Lost: The Game or Lost: The Board Game was released on July 15, 2006 in the UK [1] and August 7, 2006 in the United States. The game was designed by Keith Tralins, developed through MegaGigaOmniCorp, and published through Cardinal Games.
General information[]
Lost: The Game is a hybrid strategy/social/role-playing game set in the world of Lost. The game allows you to assume the role as a character from the show in your attempts to survive on the Island. The game features many of the elements involved in the TV show, including mystery, alliances, the "Monster", and many of the dramatic events that have been witnessed throughout the first two seasons of the show. According to designer Keith Tralins in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Lost: The Official Magazine, the game is designed in the style of German board games - "more social, more strategic, more intellectual [kind of game] - that really fits with the style of the show."
According to the game's message boards at its official website, an expansion for the game featuring new characters, Fate cards, and location tiles, as well as "some surprises," is currently in the works. [2]
Contents[]
The game comes in either an orange cardboard box, or an orange aluminum tin. The inside of the tin houses a plastic organizer to sort all pieces.
- 17 Character cards, representing the characters from Season 1 and Season 2.
- 17 Character pieces to complement the character cards, and used for movement along the board.
- 8 Plastic character piece boxes to hold the character pieces
- 75 hexagonal Location tiles to represent the areas on the Island
- 160 Fate Cards, representing events, encounters and equipment on the Island.
- 1 Lost: The Game coin, designed like the DHARMA logo for the Swan
- 2 standard 6-sided dice
- 2 sets of rules for Beginner and Advanced games.
- 1 Beginner rules "Cheat Sheet"
Characters[]
The game contains 17 characters from Season 1 and Season 2, consisting of both middle section survivors and the Tailies. Each character is given a special ability, and certain characters have special conditions which allow them to win the game. All of the characters also have Power, such as Jack having Power: 4. This is used in various ways throughout the game.
- Characters Included:
Characters such as the Others or the Monster are not depicted in the character cards, but rather in Fate cards.
Location tiles[]
The 75 hexagonal Location tiles make up the board for Lost: The Board Game. There are two types of tiles: 30 Shoreline tiles and 45 Inner Island tiles. The location tiles are set face-down randomly to ensure that each experience with the game is unique. The tiles can be arranged in any fashion the player wishes, as long as the Shoreline tiles are on the outside edge of the board. As a player moves to the tile, it is turned face-up, and the player must follow the rules printed on the tile.
Fate cards[]
Fate cards represent different scenes and items within the show. There are three different types of Fate cards: Events, Encounters and Equipment. Event cards are actions which can be used for a player's benefit at any time during the game. Encounters are altercations which the player must deal with immediately, such as capturing Henry Gale, or squaring off against polar bears. Equipment cards allow the character to gain additional abilities, or a boost to their power.
Playing the game[]
Players are randomly dealt a Starting Character. On each player's turn, they must move all of the characters they own to an adjacent tile. If the location tile their character is located at is face-down, they flip the tile face-up and follow it's instructions. If a Fate card is drawn, they must immediately deal with any Encounters or equip any Equipment, however they may choose to hold an Event card for later use. Characters may also attempt to lead neutral characters at their location. If another player occupies the same location tile, the players may attempt to engage their opponent's characters to lead them, steal their Fate cards, or steal their equipment.
Winning the game[]
The game is won when:
- One player leads all characters on the Island
- A Starting Character's win condition is fulfilled
- Another win condition decided upon by the players prior to the game
Popular culture[]
Pictures of the Lost board game are popular image macros on websites and forums in relation to "The Game," a popular psychological mind game in which players lose the game if they think about or see the phrase "the game." The phrase "LOST THE GAME" is prominently displayed on the board game's cover, making it an easy image to try and make others lose the game.
External links[]
- Lost: The Board Game Official Website (archive)
- Lost: The Board Game on Amazon.com
- Cardinal Games
- About.com's Interview with Keith Tralins
- Lost: The Board Game at boardgamegeek.com
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