Khet: The Laser Game
by Innovation Toys
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Toys and Games Reviews of Khet: The Laser Game
Customer Review: An instant classic
Summary: 5 Stars
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!
Customer Review: Simple rules, challenging strategy
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Great idea, poor execution
Summary: 2 Stars
I don't want to call doubt on the other reviews here, BUT I have to wonder if I got the same game that everyone else did. It looks great on paper. Strategic, dual thinking, whole game explained in 11 really simple rules. The board has recessed squares and all the mirrors and goodies fit nicely within the squares and everything happens in nice predictable angles.
Except, the game itself is just, well, cheap. Really cheap. Certainly not worth the price. It just hasn't been finished correctly. The board is full of swirl lines from using a low-quality plastic molding process and the painted spots are sprayed on with poor finish. Now, sure, that's just appearance but then there are the essential problems. The laser just isn't aligned correctly. Put a few pieces out there and you'll have the laser hit and edge of a mirror or reflect up above the edge of the board or something. I don't know if it's the laser itself or the mirror pieces but something so vital to the actual game shouldn't just be an afterthought! I went through two of these before giving up and just trying to get a refund.
On the website the troubleshooting guide says the laser is aligned to 7 reflections but the first one I got was only good to 5 and the second was only good to 3! When the game is over there could be interesting educational playtime since there are many many surfaces to reflect off of but with the cop-out 7 reflection limit they're already shooting themselves in the foot in that regard.
Wonderful concept and I tried playing a game or two but while playing I couldn't help but feel ripped off and apologetic for it with long laser paths that just don't go to completion to the expected finish. Terribly disappointing. The best thing that could happen to this game would be if its manufacturer got bought out by a big player in the industry and they brought their production expertise to actually refining the construction and look of the thing. Maybe that or make a computer version where maybe they don't have to worry about hitting some seemingly unrealistic tolerances.
Customer Review: Great game, OK idea, not for me...
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this game because the laser seemed like a really cool idea. Lets face it, who doesn't love to play with a laser pointer so why wouldn't it make for a cool game? First impressions was that this game is huge, I mean take up half your coffee table huge which does make for an impressive layout but does not make for a good fit in my one bedroom apt with limited closet space. Once I opened the box I also thought the game was going to take a while to learn, but the rules are surprisingly easy.
I convinced my girlfriend to give it a shot and not only did she beat me, she beat me so quickly and efficiently I thought she cheated. She of course loved the game but it turns out much like advertised, this is a two player strategy game that is easy to learn, but takes time to really dive into with some intense thinking and strategizing. I ended up giving this to my buddy who has a 9 year old nephew that ate this thing up.
I'm more of a party game guy so its not surprising I didn't enjoy the game as much but I thought the laser might convince me otherwise. Unfortunately all the cool laser beams in the world aren't enough to make me want to devote intense thought to a game in my free time. If you have smart kids or want them, get them this to make them even smarter but I'm already a lost cause.
In summary:
Pros:
1) Works as advertised and has a cool feel to it.
2) Easy to learn instructions.
3) Makes your friends think you are smart (they discover I'm not when they play me)
Cons:
1) Too big and bulky
2) Games can take 30 minutes or longer with lots of 'thinking' time between moves
3) Definitely not for everyone
Customer Review: Khet is Elegant, both Simple and Complex
Summary: 5 Stars
Khet is based on an exceptionally elegant concept. This is one of only a few board games I would decorate with a top rating (see also Quoridor and Twixt).
Rather than repeat all the deserved praise already written by other reviewers, let me explain one small weakness of Khet:
Most people will struggle to discover the basic strategies of the game when they first start playing. This can be frustrating at first. All of my opponents have wanted to play a second (or more) games. Like potato chips, nobody can stop at just one. I enjoy the game enuf to have played several times, and eventually I began to understand the interplay of Khet's strategies and tactics.
The concept is beautifully simple, but its resultant strategies are not immediately perceivable in your first game. In contrast, the basic strategies begin to emerge quickly in the elegant games Quoridor and Twixt.
The Khet laser cannot be expected to shoot entirely straight, and its accuracy drifts as more bounces are added. But your eye & finger can easily follow/discover the path the laser would take; easily.
Thus it will seem a paradox when I now say that the number of silly blunders (obviously bad moves) is surprisingly high in Khet. I cannot explain it.
I think Khet might be very educational in that any child or adult will wonder to themself how they overlooked such obvious flaws when they were making their final move choice. Such wonderings should lead to new mental self-discipline in motivated players.