Refracto
Rotate mirrors and prisms to steer laser beams onto every target core, in as few moves as you can.
Every day: A daily laser grid in Easy, Medium and Hard, each built from a seed of the date and difficulty so every player gets the same boards, scored on moves and time. New puzzle: Midnight, your local time.
Refracto is a minimalist laser puzzle in the browser: tap mirrors, prisms and emitters to turn them 90 degrees until the beams light up every target core. Each day brings a fresh seeded board at three difficulties, the same for everyone, and your result is counted in moves and time.
About Refracto
Refracto is a free browser puzzle by metzgerb, played at refracto.me or from its itch.io page, on a computer or a phone. The board is a dark grid of metal tiles. Emitters fire laser beams in a straight line, mirrors bounce them at right angles, prisms split one beam into two, horizontal and vertical tunnels carry a beam through along their own direction and solid blocks absorb anything that hits them.
Tapping an interactive tile turns it clockwise by 90 degrees. The goal is to light every target core on the board at once, and the game counts your moves and the time you take, so the aim is to solve it with as few turns as possible.
The Daily Challenge comes in Easy, Medium and Hard. Each board is built from a seed made of the date and the difficulty, so everyone on the same day plays the same three puzzles, and the puzzle number is the date. Arrows let you step back to earlier days but not ahead. The game keeps your stats and streak in the browser, and the share button copies your difficulty, puzzle number, moves and time with a link to the same board.
When the daily is done, a Random Board button deals endless extra puzzles at any difficulty. It suits players who like pipe and path-connecting puzzles and want a short daily with a clear move count to beat.
How to play Refracto
- Open refracto.me and pick Easy, Medium or Hard for today's puzzle.
- Find the emitters and the target cores on the grid.
- Tap mirrors, prisms and other movable tiles to rotate them 90 degrees clockwise.
- Steer the beams until every target core is lit at the same time.
- Share your moves and time, or press Random Board for more.
Tips
- Trace backwards from each target core: work out which direction a beam must arrive from, then which tile has to send it.
- Every tap costs a move, and four taps bring a tile back to where it started, so plan the turn before you tap.
- Use prisms to reach two targets with one emitter's beam.
Questions
Is the Refracto daily the same for everyone?
Yes. Each daily board is seeded from the date and the difficulty, so every player gets the same Easy, Medium and Hard puzzles.
When does a new Refracto puzzle come out?
The game uses your device's date, so new boards arrive at midnight your local time.
How is Refracto scored?
By the number of moves (taps) and the time it takes you to light every target core.
Can I play older puzzles or more puzzles?
Yes. Arrows step back to earlier days, and Random Board gives unlimited extra puzzles.
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