Lost Cities
For each expedition (color), enter the sum of the number cards, the wager cards, and the total card count. Each expedition scores (sum − 20) × (wagers + 1), plus a flat 20 if it has 8 or more cards. Colors with no cards score 0. A match is usually three games.
Game 1
Total cards incl. wagers — 8 or more adds 20
Total
How Lost Cities scoring works
Scoring each expedition
- Add only the values of the numbered expedition cards. Wager cards add no number to the total.
- Subtract the 20-point expedition cost from that sum.
- With 1, 2, or 3 wager cards, multiply that result by 2, 3, or 4. Negative results are multiplied too.
- If the expedition has at least 8 cards, including wagers, add 20 points after the multiplier. This bonus is not multiplied.
- An expedition with no cards was never started and scores 0.
| State | Score |
|---|---|
| No cards | 0 |
| No wagers | Number total − 20 |
| 1, 2, or 3 wagers | (Number total − 20) × 2, 3, or 4 |
| At least 8 cards | Result above + 20 |
This is the same order used by the Lost Cities score calculator above — Enter each expedition's number total, wager count, and total card count. The calculator applies (sum−20)×(wagers+1), then the eight-card bonus, matching the existing scoring function and its official-rule example tests.
Frequently asked questions
Does an expedition I never started cost −20 points?
No. A color with no cards scores 0. A single wager card does start an expedition, however, so it scores (0−20)×2 = −40.
May I play the same number twice in one expedition?
No. Every new numbered card must be strictly higher than the last numbered card in that expedition.
May I add a wager after playing a numbered card?
No. Wagers may be played only before the first numbered card of that color. Up to three wagers may be stacked before that first number.
More calculators & tools
Scoring rules verified against: Official Thames & Kosmos rulebook (Lost Cities) · Rule summaries are for reference only. Always check the official rulebook for exact rules.
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