Love Letter

Love Letter is played over a series of rounds where players try to get the help of royal family members and various other characters to get love letters to the princess. The card you are currently holding represents the person that is currently holding your love letter.

Starting with the start player and going round and round the table clockwise, you do the following:

• Draw one card into your hand from the top of the deck
• Play one of the two cards in your hand face-up in front of you and resolve its effect

Winning a Round

To win a round, and thus a favour token, you must do one of the following:

• Be the only player that has not been eliminated
• Finish the round with the card of the highest value among all players that have not been eliminated:
  • In the event of a tie, all tied players win the round

All players that win the round receive a favour token.

Elimination from a Round

Depending on the card played, either you or another player may be eliminated from the round. When this happens:

• Show your hand face-up to all players
• Skip your turns for the rest of the round

The game ends when a player has won a number of favour tokens according to the following table:

Spy (x2)

Value: 0

• Gain a favour token at the end of the round if no one else plays or discards a Spy this round

Guard (x6)

Value: 1

• The active player chooses another player and guesses which card they are holding:
  • If they guess correctly, the player being asked is eliminated this round
  • The active player is not allowed to guess Guard when using a Guard card themselves

Priest (x2)

Value: 2

• The active player chooses another player and asks to see the card they are holding:
  • The chosen player is only required to show the active player their card

Baron (x2)

Value: 3

• The active player chooses another player and compares the value of the second card they are holding to the chosen player's card:
  • The two players compare card values in secret
• Whoever has the lower value card is eliminated this round:
  • As usual, the player whose card was lower must reveal their hand after being eliminated

Handmaid (x2)

Value: 4

• When the active player plays this card, they are immune to effects from all other cards until their next turn
• If all other players have been protected by a Handmaid when you take your turn, you still play a card but:
  • Any card that requires you to choose another player have no effect
  • Any card that requires you to choose any player must target yourself

Prince (x2)

Value: 5

• Choose any player, who then must discard their hand without taking the card's effect and draws a new hand:
  • You can target yourself with this card
  • If you discard the princess as a result of being chosen with this card, you are eliminated immediately
• If the deck is empty when this card is played, take the card that was set aside face-down at the start of the round

Chancellor (x2)

Value: 6

• Draw 2 cards from the deck
• Choose to keep one of the three cards you now have in your hand
• Place the other two cards at the bottom of the deck face-down in any order you want
• If only one card is in the deck when you play this card, draw it and return one card
• If no cards are left in the deck when you play this card, this card has no effect

King (x1)

Value: 7

• Choose another player and trade hands with them
• These hands should be traded such that no other players can see the card's values

Countess (x1)

Value: 8

• This card has no effect when it is played
  • You must play this card if the other card you are holding is one of the following:
    • Prince
    • King
  • You can still play this card if your card is not in the above list

Princess (x1)

Value: 9

• If you ever play or discard tihs card, you are immediately eliminated for this round