We bought Love Letter a few years ago at the Berlin Brettspiel Con, the Z-Man Games edition with the little cloth bag. Since then it’s been a fixture. It’s probably the game we’ve played more than any other.
Always with us
Partly that’s down to how short it is. But above all, for a whole year we took Love Letter literally everywhere, whenever things got boring. It came along on all sorts of trips, Walt Disney World in Florida among them. There we played it in line for attractions and roller coasters, as a pair or with three. A pouch, a few cards, and the wait was over.
What is Love Letter?
A tiny card game by Seiji Kanai, first published in Japan in 2012 and now from Z-Man Games. The current edition is for 2 to 6 players and takes about 20 minutes. The publisher says ages 10 and up.
The whole game fits in a sentence: you hold one card, draw a second and play one of the two. Every card has a number and an effect. With the Guard you guess which card another player is holding. Other cards let you look at a hand, compare cards or protect yourself. And anyone forced to play the Princess loses the round.
At the end of a round, the highest card is supposed to win. For us it rarely gets that far. Usually the round is over earlier because everyone else has been knocked out. Played in no time.
Bluffing and tactics
What makes Love Letter so good: there’s a little bluffing, but also plenty of tactical thinking, because every card triggers something when you play it. I can force my opponent to discard a card. If that’s the Princess, their round is over.
It’s not directly comparable to Coup, but there are similar elements. Tactically, though, Love Letter is clearly deeper for us, because every play adds one of those actions.
With kids
From around 8, Love Letter works really well, especially once kids can read. There’s text on the cards you need to understand first. Younger kids can play along if they know every action by heart, but that’s usually not the case. The rules are simple enough that pretty much any child gets them, and the bluffing isn’t intense.
The most dangerous player at our table, by the way, is our older daughter. She guesses a lot, and guesses well. Beating her is really tough.
Two players or a group?
It’s more exciting in bigger groups. But we love playing it as a pair too, see waiting in line.
Which edition?
We mostly play the Z-Man edition with the pouch. We just know it by heart. Compared with the original Love Letter, it has a few different cards. The biggest difference is the Spy at zero, which the original doesn’t have, plus the Chancellor.
We now also own the Premium Edition, the big box. It has more characters and an expansion that lets up to eight people play. It doesn’t play completely differently, but it brings a breath of fresh air. The Premium Edition is out of print and sometimes sells second-hand for over 100 euros. For a card game, that’s pretty steep.
And then there’s Star Wars: Jabba’s Palace, a Love Letter variant with factions and shifting win conditions. It has its own review.
What we hear in the community
Love Letter is widely seen as one of the most elegant small games around: few cards, quick to explain, and still real decisions. The criticism almost always centers on luck and early elimination. One good guess can get you before you’ve done anything. And some find it weaker with two than with three or four. For us it works either way, with more tension in a group.
Who is Love Letter for?
For anyone who wants a real game in pocket size: families with kids from around 8, couples, groups of friends and anyone who plays on the go. Love Letter is also on our list of the best 2 player card games. We give it a 9/10.
It’s nothing for anyone after deep strategy, or who hates getting knocked out of a round by one good guess.
Over to you: where have you played Love Letter?
Where it shines
- Tiny, quick to explain and always with you
- Bluffing plus real tactics from the card effects
- Great with kids from around 8
- Works as a pair as well as in a big group
Where it pinches
- A lucky guess can knock you out early
- Text on the cards: kids need to be able to read
- The Premium Edition is out of print and pricey second-hand
Fact sheet
- 2–6 (current edition), Premium Edition up to 8
- about 20 min
- 10+ (publisher), about 8+ for us
- Seiji Kanai
- Z-Man Games
- 9/10
- family, both daughters, on trips; Z-Man edition and Premium Edition
FAQ
How does Love Letter work?
You hold one card, draw a second and play one of them. Every card has a number and an effect: guess another player's hand, compare cards, protect yourself. Whoever is still in at the end of the round with the highest card wins. For us, though, rounds usually end earlier because everyone else has been knocked out.
What age is Love Letter for?
For us it works from around 8, once kids can read the text on the cards. Younger kids can join in if they know all the effects by heart. The rules are simple, and the bluffing isn't intense.
Is Love Letter good with two players?
It's more exciting in bigger groups, but we love playing it as a pair too, for example on the go or waiting in line.
What's the difference between the editions?
The current Z-Man Games edition with the cloth bag is for 2 to 6 and adds new cards like the Spy at zero and the Chancellor. The Premium Edition (big box) has more characters and an expansion for up to 8 players, but it's out of print.
Love Letter or Coup?
Both have bluffing, but for us Love Letter is clearly deeper tactically, because every card you play triggers an action.
