Card games
Lost Cities
IELLOReiner Knizia1999
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 30
- years
- 10+
In the box
60 cards: 5 expeditions, each numbered 2 to 10 with 3 wager cards · 1 board
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designer
- Reiner Knizia
- Publisher
- IELLO
- Mechanics
- Hand ManagementOrderingPush Your LuckSet Collection
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Two players lead expeditions in five colours, but each one started costs 20 points: you have to push it far enough for it to pay off. On your turn, play a card in your expedition of its colour, in ascending order and wager cards first, or discard it, then draw from the draw pile or a discard pile. The round stops as soon as the last card of the draw pile is taken; after three rounds, the highest total wins.
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 players, 8 cards each, 5 expedition colours
- The game has five expedition colours; each has cards from 2 to 10 and three wager cards.
- The board goes between the two players: one discard space per colour.
- Each player is dealt 8 cards; the rest form the draw pile.
How to play
Play a card, Expedition or discard, Then draw
- On your turn, you do two things in order: play a card, then draw a card.
- Play: either place it in your expedition of that colour, on your side, or discard it face up on the space of its colour.
- Within an expedition, cards are played in ascending order. Wager cards are played before any number.
- Draw: the top card of the draw pile, or the top card of a discard pile — but not the one you have just discarded.
Scoring
Total minus 20, ×2, ×3 or ×4, 8 cards: +20
- An expedition never started scores nothing.
- A started expedition: the total of the cards played, minus 20.
- The result is multiplied by 2, 3 or 4 with one, two or three wager cards — losses included.
- An expedition of 8 cards or more scores 20 extra points, added after the multiplication.
End of the game
Draw pile runs out, 3 rounds, Highest total
- The round stops as soon as the last card of the draw pile is taken.
- Three rounds are played; the highest total wins.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
Can you play a 5 after a 7?
No. Within an expedition, each card must be higher than the one before. A 5 that turns up too late is discarded or stays in your hand.
Do you always have to play a card?
Yes: every turn starts by playing or discarding a card. You are not allowed to keep your hand intact, which sometimes forces you to open an expedition reluctantly.