Lacuna: A Quiet Game of Tactical Tension

👩🏻‍🎨 Designer: Mark Gerrits | 🎨 Artist: Nick Liefhebber | 📦 Publisher: CMYK

⚙️ Abstract strategy. Spatial reasoning. Quiet chaos

♟️ 2 players  | ⏳ ~10-15 minutes  

My local store rotates their displayed games, and the second I saw the cloth mat and the colorful flower-like components, I was sold. I had no idea what this game was, but I just wanted it. Plus, it comes in a cylindrical box. Does the box feel bigger than it should be? YES, but it fits in a backpack, so why not?

Lacuna is an abstract 2-player game where you take turns placing your pawns on a field of randomly scattered flowers. It’s the kind of game that sneaks up on you. It starts off feeling calm and almost meditative, but soon you’re measuring distances like your life depended on it. It’s a peaceful-looking yet tactical duel where every placement blooms into big decisions

What is in the box

Minimalist design meets stunning artwork:

📜 1 Large cloth mat (the "pond")

🌸 49 Flower tokens (7 types, 7 colors, 7 of each)

⚪ 12 Metal pawns (6 for each player)

📏 1 Ruler (Keep this handy, it's the only way to prevent a breakup)

How It Plays

🏆 The goal: win the majority of flowers in at least 4 of the 7 colors

• The chaotic setup: let nature take its course by pouring the flower pieces randomly from the container onto the mat

• Choose your side: pick gold or silver. One player takes a single flower of their choice to start, and then the duel begins

• Draw the line: on your turn, find two flowers of the same color. If you can trace an imaginary straight line between them that isn't blocked by other flowers or pawns, voila!

• The Placement: place your pawn anywhere on that line. You immediately collect both flowers

• The Gap: Once all 12 pawns are down, the fun begins. Any flowers left on the mat go to whoever has a pawn closest to them. Here’s where the ruler comes in handy!

Pros

🤝 Fast play

🎓 Quick to learn

👜 Play it anywhere

🎨 Beautiful components

🌐 Language independent 

🎲 High-quality components 

🚀 Quick turns, minimal downtime 

Considerations

🌸 Abstract in nature

🧊 Gentle yet Cutthroat: You aren't just collecting; you’re blocking your opponent's line of sight

🐈 Surface matters: You are never allowed to move flowers. If you have a shaky table (or a cat), proceed with caution

Bottom Line

Lacuna is a short, elegant duel of flower claiming and spatial finesse. Deceptively calm, surprisingly tense, and one of the prettiest ways to outwit your partner. If you love abstract strategy games that reward clever spatial play and enjoy minimalist elegance in both design and gameplay, Lacuna is absolutely worth your time. It’s quick, beautiful, and endlessly replayable. Just don’t be fooled by its peaceful appearance, this garden has thorns

If you loved the spatial puzzles of Lacuna...

• Same Vibes? Santorini: a vertical spatial puzzle where you are moving your workers and building towers. The stress comes when your opponent places the dome caps and blocks your climb

• Similar yet different? Patchwork: the gold standard for 2-player abstracts. It’s all about managing your space and your currency to build the best quilt. Simple to learn, yet every tile choice matters

• Want More? Onitama: a perfect-information duel where you know exactly what moves your opponent can make; you just have to out-position them

• Abstract but Work Together? Beacon Patrol: If you enjoyed looking at the table and try to figure out how things fit better in your favor, this co-op game will allow you to build a map together. It plays up to 6 with the expansion

Based on my The Search for the Perfect Two-Player Game resolution, here's how Lacuna fits the criteria: