Lost Cities is a tense two-player card game where players mount archaeological expeditions to five different colored destinations. Players must play cards in ascending numerical order while deciding whether to start expeditions or risk waiting for better cards, creating challenging risk-reward decisions.
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The Verdict
based on 15 reviews
“Lost Cities is a personal favorite, and is also a favorite of my wife’s. Indeed, after first playing the game back in 1999, it was the very first game my wife every told me to purchase. That alone is high, high praise!”
The reviewer enthusiastically praises Lost Cities as a fantastic and highly recommended two-player card game, emphasizing its strategic depth and skill over randomness, particularly favoring the five-expedition version for its tighter gameplay.
Tom Vasel considers "Lost Cities" to be one of the best two-player games ever designed, praising it as a fantastic and highly recommended title that offers engaging push-your-luck and player-reading mechanics.
The reviewer highly recommends Lost Cities as one of their favorite two-player card games of all time, highlighting its tense gameplay and clever interaction stemming from discarding cards that an opponent might utilize. They particularly praise its suitability for couples, describing it as a timeless game.
“Wrapping up, Lost Cities is a gem for those who love strategy with a hint of luck. So, if you’re on the hunt for a game that’s easy to get into but keeps you thinking, Lost Cities is a fantastic pick.”
“The masterstroke of Lost Cities is that you often wish you could pass. It is a card game that takes advantage of the central limitation of card games, that you only know what you have in your hand, and makes it the point of the design.”
“The reviewer enthusiastically praises "Lost Cities" as an exhilarating two-player game, highlighting its simple design packed with tension and risk-taking, and how it fosters continuous excitement through its round-to-round scoring and dynamic gameplay.”
The reviewer enthusiastically praises Lost Cities as an absolute classic, noting its effective blend of simple rules with engaging, tense gameplay and meaningful decisions, making it an excellent two-player card game.
The reviewer highly praises 'Lost Cities: The Board Game' for its thematic integration and fast-paced gameplay that effectively mitigates luck over multiple rounds, though they find playing three rounds to be slightly too long.
“Lost Cities is hands-down one of the best two-player-only games I’ve played. It’s quick and tense, the rules are simple to grasp, and the game offers meaningful decisions on every turn.”
The reviewer likely considers 'Lost Cities' to be a highly engaging and enjoyable two-player card game, praised for its simple rules and strategic depth that offers a satisfying experience for players.
The reviewer highly recommends Lost Cities as a fun, strategic, and simple two-player card game, particularly suitable for quick sessions before other activities, though they note it's not ideal for more than two players.
The reviewer considers "Lost Cities" to be a solid and enduring two-player card game, though they personally find it somewhat overhyped compared to other modern alternatives.
“Lost Cities may be old but I’m yet to see another game improve on it. If you already love and own this game then keep exploring with Reiner Knizia’s The Quest for El Dorado.”
The reviewer found "Lost Cities" to be a casual and simple game suitable for beginners and families, but questioned its long-term replayability and overall contention compared to other available games, citing a significant luck factor in card drawing.
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