Dr. Reiner Knizia is taking his classic Lost Cities game in a new direction with Lost Cities:  Rivals, coming out in August through Thames & Kosmos.

Lost Cities:  Rivals is a stand-alone game that combines elements from the original game with a new auction mechanic.  In the game, players try to lead expeditions to five different mysterious locations in search of fame and fortune.  They can place wagers on the success of their expeditions for even greater rewards.  Each expedition is formed from a series of matching cards, which are purchased from the tableau through auctions.

Lost Cities:  Rivals includes 92 cards and 36 gold coin tokens.  It is intended for 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, and takes about 40 minutes to play.  MSRP is $14.95.

Thames & Kosmos plans to have copies of the game available for preview and demos at Gen Con, but it will not release until later in the month and will not be available for purchase during the show.

Earlier this year, Thames & Kosmos released a refreshed version of the original Lost Cities, with updated artwork and including an expansion (see "Thames & Kosmos Reveals Three Titles").  The company is also releasing two new Exit games and expansion for Legends of Andor this summer (see "Two New ‘Exit’ Mysteries, ‘Legends of Andor’ Expansion").