When people start talking about two-player games, Lost Cities is usually one of the first games mentioned, and that's understandable. It's easy to learn, has sold well, and remains something of a gateway game. Players go on expeditions, progressing further and further into their missions, hoping to score enough to break even, and stay in the black.

The Good News

Easy To Learn This is a game that will appeal to non-gamers, since the rules are straightforward, make sense, and are well-presented in the instructions. People shouldn't need more then a hand to catch on pretty thoroughly.

Fantastic Presentation Whatever you may think, this game looks terrific. The over-sized cards are wonderful, are easy to handle, and contain all the relevant information on them, in clearly marked fashion. The illustrations on these cards look fantastic, and are among some of my favorite in-game illustrations. The board can stand proudly by the wooden cathedral pieces in Pillars of the Earth as "components that are entirely unnecessary, but still appreciated."

Brinkmanship The marks of a solid game are tough decisions. Should you continue the expedition you're on to finish it in time, or take a crack at investing in one you haven't started yet? Every turn in this game can be agonizing, and though you may get better at making judgement calls in the game, nothing is certain, and there are numerous points where you will see your opponent play the ONE CARD YOU NEEDED.

The Bad News

Not That Much Depth I find that Knizia games tend to always produce an initial impression of "That's it?" That was certainly the case here, but unlike, say, Ra or Through the Desert, that feeling hasn't lifted for me yet. By far the biggest strike against the game is that it has, for me, always been more of a pastime then a game. There's nothing wrong with that, as such, but its disappointing given its high ranking on the Geek.

Arbitrary Opening Moves I suppose that you should generally stick with low numbers, and colors you have a lot of, but what if you don't have more then two of any color, and nothing below a 5? In my experience it's kind of a crapshoot at that point. You can TRY for something, but this is not a game where you can map out your moves at the beginning every time. More often, you'll find yourself making changes in tactics on the fly, so I have sometimes been tempted to just play any old card on my opening turn, and see how it shakes out.

Somewhat Overpriced For all the lovely components, the game feels like it should be about half the price it is, because of its simplicity. I realize that this is the normal price for the Kosmos games put out by Rio Grande, but it still feels like one of the more overpriced games in my collection.

The Bottom Line
Lost Cities is not a bad game at all, but I personally find it a little overrated. It seems that there are far more satisfying games available for two players (Cold War: CIA vs. KGB, Jambo, and Battle Line/Schotten Totten all spring to mind) that all offer more depth at a lower or equal price point. The fact that this game is generally acclaimed surprises me a little. However, it has a very large following. And why not? As games go, it's slight, but it's also pleasant to play, and will be appealing to those who like lighter fare. In that vein, its a keeper.