Bidmeadman's Besties: June

This month's Bestie is a short, compact, perfectly formed 2-4 player game called Love Letter (AEG).

No need for fancy extras, like a box.

Princess Annette is heartbroken, following the arrest of her mother, Queen Marianna. As a player you are a suitor looking to court Annette and bring her some joy and affection. However, the Princess has locked herself in the palace, so you must rely on intermediaries to carry your love letter to her before the day is out.

Love Letter consists of 16 cards, each has a character, an ability and a number on it. There are eight characters in total, so some of the cards are duplicates. At the start of a round each player gets dealt a card. On a turn you draw a new card and then discard one of the two cards in front of you, activating the ability of the discarded card. A player wins a round by being the last player to be knocked out, or - if the deck runs out with two or more people still in play - by having hold of the card with the highest value. Rounds continue until someone has won a predetermined number of rounds.

I've never seen so much back story and characterisation in such a small, simple game. Love Letter is among a series of games based within the fictional city-state of Tempest. The rulebook gives a small insight into the world, along with setting up the story behind Love Letter and giving detailed descriptions for each of the characters on the cards. It's an awful lot for what is essentially a 20 minute game of deduction and luck, but the theme feels genuine and purposeful. The artwork is beautiful and thematic too.

Love Letter is an ideal filler game or warm-up game. It's short, relaxing and simple but with just enough deduction, bluffing and luck to keep things interesting. It is, absolutely, one of my favourite fillers to play. It's also ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon, when you are all sleepy from too much food but still have a hankering for a quick game. My wife and I have discovered that it's possible to play a game during breakfast, while the little one is busy munching on toast.

If you plan to play around food I recommend card sleeves.

The abilities are well matched with the values on the cards. The higher scoring cards are what you want for winning the game, but they are risky. The longer you hold on to a high card the more likely someone's going to play something that sends you out of the round. You have to think on your feet and adapt to each card that gets played, being mindful of what cards have been played, and therefore, which ones are likely to be in your opponent's hand.

The mechanics couldn't be simpler: draw a card, play a card - and you never have in your hand more than two cards. But the card abilities are varied and unique, and all have a great synergistic quality (not always in your favour). The balance of the cards and the simplicity of play means no one has a clear advantage while playing.

If you are looking for a quick, casual card game that is easy to learn and relaxing, with enough strategy, luck and theme to bring you back again and again, Love Letter would be hard to beat. I struggle to think of another game I've played that balances simplicity and enjoyment so well.