Day 37: Today's Pick — A Strategy Game From Estonia That Replaced Chess in My Apartment

My partner and I play board games. We have hundreds of them. The one that's currently dominating our weeknight rotation is a $34 abstract strategy game from a small Tallinn-based publisher called Lautamäng. It's called Tähistaevas (Starry Sky) and it has, over the past three months, replaced chess.

Chess is, of course, infinite. We are not abandoning chess forever. But we are, for now, very into Tähistaevas.

What it is

A two-player abstract strategy game played on an 8x8 grid (looks like a chessboard, isn't one). Each player has eight pieces. Pieces move in different patterns, depending on type. The goal is to "constellate" three of your pieces in a specific geometric formation, before your opponent constellates theirs.

The board fits in a shirt pocket (it's a folding cloth playmat). The pieces fit in a small drawstring bag. The whole game is about 100 grams.

Why it works

Three things:

1. Short rules, long thinking. The rules are a single page. You learn to play in three minutes. The strategic depth, however, is meaningful — there's a real reason chess players have started taking Tähistaevas seriously, and there's even a small online community starting to document opening theory.

2. The constellation goal. Most abstract strategy games have a "capture all opponent pieces" or "control central squares" win condition. Tähistaevas has a goal-formation win condition that creates fascinating tension: you can't only attack, you also have to build.

3. The pieces are gorgeous. Hand-painted brass tokens with constellation symbols. They feel substantial. They look great on the cloth board. Playing the game is, partly, a sensory pleasure of pushing nice tokens around a nice board.

How a game plays

Twenty to thirty minutes. Most games end in a player resigning when they realize the opponent's constellation is two moves from completion and unblockable. The other player has, by that point, spent ten minutes setting it up. The setup is the entire game.

This is more like Go than chess, in spirit. The endgame is determined long before it arrives. You learn this slowly.

What it's not

• Solo-playable. It's strictly 2-player, no expansions, no variants.
• Long. If you want a 3-hour wargame experience, look elsewhere.
• Light. The strategic weight is real; this isn't a casual filler.

How to actually buy

Lautamäng's website (lautamang dot ee) ships internationally. About $34 plus $14 shipping to the U.S. The total wait is 14–20 days from Estonia.

A few specialist board game importers in the U.S. carry it: BoardGameTables, Game Nerdz, and Game Sanctuary all stock it intermittently. Check before ordering from Estonia if you want it faster.

A small note on small games

I am increasingly biased toward games that are small, fast, and deep — Hive, Onitama, Patchwork, Reiner Knizia's Tigris & Euphrates. Tähistaevas joins this list. The genre exists; it just doesn't get the same magazine coverage that big-box production-value games get.

If you have someone in your life who plays chess and you're looking for a gift, this is the gift.

Tomorrow: a tiny Brazilian tabletop ambient lamp that's improved my workspace.