Overview
- Estimated achievement difficulty: 3/10 
- Offline: 10/50 (175/200)
- Online: 2/50 (25/200)
- Approximate amount of time to 20025-35 hours 
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 300 Games.
- Number of missable achievements: None
- Do cheat codes disable achievements?: No Cheats
- Does difficulty affect achievements?: Yes
- Glitchy achievements: None
- Unobtainable achievements: None
- Extra equipment needed?: None

Introduction:
Welcome to Lost Cities, an XBLA game based off a card game released in 1999. The achievements are pretty easy especially if you have someone to boost with. All the miscellaneous achievements can be boosted in an online 1 vs 1 or you can earn them against the AI, but without the cooperation of a booster a few of them could be kind of hard and very luck based.


If you straight boost the achievements, the completion is very easy and with at least a minor comprehension of how the game works grinding towards 300 wins should be fairly painless albeit boring. 

Step 1: Estimated time--Less than hour:
The miscellaneous achievements in this game are a pain to earn against the AI, a lot of luck goes in to it and it would be quite frustrating. I would recommend finding someone to boost these with if you can (will be hard to find a booster as the game is delisted)

During this step you will get:

  • "Pack Mule"
  • "Explorer"
  • "Excavator"
  • "Treasure Hunter"
  • "Precious Artifact"
  • "Investor"
  • "World Traveler"


Step 2: Estimated time--At least 5 hours:
For this step you will need to win 50 offline matches on normal or hard. Obviously normal being the easier of the 2. Its not that hard to win granted you have a vague idea of how to play the game. This is hardest step as you can't boost any of it, but still not too bad.

During this step you will get:

  • "Adventurer"
  • "Thrill Seeker"


Step 3: Estimated time--Around 20 hours:
The online specific portion of this game will likely be the reason you won't complete this game. The game has been delisted for some time now so not very many people have the game. The online technically requires 3 other people as well.

Now what I am about to mention requires 2 xboxes and 2 gold accounts. What you can do is use both parts of the purchased license. There is a license for the console and a license for the gamertag that purchased the game. Now download the game on 2 separate xboxes, the xbox that it was originally downloaded on (or transferred to) will be used by the account that does NOT own the license. The account that owns the license will download the game to another xbox. With both licenses active it will be as if you have 2 copies of the game. This will give you your boosting partner for the misc achievements and the online 1 vs 1 achievement. This also makes it so you don't have to find as many people with the game.

With the previously mentioned method you only need to find 1 other person who can use both halves of the licenses. With all 4 slots filled you and you partner can work towards your 20 wins. If you are using the dual box approach simply stick both you and your boosting partner on the same team to cut down on time.

Now with your 50 offline wins done and 40 online matches (20 1 vs 1 & 20 2 vs 2) you just need 210 more wins for "Archaeologist." The easiest method being to boost it with your other box if you have. Under the circumstances of not having another box to run this game on, just play the game on easy and win.

Achievements earned in this step:

  • "Great Adventurer"
  • "Expedition"
  • "Archaeologist"


Conclusion:
All in all this isn't a difficult completion. Mildy long completion for an arcade title and will be hard to complete as this point since its been delisted so finding boosters is harder.

[x360a would like to thank KillerBEA for this Roadmap]

Lost Cities Achievement Guide

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There are 12 achievements with a total of 200 points

  • Play at least one Number 10 card and win the game.

    OK, here are a few tips on how to play the game. You must get points by starting expeditions (each color represents an expedition) and getting more points than the starting price for the expedition. Playing a #card (1 to 10) on an expedition costs -20, since you start a new expedition. So to make it count, you must add #cards that sum up to 20+ (for example, #2 + #3 + #5 + #7 + #10 = 27, minus the -20, so you get 7 points). You can make more points by using development cards, but the starting price is also multiplied. One development card gives x2 to #cards but costs -40, up to 3 development cards which gives x4 but cost -80. Make sure you play small #cards first, because you cannot put smaller cards on your color once you play. For example, if you play a blue#3 and draw a blue#2, you can discard it but you can’t play it. A good strategy is to keep your high point color in your hands and play other colors while you amass your desired color. By doing this, you run the chance to get more #cards of your color, and also more development cards. Also, you have a limited number of cards to draw from the pile that you split with your adversary. If, by the end of the pile, you seem to have a lot of cards to play but not enough turns to draw, a good strategy is to draw from the discard piles. This way, you don’t draw anything interesting, but at least you don’t reduce the draw pile, giving you more time to complete playing your hand. When playing against the CPU, try to play on Normal, because easy doesn’t count towards the achievements (except archaeologist).
  • Play 3 investment cards in one expedition, win the round with 150 or more points, and win the game.

    This is easier with a boosting partner that can give you cards you’re missing. Making 150 points in a round is hard, and require more than a complete color with 3 development card. In fact, the 3 development card bonus gives x4 and starts at -80. So if you have every card of a color, you get 136 points. You still need 14 points on other colors. You must also win the 3-round game.
  • Win 20 single player games in Normal or Hard difficulty.

    Simply beat the CPU on normal or hard 20 times.
  • Win 20 times in 1vs.1 online matches.

    You must win 20 times on Xbox Live in one-on-one games. Use this thread to find players : https://www.xboxachievements.com/f...ad.php?t=66586
  • Win 20 times in 2vs.2 online matches.

    You must win 20 times on Xbox Live in 2 vs. 2 games. Use this thread to find players : https://www.xboxachievements.com/f...ad.php?t=66586
  • Win 50 single player games in Normal or Hard difficulty.

    Simply beat the CPU on normal or hard 50 times.
  • Score 100 points in one round and win the game in any game mode.

     
    See Investor. You don’t have to use 3 development cards to get this, but it certainly helps to rack up a huge score. You must also win the 3-round game. You can do this on easy. You will also get this by doing Investor or Treasure Hunter.
  • Score 250 points in a 3-round game and win the game in single player or online.

     
    This is easier with a boosting partner that can give you cards you’re missing. You would have to score 84 points on average per round. Since getting 3 good rounds is hard, you should definitely try to boost for this if you want it fast. Try getting Investor at the same time.
  • Play more than 9 cards in one expedition and win the game in single player or online.

     
    Nine cards includes the 3 development cards. So you have a possibility of 13 cards, and you simply must play 9 out of them. You will also get this while doing Investor. You must win the 3-round game.
  • Play 5 Number 10 cards in a game round, win the round, and win the game in single player or online.

     
    Contrary to what the description says, you can play the 5 #10cards among your 3 rounds. It has to be the 5 #10cards from the five different colors (yellow-blue-white-green-red). You must win the 3-round game.
  • Win 300 times in any single player or online modes.

     
    You have to win the games. Play on easy, normal, hard or online (1vs1 and 2vs2) and win 300 games.
  • Build 5 expeditions in 1 round, win the round with 80+ points, and win the game in any mode.

     
    Building 5 expeditions means you have played on every possible colors in one round. You do not need to have development cards on them. If you go for an achievement like Investor or Precious Artifact, make sure you also play on all 5 colors (even if you don’t get much points) to unlock this achievement. You must win the 3-round game.

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