<p>I did not find the rules stated below from the <a href="http://www.alderac.com/tempest/files/2012/09/Love_Letter_Rules_Final.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">English rulebook</a> (Alderac). Maybe they did not have this situation during the early test games. The Finnish/Swedish/Danish/Norwegian rulebook (Nordic version, Lautapelit.fi), has been published a bit later, and there is a solution for this problem.</p>

<hr>

<h2>Tie-breaker for the winner of a round</h2>

<p>The round ends if one player cannot draw a card at his turn. Then you compare the cards in your hands. If you both have the same card you will have to calculate the sum of the cards you have discarded. The rules say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>whoever has the highest sum will win the round.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This implies that <strong>if you both have the same card in your hands and the same sum, you will both win the round</strong> (i.e., that round has multiple winners). This rule (that there might be multiple winners) is confirmed in the section concerning the beginning of a new round. It says: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The player who won the last round will start the next round. <strong>If the
  round had multiple winners, the youngest one will start.</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<h2>But what if this happens and the game ends?</h2>

<p>This might also lead into a (very rare) situation, <strong>when the entire game ends and two players have to equal amount of points</strong>. The rulebook of the Nordic version states:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>When a player collects the required number of points/hearts, he wins
  the game and conquers the heart of the Princess. <strong>In the case of
  draw, the youngest player wins.</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>So, quite thematically, the Princess prefers to fall in love with the younger guy ;) (In a real life situation, it might happen that the fate favours the one who has more digits in his bank account. But the Princess does not lack in riches so...)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-29T17:39:11.793Z
Ugh, what a terrible official ruling! I'd much rather just call it a joint victory than have someone win arbitrarily.
Samthere
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-03T20:11:30.393Z
@Samthere Have you tried being younger when this situation comes up? It might help.
Veskah
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-04T06:12:22.547Z
@Samthere the problem with a joint victory is that thematically, the winner gets to marry the princess, and apparently this kingdom does not practice poligamy.
Arcanist Lupus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-04T20:01:54.980Z
I just want to add that in online implementation on BoardGameArena.com this situation results in a draw and no one gets a point.
Deo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-10T08:59:27.770Z
@Veskah If a group/family wants to let someone win because they're younger, that's fine. I think it's a terrible rule to include in the rulebook.
Samthere
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-14T10:54:25.113Z
Younger in age, or "youngest hand" (i.e., the person who received cards last as they were dealt)?
TRiG
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-14T11:02:50.560Z
I would interpret it to mean the youngest person in age.
Niko Fohr
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-27T08:31:24.797Z
2018-04-03T07:35:17.563Z
2018-04-03T07:35:17.563Z
Niko Fohr
<p>At the end of the game, both remaining players have a Baron. </p>

<p>The sum of all cards discarded by both players is equal.</p>

<p>Who wins?</p>

<love-letter>
How can we determine the winner in Love Letter if the last two players tie and have the same value of cards discarded?
merlin2011
# How can we determine the winner in Love Letter if the last two players tie and have the same value of cards discarded?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-27)

At the end of the game, both remaining players have a Baron.

The sum of all cards discarded by both players is equal.

Who wins?

**Tags:** love-letter


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-04-27. Score: 20 | Accepted answer

I did not find the rules stated below from the [English rulebook](http://www.alderac.com/tempest/files/2012/09/Love_Letter_Rules_Final.pdf) (Alderac). Maybe they did not have this situation during the early test games. The Finnish/Swedish/Danish/Norwegian rulebook (Nordic version, Lautapelit.fi), has been published a bit later, and there is a solution for this problem.

---

## Tie-breaker for the winner of a round

The round ends if one player cannot draw a card at his turn. Then you compare the cards in your hands. If you both have the same card you will have to calculate the sum of the cards you have discarded. The rules say:

> whoever has the highest sum will win the round.

This implies that **if you both have the same card in your hands and the same sum, you will both win the round** (i.e., that round has multiple winners). This rule (that there might be multiple winners) is confirmed in the section concerning the beginning of a new round. It says:

> The player who won the last round will start the next round. **If the
> round had multiple winners, the youngest one will start.**

## But what if this happens and the game ends?

This might also lead into a (very rare) situation, **when the entire game ends and two players have to equal amount of points**. The rulebook of the Nordic version states:

> When a player collects the required number of points/hearts, he wins
> the game and conquers the heart of the Princess. **In the case of
> draw, the youngest player wins.**

So, quite thematically, the Princess prefers to fall in love with the younger guy ;) (In a real life situation, it might happen that the fate favours the one who has more digits in his bank account. But the Princess does not lack in riches so...)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Ugh, what a terrible official ruling! I'd much rather just call it a joint victory than have someone win arbitrarily.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 Have you tried being younger when this situation comes up? It might help.  
> **username_4**: @username_2 the problem with a joint victory is that thematically, the winner gets to marry the princess, and apparently this kingdom does not practice poligamy.  
> **username_5**: I just want to add that in online implementation on BoardGameArena.com this situation results in a draw and no one gets a point.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 If a group/family wants to let someone win because they're younger, that's fine. I think it's a terrible rule to include in the rulebook.  
> **username_6**: Younger in age, or "youngest hand" (i.e., the person who received cards last as they were dealt)?  
> **username_1**: I would interpret it to mean the youngest person in age.  

---

