{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/puzzle--family-optics","type":"mechanic","id":"puzzle--family-optics","lang":"en","title":"Light, color and optics","summary":"The player controls beams, lighting or color to change the available visual information.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/puzzle--family-optics/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/puzzle--family-optics.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/puzzle--family-optics.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Puzzles","Mechanics catalog"],"sourceIds":["source-f805f2d780e965f8","source-e6546791156b5e83"],"sources":[{"id":"source-f805f2d780e965f8","title":"Nikoli: Akari","url":"https://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/akari/","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-e6546791156b5e83","title":"The Talos Principle","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/257510/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Control rays, lighting and the composition of visible information."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-optics-variants\"></a>\n\n- Beam reflection. Definition: Direct the beam with mirrors to the receivers. Conditional example: Bring the laser through several turns. <a id=\"variant-mirror-ray\"></a>\n- Refraction. Definition: Change the path of the beam at the boundaries of media or through lenses. Conditional example: Pass the beam through an optical wedge to the sensor. <a id=\"variant-refraction\"></a>\n- Splitting and combining rays. Definition: Spread rays in several directions and coordinate their properties. Conditional example: Activate two receivers with one source. <a id=\"variant-beam-split\"></a>\n- Mixing colors. Definition: Obtain the desired color using an explicitly specified mixing model. Conditional example: Add red and green light on the sensor. <a id=\"variant-color-mixing\"></a>\n- Color filters. Definition: Choose which components of light pass to the target. Conditional example: Cut off the extra channel in front of the three-color lock. <a id=\"variant-color-filter\"></a>\n- Constructing a shadow. Definition: Arrange objects and the source so that the shadow takes the desired shape. Conditional example: Collect the silhouette of a key with shadows of different parts. <a id=\"variant-shadow-geometry\"></a>\n- Light coverage. Definition: Arrange sources to illuminate all targets while limiting mutual visibility. Conventional example: Illuminate a reticle without pointing the lamps at each other. Terms: Akari. <a id=\"variant-illumination-cover\"></a>\n- Obtaining information by reflection. Definition: Construct a line of sight through reflective surfaces. Conditional example: Read a hidden sign in a mirror. <a id=\"variant-reflection-view\"></a>\n- Orientation filters. Definition: Match the orientation of the filters and the properties of the transmitted signal. Conventional example: Pass light through several rotating plates. <a id=\"variant-polarization\"></a>\n- Revealing a hidden image. Definition: Change lighting or viewing mode to see inaccessible features. Conventional example: Read tags in a different spectral channel. <a id=\"variant-invisible-reveal\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A wide catalog of mechanics for digital puzzles, paper logic problems and physical puzzles. Each position contains an action or rule and a conditional example of application."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"puzzle","id":"family-optics","title":"Puzzles","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/puzzle/#family-optics","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Light, color and optics","description":"The player controls beams, lighting or color to change the available visual information.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/adventure-talos-principle-05.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"The Talos Principle","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/257510/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/257510/ss_b42acabe63d45a11580a2949e34f305e1bd10fc7.1920x1080.jpg?t=1744327639","credit":"Croteam / Devolver Digital","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Colored beams are routed through connectors","alt":"Colored beams are routed through connectors","markers":[{"x":76,"y":30,"label":"A red beam reaches its receiver"},{"x":31,"y":35,"label":"A blue beam follows a different connection"}]},"tips":["Show the beam path and why it is blocked."],"examples":[{"title":"The Talos Principle","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/257510/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/puzzle"}}