One-man independent studio Coreffect Interactive recently announced Deflection, its first project, a turn-based strategy game based on classic board games like Laser Chess and Khet. The PC release date is set for sometime in the summer of this year, and you can now wishlist the game on its live Steam page.

Deflection is basically chess with lasers, in that the object of the game is to win by destroying your opponent’s king piece by blasting it with your laser beam. You have to strategically move your laser and other game pieces around the board game-like grid to line up your laser’s shot, which can be done by direct line-of-sight, or by deflecting the laser off one or more rotating mirror pieces.

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Deflection allows you and your opponent to move only a single one of your pieces each turn, and at the end of your turn, you must fire your laser. Both sides have multiple game pieces with various abilities, advantages, and weaknesses. The tactic is to use your opponent’s pieces to guide your laser blast to hit their king without hitting and destroying your own pieces.

Most of Deflection’s game pieces can be moved one square, or cell as they’re called in-game, and then can rotate 90 degrees. You also have those advanced pieces with different abilities that you can use to your advantage or your opponent's disadvantage. For example, the Disruptor piece “can disable and weaken nearby pieces,” and the Splicer piece can “split your laser into two,” and Portal pieces can be used to have your laser shot come from impossible angles, even from behind an opponent’s piece. Some pieces can be controlled by both you and your opponent, which sounds like that could make for some fascinating and strategic gameplay.

Deflection announcement article image
Credit: Coreffect Interactive
Deflection announcement article image

The devs state that Deflection has “several different and unique scenarios which challenge the players in different ways,” including varying game pieces and multiple game piece arrangements, as well as challenging you with walls and holes to aim through. While the Laser Chess and Khet inspirations may seem obvious, it also sounds like Deflection has a good bit of The Talos Principle influence in it.

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