game profile

Lost Cities

Knizia commit-or-fold 2P classic

BGG · boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/50

Lost Cities is a light game (weight 2/10). Despite the modest rules footprint, the decision space is deep (6/10) — the kind of game that rewards a dozen plays. Decisions come at a steady pace (5/10) — engaged without being exhausting. There's meaningful but indirect interaction (interaction 5/10) — shared resources, catch-up effects, or watch-and-react moments. Direct attacks are minimal (2/10) — the friction comes from contention, not aggression.

Of every game in our catalog, Lost Cities is closest to Kingdomino (91% profile match) but scores higher on depth (6 vs. 4).

WeightDepthDensityInteractionConflictNegotiationInputOutputCatch-upThemeEngineNarrative
Solo0/10
Fiddly1/10
Players
2P1P3P4P5+P

The 12-axis profile

Every score is on a 0–10 scale. The rubric and methodology behind these numbers is documented in the README.

Thinking

how much brainwork?
Weight
2
Depth
6
Density
5

Lost Cities is a light game (weight 2/10). Despite the modest rules footprint, the decision space is deep (6/10) — the kind of game that rewards a dozen plays. Decisions come at a steady pace (5/10) — engaged without being exhausting.

Interaction

how multiplayer is the multiplayer?
Interaction
5
Conflict
2
Negotiation
0

There's meaningful but indirect interaction (interaction 5/10) — shared resources, catch-up effects, or watch-and-react moments. Direct attacks are minimal (2/10) — the friction comes from contention, not aggression.

Luck

where does luck live?
Input
7
Output
1
Catch-up
3

Most variance is input randomness (7/10): luck arrives before your decision and you plan around it. Be warned: catch-up is weak (3/10) — early stumbles can be hard to recover from.

Experience

how does it feel?
Theme
3
Engine
2
Narrative
2

The theme is pasted on (3/10) — you're really there for the systems. Tempo is steady (engine 2/10) — no big-payoff combo turns.

Most variance is input randomness (7/10): luck arrives before your decision and you plan around it. Be warned: catch-up is weak (3/10) — early stumbles can be hard to recover from.

The theme is pasted on (3/10) — you're really there for the systems. Tempo is steady (engine 2/10) — no big-payoff combo turns.

Games like Lost Cities

Ranked by weighted Euclidean distance across the 12-axis profile, using the default research-weighted lens. Click any game to see its full profile.

1KingdominoFiller91%similar2JaipurFiller · 2-player duel90%similar3CartographersFiller90%similar4Sushi Go Party!Filler90%similar5Lords of WaterdeepGateway90%similar6Five TribesGateway90%similar

Frequently asked

Answers derived directly from Lost Cities's 12-axis profile.

Is Lost Cities good solo?
No — Lost Cities is a strictly multiplayer experience (solo 0/10).
What player count is Lost Cities best at?
Lost Cities is at its best at 2P; 1P, 3P, 4P, 5+P are the weakest counts.
Is Lost Cities a heavy game?
Lost Cities is on the lighter side (weight 2/10) — easy to teach, friendly to new players.
How much luck is there in Lost Cities?
Lost Cities has high input luck (7/10) and output luck of 1/10 — most variance arrives before you choose, so good play means adapting to what you're dealt.
Is Lost Cities confrontational?
Lost Cities is largely non-confrontational (interaction 5/10, conflict 2/10) — leans toward parallel play.

Want to overlay Lost Cities against a candidate game and see exactly where they diverge? Open it in the lens →