How to play
- Goal
- Light every open square and pale mirror face with lanterns on open squares. Mirrors turn light; no lantern may illuminate another lantern or itself.
- How it ends
- The chart finishes when every required face is lit and each numbered wall has exactly that many lanterns beside it. Entries can be erased or undone.
- Record
- Your first unassisted finish keeps its time for this chart; later plays are Practice.
- Place lanterns only on open square cells. Each sends light in four straight directions. Light stops at the boundary or a full black wall. Light every open square and every pale mirror face.
- Diagonal mirrors turn light ninety degrees. A one-sided mirror reflects only through its pale half; its black triangle absorbs light. A two-sided line mirror has two separate reflective faces, and each needs illumination.
- No lantern may illuminate another lantern, directly or through a mirror, or return light to itself. Beams may cross freely in an empty square. A number on a full black wall counts lanterns in its four side neighbours, never diagonally.
- Choose Lantern, Cross or Erase, then tap an open cell. Applying the same tool removes its mark. Crosses are optional manual reminders and do not block light. Undo and Redo restore a whole entry; Restart clears entries while keeping the first clock.
Controls
| Mouse / touch | Choose a tool, then tap an open square |
|---|---|
| Arrows + Enter / Space | Select a cell and apply the current tool |
| L / X | Choose Lantern / Cross |
| Delete / Backspace | Erase the focused grid cell |
| Z / Y / R | Undo / Redo / Restart confirmation |
| Escape | Close a dialog or return to the atlas |
| Controller | D-pad focuses; A applies; X cycles tools; Y/LB Undo; RB Redo; B returns; Start Settings; Back rules. |
Tips for Mirror Akari
- Start with exact wall counts A two beside just two open neighbours requires a lantern in both. A zero allows none beside it.
- Follow the whole reflected path A lit square cannot hold a second lantern, even when its source is around a corner.
- Read each pale half separately Lighting one face of a two-sided mirror does not light its other face.
- Use crosses when they help Crosses remember an exclusion; you do not need to cross every empty square to finish.
Questions about this game
Can I place a lantern on a mirror?
No. Only open square cells accept lanterns or crosses.
Must both halves of a line mirror be lit?
Yes. Its two pale faces are separate lighting targets.
Can beams cross?
Yes, in an empty cell. Lanterns must not light each other or themselves.
Does a cross block light?
No. It is an optional manual note.
Can replay replace my first time?
No. Replay is Practice and retains your first result.
These charts and worked examples are original. Reload preserves entries and Undo; a reloaded first finish remains local. A wall-clock or browser-suspension discontinuity also makes a solve local-only. If progress cannot be saved safely in this browser, the game tells you.
Watch how to play
About Mirror Akari
Place lanterns on an optical table of pale squares, stone walls and fixed diagonal mirrors. Follow each straight beam as it turns through a pale mirror face; its dark triangle absorbs light. A two-sided mirror needs both of its faces lit independently.
All 96 original charts are open, with 24 each at four by four, five by five, six by six and seven by seven. Every chart has one answer. Size shelves describe dimensions, rather than a measured difficulty rating.
