Recommended Game: Lost Cities

by Coltrane

Title:  Lost Cities

Game Type:  Risk management card game. 

Number of Players:  2

Complexity of Rules:  Low

Time to Play:  20-30 minutes, tops.

The concept:  Both players work on their own expeditions — the object is to have the more profitable expeditions at the end of the game.  Players must use caution — initiating an expedition has a steep price, and a “money-sink”  venture can end the chances of winning.

Further explanation:  There are five colors of “suits” (yellow, blue, white, black, and red).  Each color represents a possible expedition for each player.  The suits are numbered 1-10, and there are three “investment” (multiplier) cards in each suit. 

Each player starts with 8 cards.  The first player must either play a card onto an expedition, or opt to discard a card.  Whether the player chooses to “play” or “discard”, the color of the card must match the color of the expedition.  (In other words, a “red” card must be placed onto a “red” expedition.)  The player’s turn concludes with drawing a card either from the top of the deck or from the top of one of the discard stacks.  The Twist:  Each card “played” to an expedition must be higher in number than the last one laid down.  Also, “investment” (multiplier) cards may be played at the outset of an expedition — before any numbered cards are added.  This dramatically increases the payout/loss potential of that expedition.

Why I like it:  Lost Cities is a fast, breezy game that’s portable and goes well with beverages.  It has a good amount of strategy for a game that can be learned in minutes.

BoardGameGeek link here.  More reviews are in the forums, about 2/3 of the way down the page.

Available at Gary’s Games in Seattle or at Amazon.com.