Light-reflecting board game

1. A board game, comprising:

a game board having a playing surface and a cavity for holding electronic components;

a plurality of game pieces, each having a base with a periphery and an under surface;

the playing surface being segmented into a plurality of spaces, each defining a location that can be occupied by one of the game pieces;

a first beam emitting device mounted to the game board;

a second beam emitting device mounted to the game board;

a first control button that enables a first player to activate and deactivate the first beam emitting device;

a second control button that enables a second and opposing player to activate and deactivate the second beam emitting device;

mirrored surfaces being provided upon multiple of the game pieces, some of the pieces having more than one mirrored surface; and

the game pieces, spaces and beam emitting devices being so configured that when a beam emitted by the beam emitting device strikes a mirrored surface on a game piece that occupies a space, the beam reflects along a line that traverses one or more other spaces.

2. The board game of claim 1 wherein the beam emitting devices are each laser diodes.

3. The board game of claim 1 wherein one of the game pieces is a key game piece that enables a game to be ended when a beam strikes the key piece of one of the players.

4. The board game of claim 3 wherein the key game piece is non-mirrored.

5. The board game of claim 1 wherein there are two key game pieces, enabling a key game piece to be associated with each of two opposing game players.

6. The board game of claim 5 wherein the key game pieces are non-mirrored.

7. The board game of claim 1 wherein each of the spaces is recessed.

8. The board game of claim 7 wherein each game piece has a base that is sized and shaped to fit a recessed space.

9. The board game of claim 1 wherein each of the spaces is surrounded by a raised border.

10. The board game of claim 9 wherein each game piece has a base that is sized and shaped to fit inside the raised border of a space.

11. The board game of claim 1 wherein some of the mirrored pieces have a mirror that forms an angle of about 45 degrees with the beam emitted by a beam emitting device.

12. The board game of claim 1 wherein at least one mirror has a surface that reflects a beam emitted by the beam emitting device an angle of about 90 degrees when the game piece occupies a space traversed by a beam emitted by a beam emitting device.

13. The board game of claim 1 wherein the beam control buttons are positioned on opposite sides of the game board.

14. The board game of claim 1 wherein the game board has a raised periphery that disallows transmission of a beam beyond the periphery of the game board.

15. A game comprising:

a game board having a playing surface and one or more receptacles for holding electronic components;

a plurality of game pieces, each having a base with a periphery and an under surface, some of the game pieces being mirrored and some of the game pieces being non-mirrored;

the playing surface being segmented into a plurality of spaces, each defining a location that can be occupied by one of the game pieces;

one of the electronic components being a first beam emitting device mounted to the game board;

another electronic component being a second beam emitting device mounted to the game board;

a first control button that activates and deactivates the first beam emitting device;

a second control button that activates and deactivates the second beam emitting device;

the game pieces, spaces and beam emitting devices being so configured that when a beam emitted by the beam emitting device strikes a mirrored surface on a game piece that occupies a space, the beam reflects along a line that traverses one or more other spaces.

16. The game of claim 15 wherein the beam emitting devices are each laser diodes.

17. The game of claim 16 wherein the spaces are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns.

18. The game of claim 15 wherein there are two key game pieces, enabling a key game piece to be associated with each of two opposing game players.

19. The game of claim 15 each of the spaces is surrounded by a raised border.

20. The game of claim 15 wherein some of the mirrored pieces have a mirror that forms an angle of about 45 degrees with the beam emitted by a beam emitting device.

21. The game of claim 15 wherein at least one mirror has a surface that reflects a beam emitted by the beam emitting device an angle of about 90 degrees when the game piece occupies a space traversed by a beam emitted by a beam emitting device.

22. The game of claim 15 wherein each space is recessed and each game piece has a base that is sized and shaped to fit inside the recessed space.

23. The game of claim 15 wherein the game has a raised periphery that disallows transmission of a beam beyond the periphery of the game board.

24. The game of claim 15 wherein the spaces are arranged in a matrix.

25. A laser game comprising:

a game having a playing surface and a cavity for holding electronic components;

a plurality of game pieces, each having a base with a periphery and an under surface, some of the game pieces being mirrored and some of the game pieces being non-mirrored;

the playing surface being segmented into a plurality of rows and columns defining spaces at the intersection of each row and column, each space defining a location that can be occupied by one of the game pieces;

a first beam emitting device mounted to the game board;

a second beam emitting device mounted to the game board;

a first control button that activates and deactivates the first beam emitting device;

a second control button that activates and deactivates the second beam emitting device;

the beam emitting devices being mounted to emit a beam along a column and the spaces being positioned so that when a beam emitted by the beam emitting device strikes a mirrored surface on a game piece that occupies a space, the beam reflects along a line that traverses one or more of the space of a row.

26. The laser game apparatus of claim 25 wherein each space provides a recess that is receptive of a game piece.

27. The laser game of claim 26 wherein some of the game pieces have multiple surfaces that are mirrored.

28. The laser game of claim 25 wherein there are two sets of game pieces.

29. The laser game of claim 25 wherein some of the game pieces have multiple surfaces that are mirrored.

30. The laser game of claim 25 further comprising a raised peripheral border and wherein each beam emitting device is positioned to emit a beam along a line that extends between the beam emitting device and the border.

31. A board game for two opposing players or teams of players comprising:

a game board, movable playing pieces having at least one mirrored surface, movable key playing pieces having no mirrored surfaces, and a laser source,

wherein alternate turns are taken to move playing pieces for the purpose of deflecting laser beams, so as to illuminate the key playing piece of the opponent.

32. The board game of claim 31, wherein pieces can be positioned to prevent the opponent from illuminating the key playing piece.

33. The board game of claim 31, wherein the pieces can be positioned in recesses on the board to ensure reflection of the laser beam.

34. The board game of claim 31, comprising:

a checkerboard-style game board having first and second ends, a pair of opposed sides, and a playing surface comprising a plurality of spaces to form a checkerboard pattern, said spaces forming a plurality of columns extending between said sides, and a plurality of rows extending between said ends;

two sets of game pieces, comprising at least one piece without a mirrored surface, and at least one piece possessing at least a single mirror surface;

said game pieces having initial locations in respective spaces on said game board; and

a board which houses two or more laser diodes.

35. The board game of claim 31, comprising:

a checkerboard-style game having first and second ends, a pair of opposed sides, and a playing surface comprising a plurality of spaces to form a checkerboard pattern, said spaces forming a plurality of rows extending between said sides, and a plurality of columns extending between said ends;

two sets of game pieces comprising one Pharaoh, two Obelisks, seven Pyramids, and two Djeds;

and

two laser diodes.

36. The board game of claim 35, wherein the game includes eight rows.

37. The board game of claim 35, wherein the game includes ten columns.

38. The board game of claim 35, wherein the game includes eighty squares.

39. A method of playing a game by opposed players; said game comprising two sets of distinguishable playing pieces, each set having movable pieces with no mirrored surfaces, of which one is a key piece, and pieces with at least one mirrored surface, a game board consisting of a first end, a second end, and a plurality of rows and columns, intersecting to form a plurality of spaces, the method comprising the steps of:

placing each player's set of playing pieces on the game in a pre-determined starting configuration; and

alternating turns, each turn comprising moving, either a translation or a rotation, a piece followed by activation of a laser, said alternating moves continuing until one player illuminates the opposing player's key piece;

wherein moving a piece consists of a movement one space in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction to an unoccupied adjacent space.

40. A method of playing a game by opposed players, said game comprising two sets of distinguishable playing pieces, each set having movable pieces with no mirrored surfaces, of which one is a key piece, and pieces with at least one mirrored surface; and a game board consisting of a first end, a second end, and a plurality of rows and columns intersecting to form a plurality of spaces, the method comprising the steps of:

placing each player's set of playing pieces on the game in a pre-determined starting configuration; and

alternating turns, each turn comprising moving, either a translation or a rotation, a piece followed by activation of a laser, said alternating moves continuing until one player illuminates the opposing player's key piece;

wherein moving a piece consists of a movement one space in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction to an available adjacent square, or of remaining in the same space and rotating the piece.

41. A board game for multiple opposing players or teams of players, comprising:

a game board, movable playing pieces having at least one mirrored surface, movable key playing pieces having no mirrored surfaces, and a laser source,

wherein alternate turns are taken to move playing pieces for the purpose of deflecting laser beams, so as to illuminate the key playing piece of the opponent.

42. The board game of claim 41, wherein multiple, horizontal playing surfaces are parallel and arranged in a vertically-stacked arrangement.

43. The board game of claim 41, wherein pieces reflect the light at a 90 degree angle while keeping the laser beam parallel to the playing surface.

44. The board game of claim 41, wherein pieces reflect the laser beam at an arbitrary and/or adjustable angle while keeping the laser beam parallel to the playing surface.

45. The board game of claim 43, wherein pieces reflect the laser beam at an angle to reflect the laser beam from one game board level to another.

46. The board game of claim 41, wherein pieces can split an incident laser beam into multiple laser beams.

47. The board game of claim 41, wherein pieces allow an incident laser beam to pass through from one direction while reflecting a laser beam from another.

48. The board game of claim 41, wherein pieces illuminate when in the path of a laser beam.

49. The board game of claim 41, wherein pieces are moveable and emit laser beams.

50. The board game of claim 41, wherein pieces have multiple component parts.

51. The board game of claim 41 further comprising means for visually revealing the path of the laser beams.

52. The board game of claim 41, wherein the and pieces magnetically attract.

53. The board game of claim 41, wherein switches control the illumination of the laser beam sources.

54. The board game of claim 41, wherein a sound is generated when the key playing piece is illuminated.