Keltis: Das Kartenspiel

About this board game

Keltis: Das Kartenspiel is a 2009 card game for 2–4 players that plays in around 20 minutes. It features 110 cards and preserves the distinctive card-play of Keltis in a compact format.

Each player has a hand of cards and takes one card-play action per turn: play a card or discard one, then draw a replacement. Played cards go onto piles of the same color, creating shared color-based stacks that develop throughout the game.

Each of the five colors includes two special finishing cards. A finishing card may be played on a stack of its matching color at any time. Once played, no further number cards can be added to that stack, making the timing of these cards an important part of the play sequence.

• 110 cards in five colors
• Two finishing cards in each color
• Play or discard one card, then draw one card
• For 2–4 players, with an approximately 20-minute play time

The game ends when five finishing cards have been played or when the deck has been exhausted. This gives each session a clear endpoint while players continue deciding whether to add to a color stack, discard a card, or close a stack with a finishing card.

Keltis: Das Kartenspiel is based on Keltis, the board game also known as Lost Cities: The Board Game, which in turn is based on Lost Cities, the card game. Although these titles are related, Keltis: Das Kartenspiel and Lost Cities are similar but ultimately different games.