How to play
- Goal
- Place stars in open cells so each numbered wall counts exactly the stars visible along its row and column, stopping at other walls.
- How it ends
- A chart finishes when every visible-star count fits; Undo and empty notes allow corrections.
- Record
- Your first unassisted finish keeps your time for that chart; later plays are practice.
- Choose Star, Empty or Erase, then tap open cells or paint a stroke. A tap on an existing star or note clears it. Each open cell holds at most one star.
- Each numbered wall counts every star along four straight orthogonal sightlines. Stop at the next wall or the edge; stars beyond a wall do not count.
- Stars do not block sightlines and may sit next to each other. There is no requirement to light every cell.
- A printed 0 means no visible stars. Blank open cells count empty at completion; empty notes are optional.
- Tap a wall to highlight exactly the open cells visible from it. This keeps your brush and selected open cell.
- Release commits a painted stroke as one Undo step. Escape, resize, pointer loss or a second finger cancels an unfinished stroke. Restart preserves the original clock; reload keeps marks and Undo, and a resumed finish stays local.
Controls
| Mouse / touch | Choose a brush, tap an open cell or paint and release; tap a wall to inspect sightlines |
|---|---|
| Arrows + Enter / Space | Move the cursor and apply the selected brush |
| 1 / 2 / 3 | Choose Star / Empty / Erase |
| Delete / Backspace | Erase the selected open cell |
| Z / Y | Undo / Redo |
| R / Restart | Confirm clearing marks while keeping the first clock running |
| Escape | Cancel a stroke, close a dialog or return to the atlas |
| Controller | D-pad moves; A marks; X changes brush; Y erases; shoulders Undo/Redo; B cancels/back; Start settings; Back rules |
Tips for Bright Light
- Begin with zero A wall marked 0 rules out stars along every clear sightline.
- Count beyond the first star Stars do not block each other; all stars before the next wall count.
- Compare overlapping views Two wall counts may share some open cells. Subtract what both see to reason about the remaining cells.
Questions about this game
Do stars stop the light?
No. A numbered wall counts all stars in each straight sightline until the next wall or edge.
Can stars touch?
Yes. There is no adjacency restriction.
Must every cell be lit?
No. Only the numbered wall counts determine completion.
Do I have to mark all empty cells?
No. Empty notes are optional; blank open cells count empty at completion.
Can replay improve my first time?
No. The first saved finish stays unchanged; replay is practice.
All charts are open. Reload retains an unfinished first attempt, Undo and its original clock; resumed finishes stay local. Practice reopens fresh and preserves your first time.
Watch how to play
About Bright Light
Place stars in the lantern-maker’s charts. Each numbered wall counts the stars visible along its row and column, stopping at the next wall.
All 160 original charts are open: forty 4×4, eighty 5×5 and forty 6×6 across four shelves. Each has one answer and a complete visible-constraint deduction proof.
Your first finish keeps its time for that chart. An uninterrupted verified first solve can claim the named fastest time; later plays are untimed practice.
