Love Letter Rules Explained — 8 Card Effects, Round Flow, and How to Win

Once upon a time, a princess in a certain kingdom fell in love. And many suitors began dashing all over the palace to deliver a love letter to her. Love Letter takes this race to deliver letters and turns it into a card game. There are only 16 cards, and you always hold just one. Yet every single game is surprisingly tense.

2 to 4 players can play, and a round takes only 3 to 5 minutes. This guide explains every card effect in detail so that even first-time players can start a game right away.

In one line: you always hold one card. Draw, play one card and use its effect, and win by surviving to the end or holding the highest number.

Why this game is so thrilling

You hold exactly one card. On your turn, you draw one new card, then play one of the two to use its effect. That leaves you with one card again. In this simple loop, deducing what your opponents are holding and hiding what your own card is is the whole game. And the scariest part is that whenever any card is played, someone might get eliminated.

The cards

The deck has 16 cards in total. Each card has a number (1 to 8), and the higher the number, the stronger the card. Here is how many there are of each.

Guard — 1, 5 cards
Priest — 2, 2 cards
Baron — 3, 2 cards
Handmaid — 4, 2 cards
Prince — 5, 2 cards
King — 6, 1 card
Countess — 7, 1 card
Princess — 8, 1 card

Memorizing these counts makes deduction much easier. For example, the fact that there is only one Princess but as many as five Guards becomes a big hint later on.

Setup

1. Shuffle the cards and set aside the top card face down. Nobody knows what this card is.

2. Only in a 2-player game, set aside 3 more cards face up. Since everyone can see them, they tell you that these cards will not appear this round.

3. Each player is dealt one card.

4. The remaining cards become the draw pile.

The starting player of the first round is chosen at random, and after that, the winner of the previous round goes first.

How a round flows

When it is your turn, do the following.

1. Draw one card from the pile. Now you have two cards in hand.

2. Choose one of the two, place it face up and resolve its effect.

3. Keep the discarded cards in a pile in front of you. (These cards are used later to break ties.)

4. The turn passes to the next player.

A player who is eliminated lays down their hand and drops out of that round.

The 8 card effects in detail

Love Letter card effects 1 — 1 Guard (soldier), 2 Priest, 3 Baron, 4 Handmaid

Love Letter card effects 2 — 5 Prince, 6 King, 7 Countess, 8 Princess

1. Guard (5 cards)

Choose one other player and name a card by saying "You're holding a ___, aren't you?" If you guess right, that player is eliminated immediately. However, you cannot name "Guard"; you can only name other cards.

With luck you knock out an opponent in one shot, and without it you swing at thin air. If you name a card based on information from a Priest or on cards that have already been discarded, your chance of guessing right goes up greatly.

2. Priest (2 cards)

Secretly look at one other player's hand. Only you can see it. It is not a card that eliminates anyone, but with that information you can aim precisely with a Guard on your next turn, so it is like a spy.

3. Baron (2 cards)

Choose one player and secretly compare hands with them. The player with the lower number is eliminated. If they are equal, nobody is eliminated. Since you have just played the Baron, you are comparing the one card left in your hand with one card of your opponent. It is thrilling to use when you are confident you hold a big card. Conversely, if your card is weak, you might be the one eliminated.

4. Handmaid (2 cards)

Protects you. Until your next turn comes, no other player's card effect can target you. It becomes a shield that lets you get safely through a full round when you are holding a big card.

If every opponent is protected by a Handmaid and there is no one to target, a Guard, Priest, Baron, or King is simply discarded with no effect. Only the Prince is an exception, since it can target yourself.

5. Prince (2 cards)

Choose one player and make them discard their card and draw a new card. You may choose yourself. However, if the discarded card is the Princess, that player is eliminated on the spot. If you suspect an opponent is holding the Princess, there is no better sniper.

When the draw pile is empty, you take the face-down card that was set aside at the start instead.

6. King (1 card)

Trade hands with one other player. It is a bold deal to use when your card is not great, or when you think your opponent may be holding a good one. It is even more effective if you first check your opponent's card with a Priest and then swap.

7. Countess (1 card)

It has no effect, but it comes with a slightly annoying rule. If you also hold the King or the Prince, you must play the Countess. This closes off your options. So your opponents start to deduce, "That player suddenly played the Countess. Are they holding the King or the Prince?"

You can also use this the other way around to bluff. Even without a King or Prince, you deliberately play the Countess to trick others into thinking, "I've got the King~."

8. Princess (1 card)

The highest and most dangerous card. If you discard the Princess for any reason, you are eliminated on the spot. It is the same whether you play it yourself or it is discarded by a Prince. If you just keep holding it, it wins comparisons as the highest number, but the moment it is revealed, it is over.

When does a round end?

A round ends when one of the following two things happens.

When only one player remains — that player wins.
When the draw pile runs out — the players still in the round reveal the cards left in their hands. The player with the highest number wins.

If the revealed numbers are tied, the player whose discarded cards add up to the larger total wins. If that is also tied, all the players concerned win.

Tokens and the final winner

The winner of a round receives one token of affection. The first player to collect enough tokens is the final winner. The number of tokens needed depends on the number of players.

2 players — 4 tokens
3 players — 3 tokens
4 players — 2 tokens

Winning condition: tokens of affection — 4 for 2 players, 3 for 3 players, 2 for 4 players

A round example

This is a 3-player game. I am holding a Guard and a Baron.

1. On the last turn, opponent A played a Handmaid. A is protected, so I cannot target them.

2. Opponent B has just played a low card and looks weak. I wonder whether to target B with the Guard or compare with the Baron.

3. If I play the Baron, my Guard (1) would be compared with B's card, and since mine is lower, I could be eliminated. So I play the Guard first and guess, "You're holding a Baron, aren't you?"

4. If I'm right, B is eliminated, and even if I'm wrong, I lose nothing. I can use the Baron on my next turn.

In this way every card is a choice, and information is revealed each time a card is played.

Tips for beginners

Hide the Princess until the end. Having the Princess is both a stroke of luck and a time bomb. Keep holding it as long as you can and conceal what it is.
Remember the discarded cards. Every card is laid down face up, so if you keep track of how many of each card remain, your Guard will hit much more often. In a 2-player game, the 3 cards revealed at the start are hints too.
Priest first, Guard later. The basic combination is to find out an opponent's card with a Priest and then aim precisely with a Guard on your next turn.
Use the Handmaid to protect a big card. When you are holding a big card such as the Princess or the Countess, getting through a full round with the Handmaid keeps you safe.
If you hold the Countess along with the King or Prince, keep in mind that you have to play the Countess, which can leak information.
Be careful with the Prince. If you are holding the Princess and target yourself, you eliminate yourself.

Common mistakes

Trying to name "Guard" with a Guard (it is not allowed).
Trying to play the King or Prince while holding the Countess (the rules do not allow it).
Discarding the Princess early (you are eliminated at that moment).
Trying to use an effect when everyone is protected by a Handmaid (the card is discarded with no effect).

Frequently asked questions

How many people play Love Letter? 2 to 4 players. On Tichu Online, bots fill the empty seats, so you can start right away even by yourself.

How many cards are in Love Letter? 16. There are 5 Guards, 2 each of Priest, Baron, Handmaid, and Prince, and 1 each of King, Countess, and Princess.

What is the difference between the Guard and the Baron? The Guard works by guessing a card name, while the Baron works by comparing the numbers in hand, and the lower one is eliminated.

What does the Priest do? It lets you secretly look at another player's hand. With that information you can aim precisely with a Guard.

What happens if you discard the Princess? If you discard the Princess for any reason, you are eliminated on the spot. It is the same whether you play it yourself or it is discarded by a Prince's effect.

When must you play the Countess? When you are also holding the King or the Prince.

Who wins when the deck runs out? The player with the highest number among the cards left in hand wins. If tied, the player whose discarded cards add up to the larger total wins.

How many tokens do you need to collect? 4 with 2 players, 3 with 3 players, and 2 with 4 players.

Can you play it online? You can play right away at https://tichu.kr without installing anything. There are Android and iOS apps too.

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