Lost Cities: Rivals

Lost Cities with auctions: you have to bid for every card you add to your expeditions.

Designer: Reiner Knizia
Published by: KOSMOS
Editions by: IELLO, 999 Games, Kaissa Chess & Games, Group SNE, Ideal Board Games, Land of Beautiful Mind (سرزمین ذهن زیبا)

Lost Cities: Rivals (2018) keeps the familiar Lost Cities heart: lay out expeditions in five colors in ascending order, optionally with wager cards that raise the stakes. The big change is money. You can only add cards to your expeditions by winning auctions, so every number you want is a purchase, and being short of cash is a real problem. That turns a quiet card-laying game into a bidding battle, and it works for two to four players, not just pairs. If you know the original, expect similar rules but a different, more competitive rhythm.

Set collection with colored expedition cardsWin auctions to place cards in your expeditionWager cards raise the stakes

Who it's for

You know Lost Cities and want a version that supports three or four players and adds bidding.

Not for you if…

You want the quiet two-player duel of the original. Here, money and auctions drive everything.

Vibe's take

Familiar and a bit tense. You still plan expeditions quietly, but every auction is a small poker moment, with someone always bidding just a bit more than you wanted.