Love Letter

1. 1
   Deal. Set one card aside face down unseen, then deal one card each. Each player holds one hidden card to start.
2. 2
   Table. With 2 players, also set 3 more cards aside face up, out of play. Place the deck where every player can reach it.

Worked opening: with 4 players, one card sits aside face down and each player holds one card. Anna draws a Guard (1) beside her Priest (2). She plays the Guard, names Ben, and guesses Prince. Ben holds a Baron, so nothing happens and play passes on.

1. 1
   Draw. On your turn, draw the top deck card. You now hold two cards in hand.
2. 2
   Play. Play one card face up and read its effect aloud. The card effect happens right away.
3. 3
   Repeat. Keep taking clockwise turns, drawing and playing one card each turn. When the deck runs out, survivors reveal their hands and the highest card takes a token.

1. 1
   Draw. Draw the top card so you hold two cards. You choose which card to play and keep.
2. 2
   Play. Play one card face up and apply its exact text. Guard, Priest, Baron and King must pick another player, never yourself. The effect can reveal hands or knock players out.
3. 3
   Survive. Handmaid (4) protects you until the start of your next turn. See the card reference for edge cases. Knocked-out discards never trigger their printed effect.
4. 4
   Compare. When the deck runs out, survivors reveal their hands. Highest card wins; every tied highest each takes one token.
5. 5
   Win. First to the goal wins: 6 tokens (2P), 5 (3P), 4 (4P), 3 (5-6P). The round winner takes first turn of the next round.

• Guard guess: Anna plays a Guard (1), names Ben, and guesses Prince. Ben holds a Prince, so Ben leaves the round and discards face up.
• Countess forced play: Carla holds the Countess (8) and draws a Prince (5). She must play the Countess, so it leaves with no effect.

0 - Spy (x2)

No effect when played. At round end, if you are the only player still in the round who played or discarded a Spy, gain 1 favor token (max 1, even with both Spies). Eliminated Spy players earn nothing, so if both Spy players are out, no one gains.

1 - Guard (x6)

Pick another player and name a card except Guard. They leave the round if they hold it.

2 - Priest (x2)

Secretly look at another player's hand.

3 - Baron (x2)

Secretly compare hands with another player. Lower value leaves; ties leave both in.

4 - Handmaid (x2)

Other players cannot pick you until the start of your next turn. If all others are protected, Guard, Priest, Baron and King have no effect; Prince must target yourself.

5 - Prince (x2)

Pick any player, including yourself. They discard their hand and draw a new card.

6 - Chancellor (x2)

Draw 2 cards, keep 1 of the 3, return 2 face down under the deck. With 1 card left draw 1 and return 1; with none, no effect.

7 - King (x1)

Trade hands with another player right away.

8 - Countess (x1)

You must play her with King or Prince. No effect alone.

9 - Princess (x1)

Never play her. Playing or discarding her for any reason knocks you out right away, even if a Prince forces you to discard her.

• Playing the Princess for any reason knocks you out right away.
• The Countess must be played when held with the King or Prince.
• Knocked-out discards never trigger the card effect.
• Tied highest cards each take a token; there is no played-pile tiebreak in this edition.