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Keltis is a multi-player game based on Lost Cities, with some rules changes, later published with Knizia's original rules and theme as Lost Cities: The Board Game.
Players play cards to move their playing pieces along stone paths. Cards show one of five 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 in either ascending or descending order. As in Lost Cities, it's better to concentrate on a few paths since the final spaces on a path grant high points, but ending early gives negative ones.
The active player plays one card (out of a hand of eight) or discards one, then moves the corresponding playing piece on the path. Many of the spaces have a token that grants some bonus: either immediate points (counted on the scoring track), an extra move on a path, or wishing stones that are needed at game end to avoid negative points.
The game ends when five playing pieces (from any combination of players) have reached the seventh (or higher) space on their respective paths. Now, scoring happens:
Pieces that moved only 1-3 steps earn negative points (-4, -3, -2).
Pieces with 4+ steps earn points (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10).
One piece of each player twice the height of other pieces scores double, either positive or negative.
Holding fewer than two wish stones earns negative points (-3 / -4), while a collection of five or more stones yields a bonus of 10 points.
All endgame points are added to any scored during the game. The player with the highest score wins!
Primary 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.)
- solid Knizia design, approachable yet strategic
- not widely in print; limited availability
- adventure/adventure-paths via color routes
- path-based card movement with color-coded routes
- abstract-link game with Lost Cities roots
- Lost Cities
- Celestia (implied)
- Rising Sun
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — players select cards to advance along multiple color paths
- card_drafting — players select cards to advance along multiple color paths
- path_movement — players choose a path to advance, with focus on a few optimal routes
- Pattern Movement — players choose a path to advance, with focus on a few optimal routes
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the biggest one ever in the history of the modern board gaming possibly the biggest one ever
- Ticket to Ride is a hand management game that's what it is
- Dominion... it's the deck building game
- Bear Park feeling
- it's essentially root building right it's a root building game, much like Ticket to Ride in some way
- Treat yourself
References (from this video)
- Rich, multi-layered coin-style action selection that rewards careful planning and adaptive play across both sides of the conflict.
- The four scoring tracks (fear, morale, adoration, dominance) create a nuanced, interconnected victory condition that rewards both expansion and public legitimacy.
- Clear dual-mode design, supporting two-player competitive play and a solo experience with a symmetrical framework and balancing mechanics.
- Strong thematic integration; the mechanics mirror political control and counter-insurgency dynamics, offering a coherent and compelling narrative through gameplay.
- Promising print-and-play potential with a strong production pedigree (Bellum Games and Hive lineage) that suggests high-quality components and thoughtful design.
- Rule density and the number of interacting tracks can present a steep learning curve for new players.
- The combination of influence, retinues, gold, and loyalty can lead to complex bookkeeping and potential analysis-paralysis in longer sessions.
- Certain mechanics (like the loyalty phase and regional scoring) may feel slow to resolve if players overemphasize micro-optimizations.
- Print-and-play components may require organization and home production quality to achieve the intended tactile experience.
- Power politics and legitimacy under pressure: fear, morale, adoration, and dominance as the levers of control and outcomes in a contested realm.
- A kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war, with the insurgent movement and the central state contending for regional influence across a varied map.
- Euro-style insurgency simulation driven by dice-driven action selection and region-based scoring, presented through a clear, teachable play flow rather than a cinematic narrative.
- Hive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action drafting — Opponents can block or constrain actions by occupying slots or placing dice in adversarial action spaces, creating a tactical interaction layer.
- Area Control — Regions on the map are scored as influence and military presence accumulate; the winner of a region paints a scoring marker and region control contributes to dominance, fear, and adoration tallies.
- area control and regional scoring — Regions on the map are scored as influence and military presence accumulate; the winner of a region paints a scoring marker and region control contributes to dominance, fear, and adoration tallies.
- block/deny actions via placement — Opponents can block or constrain actions by occupying slots or placing dice in adversarial action spaces, creating a tactical interaction layer.
- dice placement — Players roll or set dice and place them on advisor actions to trigger specific effects (gain gold, influence, retinue, armies, tax, or special actions). The action chosen is determined by the die spot and the advisor slot.
- dice placement / action selection — Players roll or set dice and place them on advisor actions to trigger specific effects (gain gold, influence, retinue, armies, tax, or special actions). The action chosen is determined by the die spot and the advisor slot.
- loyalist phase and bribery — A dedicated phase where loyalty actions cost gold and dice are recalled; loyalists provide additional actions and reinforce the state or insurgent position.
- multi-use action potential — Most advisors provide multiple effects; choosing how to allocate dice can either produce immediate gains or long-term strategic advantages.
- region-by-region resolution — When the final hex in a region is filled, resolution occurs with a scoring event that balances the four tracks and may swing dominance or adoration.
- Resource management — Managing gold, retinues, influence, and loyals to fuel actions and accelerate the state or insurgent capabilities across the map.
- retinues and armies deployment — Retinues are collected and later deployed as armies to regions; armies contribute to influence and regional strength, impacting scoring and conflict outcomes.
- scoring tracks (fear, morale, adoration, dominance) — Four interlocking tracks determine victory; advancing on one track can shift regional outcomes and overall control, with a tug-of-war dynamic across tracks.
- taxing and public sentiment management — Taxing affects the public’s perception, altering fear, morale, and adoration and feeding into scoring dynamics.
- Track advancement — Four interlocking tracks determine victory; advancing on one track can shift regional outcomes and overall control, with a tug-of-war dynamic across tracks.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it is both a two-player game and a solo coin style game
- what does coin mean it's a counterinsurgency style game
- in mettis your kingdom is on the brink of Civil War
- this is a game of action selection by placing your dice on one of any six advisor actions
- you'll be gaining gold which you can use to bribe the advisers
- you also be using your gold to boost the morale of your people
- we'll look at how the game plays so you can decide is this a game that you would like to back
- four tracks in mettis that will help you determine Victory or failure fear morale adoration and dominance
- print and play it is live right now on Kickstarter as of October 2024
- the goal is for this to be downloadable and ready for you by December
- I love this
- Hive that I just featured recently