
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,716
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Drako: Dragon & Dwarves
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2011

Rules assistance for K2: Lhotse
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
K2: Lhotse is an expansion for K2 released in 2018 for 1–5 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Adam Kałuża and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Player Elimination, and Point to Point Movement.
"Lhotse" means "the southern peak" in the Tibetan language. The southern wall of Lhotse is over 3,000 meters of a very steep and dangerous climb. Many great mountaineers have been defeated by the peak. Are you ready for this challenge? K2: Lhotse is an expansion of K2 in which the players' task is to lead the team of two climbers as close as possible to the summit. The expansion includes an alternative, two-sided board and new weather tiles. K2: Lhotse also introduces a completely new mechanics - fixed rope tokens which allow you to set your own routes. Each side of the board offers a different scenario and a different challenge. The first scenario is a demanding and strategic fight against time and weather. The board showing the southern wall is divided not only by height, but also into three vertical sectors, dividing it into the eastern, central and western parts. The new set of weather tiles will show a different aura depending on the sector. The player's toolkit has been enriched with fixed rope tokens thanks to which players will be able to set up new routes between the already known ones. These ropes will allow for more efficient escape from bad weather or deadly landslides. The second scenario is a fast race to the top of Lhotse from the safer side, the southern pass, which is also the easiest way to Mount Everest. Players will have fewer cards to use, as they will have to discard 3 of them at the very beginning. However the better cards they discard, the more extra victory points they receive at the end of the game! Additionally in this scenario the time becomes even more important: the climb will last only 15 days, so players will have to hurry up their way to the top. You need a copy of K2 in order to play K2: Lhotse.
K2: Lhotse supports 1–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for K2: Lhotse is 30–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists K2: Lhotse for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
K2: Lhotse has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
K2: Lhotse belongs to these categories: Exploration, Expansion for Base-game, and Sports. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Player Elimination, and Point to Point Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of K2: Lhotse are: Adam Kałuża. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists K2: Lhotse as an expansion for K2. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need K2 to use it. Check that your edition of K2 is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.