From the publisher’s rulebook
Who goes first in Love Letter?
English 21-card bag edition · copyright 2025 (2–6 players)

For the opening round, the person who most recently wrote a letter by hand starts. Turns proceed clockwise.
Official tie-break or fallback
The opening criterion has no stated tie-break. In later rounds, the previous round’s winner starts; if there were tied winners, choose randomly among them.
Rule details
Older editions can use a different opening criterion. This record is limited to the cited 21-card edition.
Source & edition
- Love Letter: rulebook supplied with bag editionZ-Man Games · Setup page 3; taking a turn page 4; starting the next round page 7; credits page 15 · Checked 2026-09-22Printed page references: 3, 4, 7, 15
Image: © Z-Man Games and any cover-art licensors or artists (precise ownership not stated in the rulebook) · Z-Man Games
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