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Turn the mirrors of an old cistern, light the crystal and reach the stairs before your lamp dies.
About this game
Turn the mirrors of an old cistern, light the crystal and reach the stairs before your lamp dies.
In Cistern Light you go down into an old cistern under the city with an oil lamp in your hand. Turn the bronze mirrors so the beam from a grate in the vault reaches the crystal, and the gate opens to the next floor down; but every step burns a little oil and your circle of light shrinks. From the Hall of Columns to the Deep Cistern, each of the five halls brings a new idea: rocks that block the beam, fire grates that burn to the beat of your steps, ice you slide across and floors with two crystals. Every floor is checked by a solver, and the dive of the day is the same for everyone.
Leaderboard
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How to play
- Swipe or tap a square to walk. Walk into a mirror and it turns, sending the beam another way.
- Bring the beam to the crystal: when it lights, the gate opens. Reach the stairs to finish the floor.
- Every step burns lamp oil; if it runs out, undo or start the floor again, undo is unlimited.
- Take the gem and go down with oil to spare: you earn three stars and gold.
Controls
- Swipe: take a step, keep your finger down to keep walking
- Tap a square to walk there; tap a far mirror to walk up to it and turn it
- Keyboard: arrows or WASD walk, Z undoes, R restarts, H gives a hint
- Esc or P: pause
Tips
- Follow the beam before you walk: once you know which mirror to turn, take the shortest way there, every step costs oil.
- A fire grate burns on a beat of 2 or 3 steps; you cannot wait, but turning a mirror counts as a step and shifts the beat.
- A rock blocks the beam, so push it out of the beam's way. On ice you slide until you hit something, so pick where you will stop.
Questions and answers
Is it free?
Yes, you can play it for free. There are no ads inside the game; gold is only earned by playing and buys lamps and light colours.
What happens when my lamp goes out?
You do not lose the floor: undo takes your steps back and gives you the oil back, or you can start the floor again. If you are stuck a hint shows a yellow route, but that floor then cannot earn its third star.
Is my progress saved?
Yes. Your stars, gold, an unfinished floor and your settings are saved to the cloud through the portal, even if you play as a guest.