How Khet Operates

After seven turns of carefully positioning my Khet pieces, I was ready to deliver a final blow to my opponent's pharaoh and claim victory. However, my opponent had a clever plan of their own. While I focused on dominating the board, they quietly positioned their pyramids and scarabs to counterattack, ultimately defeating my pharaoh. This experience highlighted the need for a more refined strategy in future games.

Even if your friends prefer "Call of Duty" over traditional board games like Monopoly, Khet offers a unique and engaging way to bring them to game night. Unlike high-tech video games, Khet stands out with its distinctive feature: lasers, adding a futuristic yet accessible twist to classic board game fun.

Khet is a strategy-driven board game where two players use lasers to eliminate their opponent's pieces. The laser's path is determined by the placement of mirrored pieces on the board. The objective is to target your opponent's pharaoh with a laser beam to win, while protecting your own. This gameplay is reminiscent of chess, but Khet simplifies the experience with only four movable pieces and straightforward rules, making it easy to learn in minutes. However, mastering the art of positioning your pieces to reflect lasers effectively is a challenge that requires practice. The quick 15-minute playtime allows for repeated attempts to refine your strategies.

Khet, an Egyptian-themed game, derives its name from an ancient measurement system used in Mesopotamia. A khet equals 100 cubits, the length from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger. This name is apt for a game where pieces strategically advance (or rotate) toward triumph.

Since its launch in 2005, Khet has garnered significant recognition, including the Mensa Select Award in 2006, as well as the National Parenting Publications Award and iParenting Media Award in 2007.

How to Set Up Khet

In Khet, the battle to attack your opponent's pharaoh unfolds on an 80-square game board. Each player commands a sphinx stationed at opposite corners of the board, equipped with red Class II lasers, akin to the low-power laser pointers used in educational settings.

The latest iteration of the game, Khet 2.0, features red and silver game pieces. Earlier versions used gold and silver pieces, but players found the colors hard to differentiate in dim lighting [source: Peterson]. Each player has 13 pieces, each with unique strengths and weaknesses, including:

All pieces, except for the sphinxes, can be rotated or moved horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to an empty square. Additionally, a scarab can swap places with a pyramid or Anubis of any color, provided they are adjacent.

Once you grasp the role of each piece, it's time to position them on the board. Khet's official rulebook provides a beginner-friendly setup. Experienced players often devise their own custom starting arrangements.

How to Play Khet

Khet demands players to think ahead, but not too far. Just as you devise a plan to ricochet your laser off multiple pyramids for a winning shot, the game shifts due to the constant movement and rotation of pieces.

The silver player takes the first turn. Each turn consists of two actions: moving a piece one square in any permitted direction or rotating it 90 degrees, followed by firing the sphinx's laser. Before firing, mentally trace the laser's path to avoid accidentally eliminating your own pieces.

A pyramid struck on its non-reflective side by a laser is removed from play, as is a pharaoh or an Anubis hit on its side. Scarabs and sphinxes are immune to lasers. Remember, you must fire your laser every turn, even if it risks your own pieces. The laser beam changes direction at each mirrored surface, continuing until it exits the board, following rows or columns in a grid-like pattern.

Beyond protecting your pharaoh, your strategy should involve arranging mirrors using your pieces (or opportunistically placed opponent pieces) to direct your laser toward vulnerable enemy pieces. However, positioning your pyramids and scarabs effectively is more challenging than it seems.

Your opponents can disrupt your strategy by positioning their pieces in your laser's path or adjusting their mirrors to redirect your beam. Additionally, certain squares marked with the red Eye of Horus symbol are restricted, making it harder to target your opponent's pharaoh or Anubis effectively.

Occasionally, a game of Khet may result in a draw. This happens when the game enters a repetitive cycle, with pieces returning to the same positions repeatedly, creating a scenario reminiscent of "Groundhog Day."

The History of Khet

Not all college assignments lead to real-world outcomes, but for Luke Hooper, a mechanical engineering student at Tulane University, one project sparked a new career. Tasked with designing a high-tech toy for all ages, Hooper drew inspiration from his childhood fascination with lasers. During lunch, he sketched the concept for a laser-based strategy game, Deflexion, on a napkin.

Although the idea didn't materialize overnight, it caught the interest of Hooper's professor, Michael Larson, Ph.D., and graduate engineering student Del Segura. Together, they refined the game, founded Innovention Toys, and entered business competitions. By November 2004, Segura was personally inspecting the first 5,000 games in his garage to meet growing demand.

Despite its humble beginnings, Deflexion evolved into a successful niche product. It also attracted the attention of another designer who claimed prior use of the name. To avoid legal disputes, Hooper and his team renamed the game to Khet in August 2006. They updated the color scheme to red and silver and added hieroglyphics to the board [source: Peterson]. By January 2007, approximately 100,000 copies of Khet had been sold in the U.S. and U.K. [source: Jensen].

In 2011, Innovention launched Khet 2.0. While the gameplay remained unchanged, it was incompatible with the original Eye of Horus and Tower of Kadesh expansions (though an Eye of Horus 2.0 compatible with Khet 2.0 was introduced). The most significant upgrade was the addition of lasers to the stationary sphinxes, replacing the previously unreliable board-embedded lasers.

Khet Strategy and Tips

For those who want to enjoy Khet on the go—whether at your desk, in line, or relaxing on the patio—there’s a mobile version available. In January 2012, Schogini Systems, based in Los Angeles, launched Khet 2.0 for iPhone and iPad. The app includes single-player, pass-and-play, and online multiplayer modes.

Whether you play on an app or with a physical game board, strategy is essential. Start the game with an offensive approach. For instance, position a scarab directly in front of your opponent’s pharaoh, ready to reflect a laser beam toward it. The scarab’s mirrored sides make it indestructible to lasers, adding an extra layer of protection.

Remember to leverage the reflective surfaces of your opponent’s pieces. Success in Khet often depends on bouncing lasers off both your own and your adversary’s pieces [source: Millen].

After the initial moves, shift to a mid-game strategy that incorporates defensive measures. For example, shield your pharaoh by encircling it with Anubis, pyramids, or scarabs, making it nearly invulnerable to enemy lasers.

Pay close attention to your pyramids’ positioning. Avoid leaving their non-mirrored sides exposed to attacks, and be cautious not to accidentally eliminate your own pieces with a laser. Placing a pyramid with its non-reflective side against an opponent’s Anubis ensures its safety, even in hostile territory, as Anubis pieces cannot fire lasers.

In the final stages of the game, remain vigilant against your opponent’s subtle maneuvers. A single oversight could allow them to eliminate your pharaoh, so stay alert to their every move.