Lost Cities Game Rules

Hi there! Ready to embark on a thrilling adventure through ancient civilizations? Look no further – I’ve got just the game for you! Welcome to Lost Cities, where intrepid explorers like you delve into hidden secrets and untold treasures.

So, let’s dive in and discover the rules of this exciting game. The objective is simple: you must assemble successful expeditions to different ancient cities. To do this, you’ll need to start by choosing a color, either red, blue, green, yellow, or white.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – with so many colors, how can I possibly choose? Well, the key is to consider your options carefully. Each color represents a different expedition, giving you diverse opportunities to explore.

Once you’ve made your choice, it’s time to prepare the cards. There are five suits in the game, each corresponding to one of the colored expeditions. The suits consist of cards numbered from 2 to 10, as well as three investment cards to support your explorations.

Here’s how it works: at the start of the game, players are dealt eight cards each. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, not quite. You see, it’s essential to manage your hand wisely. As you play, you’ll need to strategically place your cards in ascending order, per expedition.

But be careful – once you’ve placed a card in a specific row, you can’t move it. This makes every decision a thoughtful one. You’ll need to think several steps ahead – a true test of your strategic thinking!

The game lasts three rounds, and at the end of each round, you’ll score points based on your progress in each expedition. The further you’ve developed an expedition, the more points you’ll earn. However, be warned – unexplored expeditions result in negative points, so choose your paths wisely.

And there you have it, fellow adventurer! The captivating world of Lost Cities awaits you. It’s time to explore ancient wonders, make daring decisions, and chase after unimaginable riches. So gather your courage, grab your deck of cards, and set forth on the journey of a lifetime. May fortune smile upon you!

Let’s set up the game! We’ll start by placing the game board between the two players. The board has five spaces for discard piles.

Now, it’s time to shuffle the deck. Take the 60 playing cards and mix them up. Once they’re shuffled, deal eight cards face down to each player. The rest of the cards will make up the draw pile, which should be placed face down beside the game board.

If we’re playing multiple games, we should keep a pen and paper handy to keep track of the scores as we go.

The Goal of the Game

Our goal, as players, is to create routes for expeditions that will earn us discovery points, after subtracting the cost of the expedition. To set up our expeditions, we’ll create separate columns of cards for each color. The numbers on the cards in each column must increase as we go down.

If we want to boost the value of a column, we can place wager cards at the beginning of that column. Once the game is over, we’ll score the cards in our columns.

Watch the Tutorial Video

Your Turn

The player who’s oldest goes first, and then we take turns. Remember, we can only place cards on our side of the game board.

When it’s your turn, start by placing a card from your hand. Only after you’ve placed a card are you allowed to draw a new one.

Placing a Card

When you’re playing this game, you have a choice to make. Pick a card from your hand and think about your next move carefully.

Option 1: Add a Card to Your Own Column

Option 2: Get Rid of a Card

If you don’t want to or can’t place a card in a column, you can put a card from your hand face up on the game board. Specifically, you place it on the space for the corresponding color’s discard pile. As you play, you’ll form five discard piles, one for each color. Make sure that only the top card is visible on each pile.

Take a Card

Take a new card and add it to your hand. You have two options: you can choose the top card from one of the five discard piles (if there are any cards there), or you can choose the top card from the draw pile.

However, you cannot take the same card that you just put in the discard pile. After you take a card, your turn is over.

Game Over

The game ends when I draw the final card from the draw pile. It’s a suspenseful moment, knowing that the next card will determine the outcome.

As we approach the game’s conclusion, we might decide to peek at the remaining cards in the draw pile. It helps us estimate how much longer the game will last. It’s like a countdown that builds up excitement.

Once the game is over, it’s time to score our columns of cards. I add up the values of all the cards in each column. Then, I subtract 20 points for the cost of each row’s expedition. This way, I can see how profitable my voyages were.

Here’s an important detail to remember: if I didn’t place any cards of a particular color, I don’t have to pay any expedition costs for that color. It’s like catching a lucky break!

Now, let’s talk about wager cards. If I placed one at the start of a column, I double my final score. If there were two wager cards, I triple it. And if I went all in with three wager cards, my score gets multiplied by four. It’s a risky move, but it can pay off big time!

So, here’s the thing: columns in this game can be either your best friend or your worst enemy. They can earn you points, or they can cost you points. It all depends on how you play.

Let me break it down for you. If you haven’t placed any cards of a certain color in a column, that means there’s no column. And if there’s no column, well, you don’t earn any points for that color. It’s as simple as that.

But wait, there’s more! If you manage to build a column that’s made up of at least eight cards, you get a bonus. And let me tell you, this bonus is big. It’s worth 20 points! And the best part is, it doesn’t matter how many wager cards are in that column. The bonus is guaranteed.

Now, after each game, you’re gonna want to keep track of the points you’ve earned. So grab a pen and write them down. Then, shuffle all the cards, and deal out eight cards to each player for the next round. And here’s a little tip: the player who has the most points gets to go first in the next game. So make sure you’re playing your cards right.

Here’s the deal. After three games, the player with the highest total score wins. So keep playing, keep earning those points, and aim for that top spot. You got this!