Lost Cities Review

Lost Cities is a light card game by Dr. Reiner Knizia. In the game, you and your opponent play adventurers who start expeditions using like colored cards (yellow, green, blue, red, and white), which which are played in ascending order. The tension in the game comes from the other player having (or wanting) the cards of a similar color.

Each time a player starts an expedition (by laying down a colored card of a certain number), there is an automatic deduction of 20 points so each player has to try their hardest to build up that expedition to clear that amount (lest they get negative points) or balance this out by starting other expeditions that will gain them lots of points when the last card is drawn.

Theme (4.5 /10)

The game is all about adventure and the game does a decent job of depicting this with the artwork on the cards and the central discard board but other than that, the game isn't exactly oozing with the theme of adventure.

Price ( 7/10)

On Amazon, you can pick up Lost Cities for a little under $20 which is about what you'd expect for a Kosmos 2 player game. Some people may say it's a bit much for an oversized deck of cards but for the amount of times you'll be playing the game, I'd say it's totally worth it.

Quality (7/10)

The cards are oversized and have a nice glossy finish to them. They do get scuffed after repeated play so if you're worried about this, go out and buy some card sleeves. The central discard board is thick and durable so it should withstand repeated plays.

Learning (10/10)

Teaching and learning this game is a cinch. The rulebook is short and concise, giving excellent examples of gameplay. You may need to refer to the rulebook with your first play but after that, you won't ever need to look at it again.

Weight (2/10)

This game is extremely light and I wouldn't have it any other way! The setup time is almost non-existent so you and your significant other can easily play it on a whim and be done before going to bed. It's also a great filler in between longer, meatier games.

Luck (8/10)

You're pretty much drawing cards on each turn so the luck factor is quite high. Be resigned to the fact that there will be games when you get a bunch of really low value cards and your opponent rips you apart because he/she has the majority of cards of a certain color that you were hoping for. Thankfully, the games are nice and short so you can play multiple times to help balance out the luck factor.

Length (2/10)

As I mentioned above, a game of Lost Cities can go from 10-20 minutes so it's very easy to have multiple sessions before the night is through. My wife and I usually play about three games that last under an hour.

For more information on Lost Cities, visit www.boardgamegeek.com