Laser Chess
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Mike Duppong |
| Products | Laser Chess |
Laser Chess is a strategic two-player video game that shares similarities with traditional chess but incorporates pieces equipped with mirrored surfaces alongside a laser cannon. Created by Mike Duppong using Modula-2, the game was initially released in 1987 within Compute!'s Atari ST Disk & Magazine, where it earned the top award of $5,000 in the publication's programming contest.
Following this, versions coded in BASIC and machine language appeared as type-in listings in the June 1987 edition of Compute! magazine, targeting platforms such as Amiga, Commodore 64, Apple II, and Atari 8-bit systems. The original concept has since inspired various adaptations, including Advanced Laser Chess, which expands the board size and introduces new piece types, as well as LASER CHESS: Deflection, available on Steam, featuring a level editor and additional mechanics like portals.
Gameplay
During gameplay, participants take turns executing two actions each round. These actions can include moving a piece one square either vertically or horizontally per action, rotating a piece by 90 degrees, or firing the laser cannon once per turn. Certain pieces possess the ability to teleport other pieces they come into contact with.
Movement is restricted to orthogonal directions; however, players can approximate diagonal movement by combining two sequential moves. Utilizing the laser consumes one of the turn’s actions and demands careful positioning to create reflected shots via mirrored surfaces on pieces. The laser beam reflects off mirrored faces belonging to both players’ pieces, enabling intricate offensive strategies and defensive maneuvers. Players must remain aware that establishing a laser trajectory may simultaneously expose them to counterattacks.
Some mirrored pieces have vulnerable sides that cause damage if struck by the laser on non-reflective surfaces, while others can absorb laser hits without harm. Additionally, each player controls a beam splitter piece designed to alter the laser’s path.
Legacy
A 1994 MS-DOS version developed by Peter Venable reimagined the game with standard chess-like piece movements on a 9x9 grid. In this iteration, the laser functioned similarly to a king piece. Players were permitted multiple rotations of pieces per turn before moving a piece or firing the laser.
See also
- Lazer Maze (1982)
- Deflektor (1987)
- Khet (2005), board game