This Wednesday: Lost Cities found on XBLA

I generally like the idea of adapting classic board games to XBLA, but I do not have high hopes for Lost Cities. It is very much a game of aesthetics, and the sensations of holding those beautiful, gigantic cards in your hands. A game more of experience, and less of actually winning.

At the same time I won't miss calculating those tedious scoring rules by hand.

I absolutely love to play the Lost Cities card game and have been very very much excited about this game coming to the Arcade. I think the card game plays so well that it is a great choice to be ported over into a video game version. The game play itself is fun and entertaining so I don't think that the change from a hands on approach to a digital one will make much if any difference for me. In my mind when I play this game it is less about the cards and more a battle pitting archeologist against archeologist. Sort of like what would happen if Indiana Jones and Dr. Daniel Jackson ever had a heated competition going, but without the space aliens and snakes.

"as they try to mount the most profitable expedition to the the titular lost cities."

Seriously? Doesn't anyone read this stuff before it's posted???

I can't attest to the quality of Lost Cities but I will say that I've played another of Reiner's games called Poison. The game is fantastic and enough to make me want to at least try anything else of his.

I own this, actually. It's an excellent game, although be forewarned, unlike Carcasonne and Settlers, it's strictly two player.

I've been disappointed with the board game conversions I do own, as it is hard on Live to find opponents with social skills. The social element is a huge part of these games and I don't enjoy the mechanical debasement of ripping that out, or even worse trying to coax someone into a conversation. Ick.

Anyone who actually likes to chat and play these games should add 'apotheos' on XBL.