1999 BGG rank #346

Lost Cities

2 players 30 min Ages 10+ 1.5/5 complexity 7.2/10 rating

About this game

Lost Cities is a card game in the Kosmos two-player series. The game originally consisted of a single deck of cards of rank 2–10 in five different colors with three special "handshakes" ("HS" in scoring examples below) in each suit, but as of 2018 the game now includes six colored suits, with the sixth color being optional for gameplay. A game board is included to organize discarded cards and help players organize their card collections. The object of the game is to gain points by mounting profitable archaeological expeditions to the different sites represented by the colored suits of cards. On a player's turn, they must first play one card, either to an expedition or by discarding it to the color-appropriate discard pile, then draw one card, either from the deck or from the top of a discard pile. Cards played to expeditions must be in ascending order, but they need not be consecutive. Handshakes are considered lower than a 2 and represent investments in an expedition. Thus, if you play a red 4, you may play any other red card higher than a 4 on a future turn but may no longer play a handshake, the 2, or the 3. The game continues in this fashion with players alternating turns until the final card is taken from the deck. The rest of the cards in hand are then discarded and players score their expeditions. Each expedition that has at least one card played into it must be scored. Cards played into an expedition are worth their rank in points, and handshakes count as a multiplier against your final total; one handshake doubles an expedition's value, while two handshakes triples that value and three handshakes quadruple it. Expeditions start at a value of -20, so you must play at least 20 points of cards into an expedition in order to make a profit. If you are left with a negative value and have a handshake, the multiplier still applies. A 20-point bonus is awarded to every expedition with at least eight cards played into it. A complete game of Lost Cities lasts three matches, with scores for each match being added together. Scoring example 1: An expedition has a 2,3,7,8,10 for a total of 30. This expedition is worth 10 total points: 30 plus the initial -20. Scoring example 2: An expedition has 2 HS, and 4,5,6,7,8,10 for a total of 40. This expedition is worth 80 total points: 40 points for cards, plus the initial -20, ×3 for the two multipliers, plus the 20-pt bonus for playing 8+ cards. Scoring example 3: An expedition has 1 HS, and 4,6,7 for a total of 17. This expedition is worth -6 total points: 17 plus the initial -20, ×2 for the multiplier.

What it feels like

Melding and Splaying Set Collection Push Your Luck Score-and-Reset Game Hand Management Ordering Exploration Card Game Number Archaeology / Paleontology

Explore these mechanics in Cardboard

Start an original prototype from reusable design patterns—not this game's content.

Open mechanics workbench

Game intelligence

Learn the game

100% knowledge coverage

Setup

1. Place the 5 destination layout cards (number 1 cards) in the center of the table between the two players — these mark the five expedition destinations on the board. 2. Decide how many rounds to play (three rounds is recommended). If playing multiple rounds, have paper and pencil ready to record scores. 3. Shuffle all 65 cards together. 4. Deal 8 cards face down to each player. Place the remaining cards face down in a central draw pile. 5. Players may now look at their cards; these are their starting hands. 6. The oldest player takes the first turn.

Turn flow

Play proceeds with the oldest player going first; players then alternate turns. On your turn you MUST do both of the following steps in order: STEP 1 — Play a card (mandatory, choose one option): A) Add a card to an expedition: Place a card from your hand onto one of your own expeditions. You may start a new expedition by placing the card next to the matching destination space, or extend an existing one by placing the card so it partially covers the previous card. Cards must always be placed in strictly ascending numerical order (non-consecutive gaps are fine, but the new card must be higher than the last). Investment (handshake) cards may only be placed before any numbered card in that expedition. B) Discard a card: Place a card face up onto the discard pile for its matching destination, completely covering any previously discarded cards for that destination. STEP 2 — Draw a card (mandatory): Take the top card from the face-down draw pile OR take the top visible card from any destination's discard pile. You may NOT draw the card you just discarded this turn. Players may count the remaining cards in the draw pile at any time.

Scoring and victory

After each round, each player scores each of their expeditions separately. An expedition's score = (sum of numbered cards − 20) × (number of investment cards + 1), plus a +20 bonus if the expedition has 8 or more total cards. Expeditions with no cards played score zero. Scores are summed across all rounds. The player with the highest cumulative total after the agreed number of rounds wins. Scoring sources: Numbered expedition cards (values 2–10, summed per expedition), Starting cost deduction of −20 per expedition started, Investment card multiplier (×2, ×3, or ×4) applied to the base value, Flat +20 bonus for any expedition containing 8 or more cards

Source: Rulebook

Rules to know

The most useful rules for getting a first game right.

Setup

Deal 8 cards to each player; place remainder as draw pile.

Shuffle all 65 cards. Deal 8 cards face down to each player. These become their starting hands. Place the remaining cards face down near the board as the draw pile. Players may look at their own cards at any time.

Setup

Place 5 destination (number 1) cards between players to form the board.

The 5 number-1 cards serve as destination markers and are placed in the center between the two players. Each card corresponds to one of the five expedition destinations and anchors that destination's column on the board, including space for each player's expedition and the shared discard pile.

Setup

Agree on number of rounds before play; three is recommended.

Before the game begins, players agree on how many rounds to play. Three rounds is the recommended number. For multi-round games, use paper and pencil to record each player's score after each round. Cumulative scores across rounds determine the winner.

Turn structure

Each turn: first play a card, then draw a card — both steps are mandatory.

On your turn you must perform exactly two actions in order: (1) Play one card from your hand — either adding it to an expedition or discarding it to a destination discard pile. (2) Draw one card to replace it — either from the top of the face-down draw pile or the top card of any destination discard pile. Both steps are mandatory; you cannot skip either.

Card play

You may play a card to start or extend one of your own expeditions.

When playing a card to an expedition, the player places it on their own side of the board next to the matching destination space. If no cards have yet been played to that expedition, this starts a new expedition. If cards are already there, the new card extends the expedition and must partially cover the previous card. Players may only add to expeditions on their own side of the board. All card values in an expedition remain visible to both players.

Restriction

Cards in an expedition must always be placed in strictly ascending numerical order.

Once a numbered card is placed in an expedition, every subsequent card added to that expedition must have a higher number. The numbers do not need to be consecutive — any higher number is permitted. Backtracking is not allowed under any circumstances; you cannot place a card with the same or lower number than the last card in that expedition.

Card play

Investment (handshake) cards multiply an expedition's value and must be played before any numbered card.

Each of the five destinations has 3 investment cards (also called risk or handshake cards). Investment cards may only be played at the very beginning of an expedition — before any numbered card has been added. Any number of investment cards (0, 1, 2, or 3) may be played in succession before the first numbered card. Once a numbered card has been played to an expedition, no more investment cards may be added to it.

Card play

Instead of playing to an expedition, you may discard a card to the matching destination discard pile.

A player may discard any card from their hand by placing it face up on the board in the discard space corresponding to that card's destination. If previous cards have been discarded there, the new card must completely cover them, so only the top (most recently discarded) card for each destination is visible.

Strategy briefing

Investment timing

Investment cards are all-or-nothing commitments: they must be played before the first numbered card and cannot be retrieved. Before investing, estimate whether your cards in hand (and likely draws) can push the expedition's numbered sum well above 20 to profit. Investing with only low cards in hand risks amplified losses.

The −20 starting cost

Every expedition you start costs you 20 points before earning anything. Avoid starting expeditions where you hold only a few low-value cards — the cost may outweigh the return. It is often better to score zero on an unstarted destination than to take a net negative.

Denying the discard pile

When you discard a card, your opponent can immediately take it. Avoid discarding cards that strongly benefit their expeditions. Conversely, monitor the discard piles to take cards that advance your own expeditions or deny useful cards to your opponent.

Chasing the +20 bonus

An expedition with 8+ cards earns a flat +20 bonus on top of its multiplied score. If you are already deep into an expedition, try to reach 8 cards (including investment cards) to claim this bonus — it can swing the score significantly.

Draw pile management

Players may count the cards remaining in the draw pile at any time. Tracking the draw pile size lets you gauge how many turns remain, which informs whether to push for more expedition cards or play defensively. If the pile is nearly empty and your expedition is negative, consider whether drawing from discards can salvage your position.

Ascending order constraint

Because cards must be placed in strictly ascending order, gaps in your sequence are permanent — a card with a lower value than your expedition's current top is permanently unplayable to that expedition. Hold higher-value cards and be cautious about playing mid-range cards early, as they block higher runs.

Common questions and edge cases

Can I play an investment card after I have already played a numbered card to that expedition?

No. Investment cards must be played before the first numbered card of an expedition. Once any numbered card has been placed, investment cards for that expedition are no longer allowed.

I discarded a card I didn't want. Can I immediately pick it back up from the discard pile as my draw?

No. You may not draw the card you discarded on the same turn. You must draw either from the draw pile or from a different destination's discard pile.

I played 2 investment cards to an expedition but never played any numbered cards. How is it scored?

The base value is 0 (no numbered cards) minus 20 = −20. This is then multiplied by (2 + 1) = 3, giving −60 points. No +20 bonus applies since 8 cards were not reached.

I never started an expedition to one destination. Does it cost me points?

No. If no cards have been played to an expedition, its value is zero — there is no −20 penalty and no multiplier applies.

Can I draw a card from a destination discard pile even if my opponent discarded it?

Yes. Either player may draw the top card from any of the five destination discard piles on their draw step, regardless of who discarded it.

Do investment cards count toward the 8-card threshold for the +20 bonus?

Yes. The +20 bonus is earned when an expedition contains at least 8 cards in total, including both investment cards and numbered cards.

My expedition has 3 investment cards and only low numbered cards summing to less than 20. Does the multiplier make things worse?

Yes. The multiplier applies to the full base value whether positive or negative. A negative base value is multiplied equally, amplifying the loss. For example, a base of −20 with a ×4 multiplier results in −80 points.

What happens if I draw the very last card from the draw pile?

The round ends immediately after you take the last card. You do not get to play another card, and your opponent does not take another turn. Scoring begins right away.