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The lights of Amanaar have vanished, leaving the world shrouded in darkness. But you’re not about to let that stand, are you? You and your rival set out on a journey to reclaim them, gathering loyal followers along the way. Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper adventure if you weren’t trying to outmaneuver each other at every turn. In Lost Lumina, only one of you will emerge victorious, so prepare for some intense battles, clever decision-making, and a good dose of strategic drafting.
👥 2 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 20 minutes
📝 Designer: Julius Hsu
🎨 Artwork: Folko Streese
🏢 Publisher: Dranda Games (preview copy provided)
Check out Lost Lumina on Kickstarter
How to Play
At its core, Lost Lumina is a tight, head-to-head duel where smart card play and area control decide the victor. The game is played in turns until one player runs out of followers on the board or both players exhaust their character card hands.
Phase 1: Preparation (A.K.A. The Calm Before the Storm)
First, you’ll both draft your hand of 10 character cards. Each turn, you pick one card from two drawn from the deck and hand the other to your opponent. This goes on until you both have 10 cards, hopefully a mix of strong fighters and cards that’ll help you move and reinforce your position.
Next, you take turns placing followers on the map until one player has three and the other has two. The player with only two followers gets the first move in the journey phase.
Phase 2: Journey & Battle (Where the Magic Happens)
Now, the real game begins. On your turn, you’ll play a card to use its action points. These allow you to place new followers in areas where you already have presence or move followers across the board. Movement often triggers battles, and that’s where things get spicy.
When a fight breaks out, both players secretly choose a character card to play. The cards resolve in a specific order, activating abilities at specific moments: when revealed, immediately after, during dice rolling, during resolution, or at the very end.
To determine the battle winner, you tally up the battle points from your played card, the number of your followers in the area, and your highest rolled die (you roll one per follower in the contested area).
The loser removes all their followers from that area. And if that was their last follower on the board, game over. The other player wins instantly. Otherwise, the game continues until both players run out of cards, leading to the final scoring phase.
Each follower on the board is worth 1 point, but if you control two or more areas in the same region, those followers are worth 2 points each. Add up the scores, and whoever has the most points wins. Simple, but it means every fight and every movement can make or break your final standing.
Our Thoughts on Lost Lumina
If you enjoy two-player strategy games with multi-use cards and a tug-of-war for dominance, Lost Lumina is definitely worth checking out. It’s all about tactical battles, outmaneuvering your opponent, and making the best use of your hand.
What We Love:
The card mechanics are brilliant. Every decision matters. Do you use a card for its action points to control more areas, or save it for battle because of its powerful abilities? The best cards for combat often have lower action values, while high-action cards might leave you vulnerable in fights. Striking the right balance during drafting is crucial.
The game is compact yet strategic. Despite its depth, it takes up minimal table space. You could easily play this on a train or a small café table. No sprawling setup, no table-hogging components, just a well-designed, travel-friendly experience.
Great components. The artwork by Folko Streese is fantastic (seriously, big shoutout to him for the beautiful illustrations). The game comes with a sleek board, 8 combat dice, and the real stars of the show, 15 adorable, screen-printed meeples in two different designs.
A Game That Wants You to Fight (In a Fun Way!)
Lost Lumina isn’t about peaceful coexistence. If you don’t actively challenge your opponent, you’ll get steamrolled. Controlling two areas in a single region is key to doubling your points, so aggressive play is rewarded. Expect tense battles and some brutal last-minute reversals.
Fast, Fun, and Easy to Learn
Games last about 15 to 20 minutes, making this perfect for a quick but intense session. The rules are straightforward, so you’re not spending ages flipping through a rulebook. It’s an ideal pick when you want something strategic but don’t feel like crunching through heavy mechanics.
Lost Lumina is currently on Kickstarter, so if this sounds like your kind of game, be sure to check it out!
📝 We received a preview copy of Lost Lumina from Dranda Games. The final version may have slight changes.
