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Amazon.com Search | |  | Lost Cities - an Award Winning Card Game for Two Players by Rio Grande Games Rio Grande | Home » » » Lost Cities | | | | | | WARNING:| CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs. |
| | | Description: | | For the daring and adventurous, there are many lost cities to explore in the Lost Cities Card Game from Rio Grande Games. Send expeditions to the Himalayas, the ever-shifting sands of the desert, the Brazilian rain forest, ancient volcanoes and even deep into Neptuneâ€s realm. With limited resources, players must choose which expeditions to begin. Those with high confidence may want to up the stakes: increasing the rewards for success, but risking more should the expedition fail. The player who finds the right balance will find victory! Lose yourself in the excitement of this engaging strategy game! | | | Features: | |
• For 2 players
• Great strategy game
• Tons of replay value
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 7.9 inches | | Product Width:
| 7.9 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.2 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.0 pounds | | Package Length:
| 8.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 7.8 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.3 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.05 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 92 reviews |
| | Lost Cities Game Review by Charis Games
Title: Lost Cities
Designer: Reiner Knizia
Publisher: Kosmos and Rio Grande Games (1999)
Game Time: 20-30 Minutes
Ages: 10+
Designed by Reiner Knizia, Lost Cities is a highly addictive 30 minute card game for two. It has been called “One of the BEST two-player games ever.” This is due to the fact that the game mechanic
employs a good bit of decision-making and suspense in the game play.
The theme of Lost Cities centers around creating and completing expeditions for lost treasures. The tension of the game is found in the interaction between the two players and the risk/reward factor of
beginning new expeditions.
Lost Cities has a Rummy-type feel to the game and includes a suspense factor that keeps you engaged throughout the game play. Each turn involves playing and drawing a card (the Rummy theme). Beginning a new expedition costs you 20 points. If the game ends before you complete the expedition, then you may find yourself scoring negative points.
You can play investment cards which multiply you rewards (or losses). During the game, you will find yourself examining the cards in your hand, the cards (expeditions) on the table, and weighing the odds of what cards you can expect to draw and see your opponent play.
Lost Cities is a great couples game and fits the niche for a quick card game that can be played after dinner.
| | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 92 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 71 found the following review helpful:
 Addictive FunJul 29, 2005
By Wisconsin Dad
My wife and I purchased this game 1 month ago and can't stop playing it. Lost Cities is a great mix of strategy, ease of game play, and just random luck. The game takes less than 10 minutes to learn, and after a few games about 15 minutes to play. You will find yourself constantly saying, "Let's play just one more time." Ultimately, that is the best statement one can make about any game.
Gameplay consists of playing from a hand of 8 cards, and trying to accumulate more points than your opponent. While there is strategy involved, generally you are playing as much against yourself as you are your opponent. If you get to aggresive in trying to build up only one of the 5 available locations, you might just get greedy for points and run out of time. We do this all the time, and love it! Generally, when my wife and I lose a game, it can be said that it's just as much our fault as it is our opponents ability to score points and beat us.
Try it, you won't regret it. (...)you won't find a more addictively fun game. "Let's play again!" For 1 to 2 players, or if you buy 2 sets of the game, 4 can play.
44 of 44 found the following review helpful:
Easy to pick up and hard to put downJan 07, 2007
By Atomicwasteland
This game is a great way to pass twenty to thirty minutes. It is very easy to learn and does not have any pieces to lose, or money to count. The strategies, however, are numerous, and there is an equal amount of luck as skill involved in good gameplay.
I really liked how the game could ONLY be played with two people, as I was tired of games that COULD be played with two, but which were really meant to be enjoyed by three or more...
Game Contents: 1 deck of game cards, and one small board. Note: If you want to make this game really portable you don't even need to bring the board. It is just a place to put discarded cards and a way to help organize your cards. As long as you have a pencil and paper for scoring at the end of the game, you can play it everywhere that you have a table. (I figure you need as much space to lay down your cards as the size of a typical Monopoly board).
Playing Note: One thing that was initially a little confusing to us when we were reading the instructions, was that the instructions do not explain that you are to place your cards on the opposite side of the board as your opponent. You can each play all 5 expeditions, in a head to head manner. We were sitting on a couch at a coffee table, and we had turned the board horizontally to face us (instead of vertically) and the instructions were confusing until we moved the board 90 degrees. The game designers assumed that you would play the game as one would play a game of checkers, sitting across from one another, but you don't actually have to play this way, even though you DO need to turn your board for the same effect.
This game is really fun and I would highly recommend other games from the same manufacturer (Rio Grande Games). They really have a knack for publishing great strategy games. They even release expansion sets to their popular games, and they credit the players who gave them the ideas for the expansion cards. Pretty neat!
31 of 32 found the following review helpful:
Great Husband - Wife GameFeb 25, 2007
By J. Nipar
Everyone who plays this game says the same thing: It is a masterpiece, it is intriguing, and it is fun. There's a palatable depth to the game, too, that opens up after a few sittings. And it's quick and simple to setup - you can turn off the TV and play a round before bed.
If you were to be critical of the game, two things stand out. The playing cards are not laminated, which could be taken as a lack of quality in construction. And the exploration theme of the game is mostly irrelevant. Players could just as well be building skyscrapers. Neither my wife nor I found these (2) items to be an issue.
If you're looking for a unique and challenging game to play with your husband or wife, then Lost Cities is worth your money.
24 of 29 found the following review helpful:
 We didn't enjoy this game.Dec 14, 2008
By Nick
My wife and I purchased this game after reading all the positive reviews. We play a lot of different types of board games (Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, etc.) and were looking for a fun, light, card game to play. This game felt more like a 2-player version of solitaire. Also, why buy this game? Basically, read the rules at Rio Grande Games (The link is posted in my comments, Amazon won't let me post it here).
Then, take a STANDARD deck of cards and:
1. Put each Ace in a row on the table, these are the 'Expeditions'.
2. The Kings, Queens, and Jacks are your 'Investment Cards'.
3. Play the game as normal.
In the Lost Cities card game you have 5 suits instead of 4. That's the only difference between buying the game and my version of using a standard deck.
21 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Addicitive 2 Player GameDec 05, 2003
By K. Sampanthar
"Inventor of ThinkCube"
An amazingly addictive two player game from Reiner Knizia. Knizia is famous for his prolific talent for creating unique game designs. This is no exception. Even though I am not the biggest fan of card games, I found this game to be great fun!The game is easy to learn (if you have played any card games before this will be cinch to pick up). The general reaction to playing this game is to want to play a second game, this is a good sign for a game....
See all 92 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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