Favourite mechanics: Sunlight

The first time I experienced a game using the light of day to influence things, it was an approximation of daylight in Pokémon Silver. You input your local time into the game when you start it and the cartridge itself would track it like any other digital watch, affecting Pokémon availability, day and night effects, and more. It was pretty cool, but it was still an approximation.

Then, I heard about Boktai.

In Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand, the cartridge has an actual sensor that sticks out from the GameBoy Advance so it can detect sunlight (although a UV lightbulb could spoof it). In-game, you're a vampire hunter, and the sunlight charges your weapon, making it safer to be out hunting. There are methods to collect small power-ups to charge your weapon without sunlight, but ultimately, you will want that sun when you fight a boss. When I found out about this game, I was blown away. This is innovative gaming.

Day and night and sunlight itself as a mechanic

There have been other video games since that have used synchronized day and night cycles to your time, but not a lot that have used actual light itself. On the other hand, tabletop games have been exploring light as a mechanic in interesting ways for years.

Ten Candles

Ten Candles is played with ten tea light candles that provide the mood as well as act as a game timer.

Shadows In The Forest

Shadows In The Forest is played in the dark, with a central light casting shadows from some of the pieces that effect gameplay.

Vampire Hunter

Vampire Hunter has a coloured light in the center of the board that changes colour based on if it's day or night in the game.

Exit: The Game

In the Exit game series, there are puzzles that require you to hold parts of the game up to the light, seeing through and merging multiple images into one.

Going further

I'm also reminded of old-timey alarm clocks, which were carefully measured candles with nails in them. When the candle had burned past a certain point, the nail would fall and hit a plate, making a loud sound and waking the person up.

What other mechanics could tabletop games incorporate revolving around light? Here's a quick brainstorm.

• Photosensitive puzzles with UV-reactive ink.
• Cards and game boards printed with thermochromatic ink that changes in the sun or heat (I had some Hot Wheels as a kid that did this).
• Setting the game up as a sun dial, with the shadow opening or closing paths depending on the time of day.
• Candle-snuffing. You're just close enough to attempt putting out someone else's candle with a single breath, which causes an in-game effect if you do.
• Building up obstacles or walls in one phase or turn and shining a light during another, leading to shadowed paths being locked or more dangerous.
• The game uses whatever the current light, weather, and season is for one of the players.
• Layering of coloured glass or plastic so that the light that passes through changes.
• The temperature degree difference between a player's current day and the previous day causes a certain effect.
• Small, calculator-like solar panels power parts of the board, with them literally not working if there's not enough natural light.

I don't know about you, but my mind is going wild thinking about this.

What would you use light for in a game?