Lost Seas is a world-building game where you create a map of a previously unexplored ocean. You play by selecting and placing Ocean tiles into a 4-by-4 grid. It is a game about balancing ambition with possibility, as you aim for the highest scoring, yet still possible exploration goals.

In this game, you play an explorer who sets sail for uncharted waters. You have to build a map of your world using Ocean tiles, aiming to match their seafaring symbols with this expedition's goals that you placed around the border at the start. The trick is balancing how hard the combinations are to meet against opportunities to score more points.

You claim the points as each player draws and places the Ocean tiles to complete rows on their map. It soon gets full, and you are forced into placing tiles where they don't score points. The game becomes less about finding the ideal space and more about damage limitation. When each player has taken 16 tiles and the maps are complete, the player with the most points wins.

This is a game of tile choice and placement, which is defined by the goals that you set yourself at the start. Play it safe and it is likely that you succeed but score fewer points. Make riskier initial choices and the rewards are higher, but the chances of success are less likely. So the only real choice is do you sail for adventure or pilot your boat around the bay?