Keltis (2008)

This entry is in flux, and is in the process of having Keltis split from LC: The Board Game

Keltis is a multi-player game that takes its name and mechanics from Knizia's card game Lost Cities.

Players play cards to move their playing pieces along stone paths. There are cards with 5 different colors/symbols, each corresponding to one path; in addition, each card shows a number (0-10, twice each). In each color, each player can play his cards either ascending or descending. Like Lost Cities, it's better to concentrate on a few paths, since the last spaces grants high points, but ending early gives negative ones.

The player in turn plays one card (out of a hand of 8), or discards one. He moves the corresponding playing piece on the path. Many of the spaces have a token that grants some bonus; either direct points (counted on the scoring track), an extra move on a path, or wish stones that are needed at game end to avoid negative points.

The game ends when a total of 5 playing pieces have reached the 7th space (or more) on their paths. Now, scoring happens:

• Pieces which only moved 1-3 steps give negative points (-4, -3, -2).
• Pieces with 4+ steps grant points (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10).
• One piece of each player is higher and scores double.
• Less than two wish stones grant negative points (-3 / -4)
• 5+ wish stones yield a bonus of 10 points.
• All this is added to the points scored during the game

Preliminary differences between Lost Cities: The Board Game and Keltis:

1. In LCBG you play 3 rounds, scoring at the end of all 3 for the monuments you collect. (Normal scoring occurs each round.) In Keltis, you only play 1 round, and score everything each round. This is not just a rule difference, as the scoring is different for the monuments/stones based on the number collected.

2. In Keltis, you may play your cards in either order, high to low, or low to high. In LCBG, you must go low to high.

Note: the rules for LCBG have the Keltis rules as variants, and have the board elements necessary for #1 above. Keltis does not have the rules nor board elements to play LCBG.

There are more differences, that are non-substantive. (Art, points in LCBG multiplied by 5, etc.)

Expanded by
Keltis - Neue Wege, Neue Ziele

Reiner Knizia: "In hindsight, [the change from Lost Cities: The Board Game to Keltis] was exactly the thing to do.” http://www.boardgamenews.com/index.php/boardgamenews/comments/w_eric_martin_knizia_on_keltis_masters_gallery_and_more/

Official Nintendo DS version (USB digital media)
http://www.usm.de/produkte/cd-rom-dvd-rom/hobby-freizeit/spiel/single-spiel/product/neuheiten/keltis-nintendo-ds.html

Microbadges:

Awards

• 2009 Nominee - Årets Familiespill (Family Game of the Year, Norway)
• 2008 Spiel des Jahres Winner. (Keltis version)
• 2008 Deutscher Spiele Preis 8th Place.
• 2008 Japan Boardgame Prize 7th Prize.

Cardgame version of Keltis:

• Keltis: Das Kartenspiel

Travel version:

• Keltis: Der Weg der Steine