Lights Out Deluxe

Lights Out Deluxe is a version of Lights Out played on a 6x6 grid. However, it's not simply a larger version of Lights Out. As well as providing five game variants (described later), you can choose the "effect pattern" that is used. You can change between the standard lights out "+" pattern or a new "x" pattern. These are illustrated below.

The "x" pattern is an interesting variation. Try it on my Javascript Lights Out Deluxe game.

Note that I don't actually own a Lights Out Deluxe and so all this information comes from the manual (which you can download from the Lights Out Fan Club). If you have an original Deluxe, and can confirm that my description is accurate, please contact me. Of course, if you'd like to donate it to a good home, so much the better!

The five game types are described below

Classic
This is just like the original Lights Out, only on a bigger grid. Plus, of course, you can choose which effect pattern to use.

Lit Only
In this game you are limited to pressing Lit buttons. It is similar to Flip.

Toggle
This variant sounds truly mind-boggling to me! You have to alternate your button presses so that first you press a lit button, then an unlit one, then a lit one etc. etc.

2-4 Players
The idea with this game is to take turns to make a move. You have to make a "correct" move (ie, one that advances the puzzle towards the solution) or you forfeit your turn. Rather cleverly, the machine chooses a puzzle whose solution takes a number of moves which is divisible by the number of players (so if there are four players, the puzzle will require 4,8,12,16 etc. button presses to solve.

Lights In Tiger describe this game in the manual as the opposite of Lights Out. You start by entering a puzzle. The machine then blanks the screen, and you have to build your puzzle up again by pressing the buttons. It sounds like quite an interesting variation.

All of the above games (except Lights In) can be played in a couple of "modes", pre-computed or random. In addition, for Classic and Lit Only you can enter your own puzzles.

Solving Lights Out Deluxe

All of the puzzles in Classic mode are solvable, for both effect patterns. You can (of course) solve the classic puzzles, with the "+" effect pattern using standard Light Chasing methods. For a complete description click here.

There is also a Light Chasing type solution for the alternative "x" pattern. In fact it's remarkably simple.

The Lit Only puzzles (with the "+" effect pattern) can also all be solved by using the method I describe for solving Flip, and I suspect that when I suss out how to solve the classic puzzles with the "x" pattern, there will be a similar solution for the Lit Only ones. I haven't got the faintest idea about the Toggle games! The fact that the machine does not allow you to enter your own toggle patterns suggests that they may not all be solvable. Any ideas?