Lacuna

Shake the wooden flower tokens from the tube onto the cloth mat and distribute the six metal pawns to each player. The first player takes one flower as their starting advantage. In your turn, draw an imaginary straight line between two flowers of the same color—as long as no other flower or pawn crosses that line—and place a pawn anywhere on that line; then take both flowers. Players alternate in this manner until all twelve pawns have been placed. In the second phase, each remaining flower goes to the player whose pawn is closest; if in doubt, use the provided ruler. Whoever has the majority of four or more colors (four or more flowers per color) wins the game.

Lacuna was designed by Mark Gerrits and released by CMYK in 2023. It distinguishes itself from other abstract games with its almost meditative atmosphere: reviewers describe it as a "flow state in a box" and praise the tactile qualities of the wooden flowers and metal pieces. What appears to be a simple flower game is actually a subtle area control game where the precise placement of your piece on the imaginary line has major consequences for the second phase. For couples or duo players looking for something calm, fast-paced, yet distinctive, Lacuna is a rare and charming find.