Khet: The Laser Game

5 Comments

1. Joseph P. Cronin says:

   June 12, 2010 at 11:51 pm

   An excellent strategy game. Moves, including just rotation of a peice, van have serious consequences. The various configuration of starting positions keep any single strategy from consistently being successful. Just started using it and my son (age 7) and I are anxious to continue experimenting. No doubt the “cool factor” of a laser game has some effect in his enthusiasm, but he’s learning strategy well. The company also quickly replaced a defective game without any problems. Highly recommended
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. Scott Fischbein says:

   June 13, 2010 at 2:31 am

   I got this game for my birthday (I’m 35) and I love it! It’s like a high-tech version of chess. Definitely makes you think hard and try to plot out your moves many steps in advance. It’s especially tricky because you have to simultaneously think offensively and defensively. If you like classic strategic boardgames, you’ll love this game.
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. Bemace says:

   June 13, 2010 at 2:57 am

   The only comparison I can really make is to chess, but Khet is easier to learn, and it’s easier to think a few moves ahead. There are different starting arrangements you can use to add variety, and because the pieces start spread around the board, you can get down to business right away, compared to the slow starts of chess. The pieces’ different abilities are created by their physical shapes, rather than being able to move different distances and directions as in chess, so the rules are pretty simple. There are only four types of pieces, and they all move the same way. But despite the simple rules, this is a challenging game for all ages. Later on if you feel the need to kick it up a notch, the Eye of Horus and Tower of Kadesh expansions will make it even more mind-bending.

   Quick rules:
   
   1) Pieces are eliminated by hitting them on a non-mirrored side (including your own pieces if you’re not careful), with the goal being to eliminate your opponent’s pharaoh (the laser causes pieces to glow when hit on a non-mirrored side, which is pretty cool)
   
   2) Each turn you may move a piece one square, or rotate a mirrored piece 90 degrees. Only two special things to keep track of:
   
   2a) Obelisks may be stacked two-high and moved as a stack
   
   2b) The Djed piece can swap places with an obelisk or pyramid (of either color) that is blocking its path

   Like other reviewers I’d be willing to pay more for a version that was better aligned, but don’t be discouraged. It’s good for 5-7 bounces depending on slight variations in the pieces, and paths of over 5 bounces don’t seem to happen that often. This is because longer paths take longer to set up and are easier to disrupt. Usually paths longer than 5 bounces happen on accident.

   You also don’t need to worry too much about breaking the mirrors. I’m sure you could do it if you tried, but the plastic frames provide pretty good protection.
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. Andrew Moffitt says:

   June 13, 2010 at 5:07 am

   I received Khet for Christmas, just two days ago. Since then I’ve played about half a dozen games or so, and I am completely stunned at the elegance of the concept behind this game. I am certain the concept of a geometry-related boardgame isn’t brand new, but I feel as though this game ought to be the standard against which similar games should be measured. The makers of Khet took an admirably clever concept and executed upon it brilliantly.

   The most fascinating aspect of Khet is the fact that the game is quite simple in terms of rules, but staggeringly complex in terms of strategy. Comparisons made to chess or othello wouldn’t be out of line; the game takes literally five minutes to learn, but I anticipate it would take months, if not years, to master.

   The board is designed appropriately. I had initial concerns that the board may be a little too small for all of the action that would take place on it, but after a few games I became convinced that wasn’t a problem. The pieces are easily identifiable and move in a uniform manner (with one or two exceptions), but the slightest maneuver – be it a piece moving to one side or rotating a mere quarter-turn – can radically change the playing field. I’ll admit a little disappointment that the laser beam itself couldn’t be seen, but the practical side of me acknowledges that a laser powerful enough to be visible probably should not be packaged in a board game!

   My sole concern with this game is whether or not it will prove durable enough to last for a long period of time. The plastic construction of the board and pieces seems sturdy enough, but I am concerned that the mirrored surfaces may become marred, chipped or broken with repeated play.

   I note a previous reviewed indicated some problems with laser alignment; I have experienced no such difficulty. After several games involving as many as six or seven deflections of the laser beam, I have not seen a single indication that the laser does not align appropriately with the target. One of my lasers tends to fire at an angle elevated slightly higher than the other, but the height of the pieces more than compensates for that.

   Overall, I find this to be an excellent game. Its design is clever and elegant, and its gameplay is simple and engaging. I am pleased that it is clearly a “learning” game, as gameplay is based on scientific and mathematic principals. I praise this game for the depth of strategic thinking required to master it, but also for the fact that it can be picked up and experimented with after only a few minutes of observation. I just bought the Eye of Horus beam-splitter expansion today, and I’m looking forward to what THAT does to change the game!
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. James Hatsis says:

   June 13, 2010 at 6:32 am

   My seven year old daughter loves this game, it teaches strategy, physics and geometry all while having fun. We now play this as a family at least once a week.
   Rating: 5 / 5