Love Letter: Bridgerton Rulebook

Table of Contents

Contents
Set up
Gameplay
End of a Round
- Deck Runs Out
- One Player Left
Starting the Next Round
Winning the Game
Card Effects
Classic Version
Reference Card

22 Character Cards
6 Reference Cards
13 Diamond Tokens
1 Velvet Bag

Set up

Give each player a reference card and return any remaining one to the bag. Reference cards list the values, quantity and effects, of each character card type.
Shuffle the 22 character cards to create the deck. Place the deck face down on the table, within easy reach of all players, along with the 13 diamond tokens.
Take the top card of the deck and set it aside facedown without looking at it. If you are playing a two-player game, take three more cards and set those aside faceup.
Deal each player one card from the deck as their starting hand.
The player who was most recently invited to a ballroom party or formal reception takes the first turn.

Gameplay

Love Letter: Bridgerton is played over several rounds as you investigate each character until having enough clues to figure out Lady Whistledown's identity.

The card in your hand represents the person that you're currently investigating, which will change during the round as you draw and play cards.

To win, you must collect the most diamond tokens, which you do by either having the highest-value card at the end of a round or being the only player left in a round.

Player Turn

Take turns in clockwise order. On your turn, draw one card from the deck. Then, choose and play one of your two cards, resolving its effect. The played card stays in front of you faceup, and you keep the other card in your hand.

Played & Discarded Cards

It is important that everyone know which cards have already been played and which cards are left in the deck, so any played or discarded cards must always be visible to everyone.

Out of the Round

Some card effects knock you out of the current round.

When this happens, discard your hand faceup in front of you (without resolving card effects).

Until the next round, you cannot be chosen for card effects, and your turn is skipped.

End of a Round

The round ends either when the deck runs out or when only one player is left.

Deck Runs Out

After any turn, if the deck is empty, all players still in the round reveal and compare their hands. If you have the highest-value card, you win the round and gain one diamond token. If there is a tie, all tied players win the round and each gain one diamond token.

One Player Left

If you are the only player still in the round (all other players are out of the round due to card effects), the round immediately ends; you gain one diamond token.

Starting the Next Round

To start a new round, repeat steps 2–4 of setup (shuffle the character cards, set some aside, and deal each player one card). The player who won the previous round takes the first turn.

If there was a tie in the previous round, randomly decide among the tied players who takes the first turn.

Winning the Game

You are rewarded with diamonds when you find evidence on Lady Whistledown's identity.

The game ends when one player has enough diamond tokens to win (based on the number of players—see table below). Multiple players can simultaneously win the game.

2 players = 6 tokens
3 players = 5 tokens
4 players = 4 tokens
5 to 6 players = 3 tokens

Card Effects

Each card features a key character in the Series and text describing the card's effect.

A set of feathers at the top of each card shows how many of that card are in the game (with golden feathers indicating what to remove to play the Classic Version of Love Letter).

0. Daphne Bridgerton (2 cards, both golden)

Daphne's card has no effect when played or discarded.

At the round's end, if you are the only player still in the round who played or discarded Daphne, you gain one diamond token. This does not count as winning the round; the winner (even if it is you) still gains their victory diamond token.

If you played and/or discarded two of these cards, you still gain only one token.

1. Eloise Bridgerton (6 cards, 1 golden)

Choose another player and name a card number other than "1". If the chosen player has that card in their hand, they are out of the round.

2. Kate Sharma (2 cards)

Choose another player and secretly look at their hand (without revealing it to anyone else).

3. Duke of Hastings (2 cards)

Choose another player. You and that player secretly compare your hands. Whoever has the lower-value card is out of the round.

If there is a tie, neither player is out of the round.

4. Colin Bridgerton (2 cards)

Until the start of your next turn, other players cannot choose you for their card effects.

In the rare case that all other players still in the round are "protected" by Colin when you need to apply a card effect, do the following:

If that card requires you to choose another player (see Eloise Bridgerton, Kate Sharma, the Duke of Hastings or Lady Bridgerton), it is played with no effect.
If that card requires you to choose any player (see Lady Danbury), then you must choose yourself for the effect.

5. Lady Danbury (2 cards)

Choose any player (including yourself). That player discards their hand (without resolving its effect) and draws a new hand.

If the deck is empty, the chosen player draws the facedown card that was set-aside at the start of the round.

If a player chooses you for Lady Danbury's card effect, and you are forced to discard Penelope, you are out of the round.

6. Anthony Bridgerton (2 cards, both golden)

Draw two cards from the deck into your hand. Then, choose and keep one of the three cards now in your hand and place the other two face down at the bottom of the deck in any order.

If there is only one card in the deck, draw it and return one card. If there are no cards left, this card is played with no effect.

7. Lady Bridgerton (1 card)

Choose another player and trade hands with that player.

8. Lady Featherington (1 card)

Lady Featherington has no effect when played or discarded.

You must play this card if either Lady Bridgerton, Lady Danbury, or Queen Charlotte is the other card in your hand. This does not apply when you draw Lady Featherington because of another card's effect (see Anthony Bridgerton).

You can still choose to play Lady Featherington even if you do not have Lady Bridgerton or Lady Danbury.

When you play this card, do not reveal your other card; the other players will not know if you were forced to play it or chose to do so.

9. Penelope Featherington (1 card)

If you either play or discard Penelope for any reason, you are immediately out of the round.

Queen Charlotte (1 card, golden)

Find who has the lowest card by counting up out loud starting from 1. If your number comes up, you must respond by saying "yes".

All players with the lowest number in hand (except 0) are out. If no player can be eliminated, nothing happens.

Cannot be eliminated by Eloise Bridgerton or the Duke's effects.

This card does not have any numerical value. At game end, it thus loses against any other card.

Classic Version

Included in this edition of Love Letter: Bridgerton are the rules to play the classic version of Love Letter, though it supports only 2 to 4 players.

To play the classic version, before setup, return these cards to the bag:

1x Eloise Bridgerton (#1)
2x Anthony Bridgerton (#6)
2x Daphne Bridgerton (#0)
1x Queen Charlotte (crown icon)

All other rules for the game are unchanged.

Reference Card

Each player's reference card lists the values, quantity and effects of every character card type. The counts below are the quantities shown by the feather icons described under Card Effects; Z-Man also publishes the reference cards as a print-and-play sheet.

0 – Daphne Bridgerton (x2): Gain diamond token if no one else played/discarded this card.
1 – Eloise Bridgerton (x6): Guess a hand.
2 – Kate Sharma (x2): Secretly look at a hand.
3 – Duke of Hastings (x2): Compare hands.
4 – Colin Bridgerton (x2): Immune to other card effects until next turn.
5 – Lady Danbury (x2): Discard a hand & redraw.
6 – Anthony Bridgerton (x2): Draw & return 2 cards.
7 – Lady Bridgerton (x1): Trade hands.
8 – Lady Featherington (x1): Must play if you have Lady Danbury, Lady Bridgerton or Queen Charlotte.
9 – Penelope Featherington (x1): Out of the round if you play/discard.
Queen Charlotte (x1) (crown icon): Lowest card is out (except 0).