Love Letter FAQ
50 questions players ask · Updated Nov 11, 2026 · Full rulebook
Setup
- How many cards are set aside at setup in a two-player game, and which are face up?
- Is the card set aside at setup removed again at the start of every round?
- If the Princess is one of the cards set aside faceup at two-player setup, is anyone eliminated?
- Why is one card set aside facedown at setup, and when does it matter?
- Can you use the promo Princess and Prince cards together with the standard Princess?
Playing the Game
- Are played and discarded cards placed faceup where everyone can see them?
- Do you reveal your card when you are knocked out of the round?
- Must you tell the other players whether you played the card you drew or the card you already held?
- Can you shuffle your hand so other players cannot tell which card you played?
- Can you tell the other players what you saw or hold after a Priest, Baron or King?
- Can you lie about your hand, for example when a Guard guess asks what you hold?
- When the last card is drawn from the deck, does the round end at once or after that turn?
- Is the round won by the card you hold at the end, or by your discards?
Winning the Game
Princess and Countess
- Am I knocked out if I discard the Princess, including when a Prince forces me to?
- Does trading the Princess away with a King, or returning her with the Chancellor, knock me out?
- Does playing the Princess on my own turn eliminate me?
- Must you play the Countess when you hold the King or a Prince?
- Can you play the Countess on your turn when you do not hold the King or Prince?
King and Prince
- If every other player is protected by a Handmaid, must I target myself with the Prince?
- When a Prince forces a player to discard, does the discarded card's effect still apply?
- If a Prince forces a player to draw and the deck is empty, what card do they take?
- If I play the King and some other players are protected by a Handmaid, must I trade with an unprotected player?
- Can you discard the King without trading hands?
- How does the King's trade work?
Handmaid and Targeting
- How long does the Handmaid's protection last?
- If a Prince forces me to discard a Handmaid, am I protected?
- Does a Handmaid protect me while she is still in my hand?
- Does the Handmaid protect me from the Priest?
- Can a card target a player who is protected by a Handmaid?
- If every other player is protected by a Handmaid, can I still play a Priest, Baron, Guard or King?
- If another player has already played a Handmaid, does my own Handmaid still protect me?
Baron, Priest, Guard and Spy
- Can the Guard name another Guard when guessing a hand?
- Can the Guard be used to target myself?
- Can you name the card you are holding when you play a Guard?
- Is the Guard's guess announced to the table, and must the target answer honestly?
- When a Guard guess is correct, is the guessed player's card shown to everyone?
- When you play the Baron, which card do you compare, and what is revealed?
- What happens when a Baron comparison is a tie?
- When does a Spy earn an extra favor token at the end of the round?
Other Editions
- What does the Japon Brand Minister do compared with the AEG Countess?
- Is the Marquise (the Japon promo) the same card as the Minister?
- Does the Minister still eliminate me after it has left my hand?
- In the Kanai edition, how does the Minister lose the round, and can you discard it on your turn?
- In the German Pegasus edition, do discarded cards go in one shared pile or in front of each player?
- Does the Japanese edition use the same rules as the English edition?
- How do the Japon Brand and AEG editions differ?