Keltis: Das Kartenspiel

Build rising piles of colored cards, play finishing cards at the right moment and end the game when it suits you.

Designer: Reiner Knizia
Published by: KOSMOS
Editions by: Kaissa Chess & Games, Piatnik, Wargames Club Publishing, Stupor Mundi, Laser plus

The card game take on Keltis, itself a board-game cousin of Lost Cities. You hold a hand of cards in five colors, and each turn you either play one onto a pile of its color or discard it, then draw a new one. Each color also has two finishing cards, which you can play on a matching pile at any time, and once one lands, no more number cards go on that stack. When five finishing cards are down, or the deck runs out, the game ends. This 2009 version has 110 cards and plays in about twenty minutes. It looks like Lost Cities, but the two are similar and different games.

110 cards in five colorsPlay or discard one card, then drawFinishing cards close piles and end the game

Who it's for

You like small card games of hand management for two or three, with a clear decision each turn.

Not for you if…

You want lots of interaction or a big theme. It is mostly solitary building with a bit of hand tension.

Vibe's take

Quiet, tactical and a little tense. You are always choosing between building a pile and giving up on it, and finishing cards give you a say in when the game ends.