Using strategy and cunning, each player moves his group of companions from volcano to volcano collecting treasure. His/her goal is to collect sets of dragon eggs and gemstones. The player scores for each egg and gemstone collected but also receives extra points for each complete set. The game ends when the last dragon egg is collected.
Japan, 1605 – Hidetada Tokugawa has succeeded his father as the new Shogun, ruling from the great city of Edo (a.k.a. Yedo), the city known in present times as Tokyo. This marks the beginning of the golden age of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the so-called Edo Period that will last until 1868. Naturally, the most powerful families in Edo immediately try to curry favor with the new Shogun – and this is the opportunity our clan has been looking for, our chance at power and glory. Our clan will prove ourselves to be indispensable to the new Shogun. We will work from the shadows to acquire information about our rival clans. We will kidnap those who might oppose our ascent and assassinate those who prove a threat. We will use cunning to prevent our adversaries from doing the same to us. We will find glory and honor in the eyes of this new Shogun – or failing that we will end his rule by any means necessary.
In the strategy game Yedo, players assume the roles of Clan Elders in the city of Edo during the early years of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The object of the game is to amass Prestige Points, mainly by completing missions. To do so, players must gather the necessary assets and – most importantly – outfox their opponents and prevent them from completing their missions.
There are several ways to reach your goal. Will you try to complete as many missions as possible and hope that your efforts catch the Shogun's eye? Or will you choose a more subtle way of gaining power by trying to influence the Shogun during a private audience? You can also put your rivals to shame by buying lots of luxury goods from the European merchants. It's all up to you – but be careful to make the right choices, for in Yedo, eternal glory and painful disgrace are two sides of the same coin...
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.)
Game description from the publisher:
In New Scotland Yard: Crime Scene, there has been a murder in the heart of London and New Scotland Yard's team of Crime Scene Examiners are investigating the case. There are six pieces of evidence to find, and the race is on to locate each one before the crime scenes are contaminated and the evidence is lost forever.
First, you must collect the forensic test equipment you will need for the investigation. Then, racing around London, you must find where each piece of evidence is located. Visit the scenes, study the clues and perform forensic tests using the tools included in the game. This may sound easy, but speed, a keen eye and attention to detail are essential to success. There is multiple evidence in each location and you will need to use your forensic test equipment with skill and accuracy to ensure you get the correct results.
Once you have successfully determined the location of all six pieces of evidence, return quickly to Scotland Yard and present your findings to the Detective Superintendent ... but be quick, the police are counting on you.
At the Gates of Loyang is a trading game in which you are able to produce goods by planting them and later selling them to customers. You can use the abilities of some helpers to increase your income or production.
Fields, customers, helpers, and miscellaneous objects are represented by cards. Each player receives two of these cards per round distributed by a bidding/drawing mechanism in which you end up with one of the cards you draw and one of the cards of a public offer filled by all players. Additionally, to these cards you always receive one field for free each round.
Placing one good on a field fills the complete field with goods of this type. Each round, one unit per field is harvested. After planting, harvesting, and distributing cards, each player can use as many actions as he wants, only limited by the number of his cards or the number of goods he owns. At the end of his turn, he can invest the earned money on a scoring track, where early money is worth more than late money. The game ends after a certain number of rounds, and the player who is first on the scoring track wins.
Online Play
Yucata (turn-based)