Lotus (1998)

Overview

Lotus is an abstract racing game for 2 to 4 players in which stacked checkers move along a looping track, inspired by East Asian themes and visuals. The objective is to be the first player to move all of your discs from the central starting area to the end of the track.

At the start, each player controls six discs—stacked in groups of three, two, and one—and takes turns moving the top disc from any stack. The movement distance is equal to the number of discs in the stack from which the piece is moved, regardless of color. Landing on a space creates a new stack with the moved disc on top, which immobilizes any discs below it until they are uncovered.

A central feature of the board is the Lotus space, a special tile that acts as a "trampoline"—a disc landing on it must immediately move again by the same number of spaces, often enabling clever leaps across the track. The track itself features Chinese characters and artwork of an Eastern dragon, enhancing the game's visual appeal.

Gameplay is fast and deterministic, with no hidden information or random elements. While accessible to new players, the game presents subtle opportunities for tactical planning and positional control. However, some players have noted balance issues in two-player mode, with a potential advantage for the second player if they mirror the first. In multiplayer games, "kingmaker" scenarios may emerge.