Lost Cities Rules

Lost Cities: A Strategic Expedition into the World of Board Games

Game Overview

Lost Cities is a two-player strategic card game. The game requires a game board, 60 playing cards (45 Expedition cards and 15 Wager cards), and a pen and paper for scoring across several games.

Objective

The objective of Lost Cities is to form expedition routes that earn you as many discovery points as possible, by subtracting the expedition costs from the total values of your cards. The player with the most discovery points at the end of three games wins.

Setup

Place the game board between the two players. The game board depicts five spaces for discard piles. Shuffle the 60 playing cards and give eight cards face down to each player. Organize the remaining cards into a draw pile and place them face down beside the game board.

How to Play

The oldest player begins, and afterward, the players alternate turns. Each player can only place cards on his or her side of the game board. During your turn, you must first place one of the cards from your hand. Only afterward are you allowed to draw a new card.

Placing a Card

You have two options:

Place a Card in One of Your Own Columns: Use the card to start a new column on your side or to extend one of the columns you have already started. Place the card face up on your side of the game board, below the space for the discard pile of the corresponding color. You may only place additional cards at the end of a column. Important: Each new card that you place in a column must have a higher value than the most recent card you have placed in this column. Place the cards in a column overlapping each other in such a way that the numbers of all cards are clearly visible. A wager card may only be placed at the beginning of a column. You may place multiple wager cards in a column. However, as soon as you have placed a number card in a column, you no longer may play any wager cards of this column's color.
Discard a Card: If you don't want (or can't) place a card in a column, you must place a card from your hand face up on the game board - more specifically, on the space for the discard pile of the corresponding color.

Drawing a Card

Draw a new card into your hand. You may choose between the top cards of the five discard piles (if cards have been placed there) and the top card of the draw pile. However, you are not allowed to draw the same card you have just discarded. Once you have drawn a card, your turn ends.

End of the Game

The game ends as soon as a player draws the last card from the draw pile. Near the game's end, the players may agree to fan out the face-down draw pile a little and count the remaining cards to enable the players to estimate the number of turns before the game ends.

When the game ends, each player's columns of cards are scored. To do this, tally up the values of all cards in a column. From each row's sum, subtract 20 points for the cost of that row's expedition. Important: If you haven't placed any cards of a certain color, no expedition costs are incurred for this color. If one, two, or three wager cards were placed at the beginning of a column, multiply the result by 2, 3, or 4, respectively. Hence, a column can earn you positive or negative points. If you haven't placed any cards of a certain color, you don't earn any points for this color, because there is no column. Furthermore, each column consisting of at least eight cards earns its owner a bonus of 20 points in addition to the number of points already determined, regardless of how many wager cards the column contains. Write down the number of points obtained by each player, shuffle all cards, and once again give each player eight cards for the next game. The player who has more points begins.

Common Variants

The rules do not add any official variant to the base game: the standard format is simply a match of three games whose scores are added up. Near the end of a game, both players may agree to fan out the face-down draw pile a little and count the remaining cards, so they can estimate how many turns are left.

A Fun Fact or Record

The scoring is what gives the game its bite: every expedition you start costs 20 points, but a colour in which you never placed a single card costs you nothing at all. Opening a column and then adding only one or two low cards is therefore far worse than never opening it.

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Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Failing to plan ahead: Plan your moves carefully, as the game requires strategic thinking and forward planning.
Overemphasizing wagers: While wagers can multiply your points, they also increase the risk of negative scores. Be mindful of when to use them.
Neglecting certain colors: Don't ignore any color for too long, as it can lead to missed opportunities for high-scoring columns.

FAQ

Q: Can I play Lost Cities with more than two players? A: No, Lost Cities is designed for two players only.
Q: Can I play Lost Cities with fewer than eight cards in my hand? A: No, each player always starts with eight cards in their hand.
Q: Can I play a wager card in the middle of a column? A: No, wager cards can only be placed at the beginning of a column.
Q: Can I take back the card I have just discarded? A: No. You may draw from the top of any discard pile, but never the card you discarded on that same turn. Once you have drawn, your turn ends.
Q: Is there a specific strategy to play Lost Cities? A: While there is no one-size-fits-all strategy, players often focus on building long columns with few wagers to minimize the risk of negative scores.

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