Lost Cities Board Game

by Rio Grande Games

Product Features

• For 2-5 players
• Takes 45-60 minutes to play
• Tons of replay value
• 2008 Spiel des Jahres Winner

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 11.8 x 2.9 inches ; 2.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001LPAMHO
• Item model number: 380RGG
• Manufacturer recommended age: 12 - 16 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,097 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Each player leads a five-member group of four adventurers and a researcher on the search for lost cities. To reach each city, the players must travel a separate path nine steps long. On a player‘s turn, he plays a card and moves one of his adventurers or his researcher. The color of the card played determines which path the figure moves on. The player should try to play a card of low value, because when the player wants to move this adventurer again, he must play a card of equal or higher value. Each player must send his adventurers on different paths - no two from the same player on athe same path. A player may send all his adventurers to search, but need not. The goal is it to get one‘s adventurers as far as possible along the paths they travel since the first steps of a path score minus points. Only the later steps on a path score positive points. At the end of the game, the winner is the player who earned the most points. Artifacts, which adventurers can collect along the way, also earn the player‘s points toward a possible victory. Also, the researcher (the larger figure) is more valuable than the adventurers during the scoring at the end, the player doubles its points, making it imperative to move it as far along its path as possible. For 2-5 players. Takes 45-60 minutes to play. Tons of replay value.

Product Description

Each player leads a five-member group of four adventurers and a researcher on the search for lost cities. To reach each city, the players must travel a separate path nine steps long. On a player's turn, he plays a card and moves one of his adventurers or his researcher. The color of the card played determines which path the figure moves on. The player should try to play a card of low value, because when the player wants to move this adventurer again, he must play a card of equal or higher value. Each player must send his adventurers on different paths - no two from the same player on athe same path. A player may send all his adventurers to search, but need not. The goal is it to get one's adventurers as far as possible along the paths they travel since the first steps of a path score minus points. Only the later steps on a path score positive points. At the end of the game, the winner is the player who earned the most points. Artifacts, which adventurers can collect along the way, also earn the player's points toward a possible victory. Also, the researcher (the larger figure) is more valuable than the adventurers: during the scoring at the end, the player doubles its points, making it imperative to move it as far along its path as possible.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Game!!!, December 8, 2009

By 

Jeremy Tye "Board Game Lover" (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Lost Cities Board Game (Kitchen)

This is my first game review I have ever written. When I saw that noone had reviewed this game yet, I thought I should write one. I have over 70 Board Games and love looking for new ones!

I did some homework on the 2 player version and found out that it was a must buy game. I wanted to get it, but we have game night about twice a week at our house with at least one other couple and thought that if they could make this game 4 player I would get it...they did!

We have had this game only for a couple of days, and my wife and I have already played it about 7 times and LOVE IT. Our other friends have come over to play it as well and they love it too. The board is beautiful (visually appealing games are always a bonus) and the game-play is unique with little pieces that are well made and also look good. The great thing is that the game is just as much fun 2 player as it is 3 or 4 player (4 is max).

The game is played in 3 "expedition rounds". The basis of the game is laying down cards in order - lowest to highest, or highest to lowest to move your explorers (5 in all) along trails that are 9 steps long (all the steps have point values on them). Along the way the explorers will pick up artefacts and money that they will use to combine with the money that is awarded when each round of play comes to an end. One of the things we like about this game is that all the games we played so far have been very close scores at the end. We love games that one person can't run away with the game and take all the joy of everyone else feeling left out.

The game honestly takes about 5-10 minutes to learn how to play and about 5 minutes to set up each round of "expeditions". If you love games that are easy to learn how to play, but are still a challenge to win and have a huge amount of "replay-ability"...buy this game, you won't be dissapointed! We play tons of games and already have plenty of favorites, but this one jumped right up there into the favorites list.

Thank you for reading my first review ever...sorry it was so long,
Jeremy(age 32)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another family favorite, June 28, 2011

By 

chefdevergue (Spokane, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Lost Cities Board Game (Kitchen)

"How did Santa know that I would like this game so much?" asked our almost 8-year-old daughter last night, after we finished the short version of the game. It was not always thus; we got this game for Christmas 2009, and she has spent the last 18 months learning how to see the larger strategies to be found within the game, going from finishing a very distant fourth to now losing to me by just a whisker last night. At one point she said she really wasn't interested in playing this anymore, but now she has come full circle and loves striving for that elusive first win against parents who show her no mercy.

And of course, understanding that being dealt a garbage hand isn't the end of the world is the key to understanding and loving this game. You can get the crappiest cards in the world and still win, if you know what to do with them, and when to play them. It's all about management and timing. You can also capitalize off the carelessness of opponents. This being a Knizia game, the opportunities for truly screwing over your opponents isn't going to be here. This is definitely something to keep in mind, so if your gaming instincts tend to be more vicious and bloodthirsty, then this probably isn't the game for you. However, it is a great way to spend an evening with the family! We love it.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best games I own, January 5, 2010

By 

G. J. Monson (Ogden, UT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Lost Cities Board Game (Kitchen)

This game is great. It's way fun playing it with only two players, which I have found that most games are not as fun played with only two players. It's also a blast with a group. Do yourself a favor and get this game! I would also recommend this version over the 2 player card game version.