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Published card games

Love Letter

Get your letter to the princess, by being the last player standing or by holding the best card.

players
2–6
minutes
20
variants
3

You’ll need the game box. Marquoir sums up the rules and keeps score.

Setup

  • Sixteen cards numbered from 1 to 8, in several copies.
  • One card is set aside face down. Each player is dealt one card.
  • With two players, three more cards are set aside face up: without them, the deduction would be too easy.

How to play

  • On your turn, draw a second card and play one of the two.
  • Each card has an effect: the Guard guesses an opponent's card, the Priest looks at it, the Baron compares.
  • The Countess must be discarded if you also hold the King or the Prince.
  • The Princess knocks you out immediately if you discard her.

Scoring

  • Winning the round earns a token of affection.

End of the game

  • The round ends when only one player is left, or when the deck is empty: the highest card wins.
  • The game is played to 7 tokens with two players, 5 with three, 4 with four or more.

Variants

Tokens to reach

  • 7 tokens (2 players)

  • 5 tokens (3 players)

  • 4 tokens (4 or more players)

chosen when starting, the scorer follows

Frequently asked questions

What is the goal?

Get your letter to the princess: be the last player standing, or hold the highest card when the deck runs out. You win favours (tokens) over several rounds.

How does a turn work?

Draw a card (you then have two) and play one, applying its effect. The eight characters have values from 1 to 8 and powers: guess, compare, protect, knock out.

What does the Countess do?

You must play her if you also hold the King or the Prince. It is a classic trap that gives your hand away.

How are you knocked out?

When a Guard correctly guesses your card, or when you are on the wrong end of a Prince, Baron or King. A knocked-out player sits out until the next round.

What does the Princess (8) do?

Nothing good if you play her: whoever discards the Princess, for any reason, is knocked out on the spot. So you hold on to her carefully.

The box

Released
2012
Age
Ages 10+
Designer
Seiji Kanai
Artwork
Kali Fitzgerald, Andrew Hepworth, Jeff Himmelman, John Kovalic
Publisher
Asmodee
Mechanics
DéductionGestion de mainÉliminationCoups bas

score sheets for this game →

Rules on video

Videos in French, hosted on YouTube.

Where to find it

Specialist French shops. Marquoir earns nothing from these links.

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