns.

Players knocked out watch the remaining round without coaching guesses or exposing information they learned privately. That is this guide’s host suggestion. Everyone rejoins at the next deal. An early lucky Guard guess can eliminate someone before their first turn; do not promise equal turns or uninterrupted participation.

For a rules disagreement, pause before drawing again and consult this edition’s full rulebook. Especially check Prince’s reserve draw, Chancellor with an empty deck and the distinction between discarding Princess and exchanging her. Guard answers and mandatory Countess plays must be honest. The publisher warns about mistakes but gives no general rewind penalty. This guide suggests correcting a plainly reversible mistake before anyone learns new information; if hidden information has already changed, redeal that round without awarding tokens. Agree to this house remedy before playing, and retain tokens from completed rounds.

Choose a table where everyone can read the references, reach the deck and privately show a card when required. Main play uses spoken targeting and guesses. Seated play does not establish suitability for every vision, dexterity, memory or language need; discuss those needs with the group.

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Ideas & Twists

Choose a variation together before you start.