The Love Letter

Enjoy Playing The Love Letter

Have you ever come across a tiny deck of cards that somehow delivers all the strategy and bluffing of a grander game in just a few minutes? That’s the magic of Love Letter. With only 16 cards and a handful of tokens to track who’s “closest to the princess,” each round is over almost before you know it—and yet it’s packed with tense moments, second-guessing, and the occasional gasp when someone gets knocked out.

Here’s how it works: everyone starts with one card, you draw one more, then pick one to play. Depending on which character you choose—whether it’s the Guard to guess someone’s hand, the Baron to compare cards, or the Handmaid to give yourself a moment of safety—you’ll either eliminate opponents, peek at hidden information, or dodge a sneak attack. Lose your Princess card, and you’re out for that round, so there’s a real push-and-pull between holding onto high-value cards and risking them for powerful effects.

Each card has a value from one to eight, and the higher the number, usually the bigger the punch. When the deck finally runs out, whoever’s still standing (or holds the highest-value card) claims the round’s single favor token. Collect enough tokens, and you’ve won the game, proving you can outwit everyone else in clever plays and well-timed bluffs.

It’s the perfect “one more game” filler for a busy game night or a quick icebreaker for new players. Beyond the original, you’ll find editions with different art or tiny rule tweaks to keep things fresh—but at its heart, Love Letter never loses that snap-to-it simplicity that makes each hand feel like a fun gamble of social deduction.