Lacuna is an abstract strategy game for two players designed by Mark Gerrits.
The word lacuna means a “gap” or “missing part,” which fits beautifully with the game’s concept, where players place their pieces among flowers on a “night pond.” Players compete for dominance over flower colors, collecting them across two phases of play. The game is designed as a calm, meditative experience that, despite its simplicity, offers surprising depth.
To set up, you unfold the cloth play surface and scatter 49 wooden flower tokens from a cylindrical box into a random pattern.
Phase 1 – Placing pieces:
Players take turns placing their metal pieces on an imaginary line between two flowers of the same color, provided no other tokens or pieces lie between them. When they do so, they collect those two flowers.
Phase 2 – Area control:
The remaining flowers on the board are claimed by the player whose piece is closest to each flower. In unclear situations, the included ruler is used to measure.
A player who collects the majority of flowers of a given color (at least 4 out of 7) claims that color. The winner is the player who secures the majority of colors (at least 4 out of 7).🌺
