A-Maze-ing Fun: Ravensburger's Labyrinth Board Games

I wanted to take some time to look at the board game Labyrinth by Ravensburger. I was browsing around my local Target and saw the game and decided to look into a bit of the history of the game. We know I love anything to do with mazes and labyrinths and maybe this would make a good gift (SPOILER: it does !).

The History

Ravensburger’s Labyrinth board game was designed by Max Kobbert and published in 1986. Kobbert was a German psychologist who was interested in creating games that would help children develop their problem-solving skills. Starting with the game Colomino in 1973, Kobbert started his long history of developing over 25 board based games, many based on labyrinths. In 1986, Labyrinth was an immediate success when it was first released. It was praised for its simple gameplay, its challenging maze, and its educational value. The game has been translated into over 30 languages and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

Gameplay

Labyrinth is a competitive game for two to four players, ages 8 and up. The game board is a maze of tiles, and players race to collect all of their treasures and return to their starting space. The maze can change every turn as players slide tiles in and out. During your turn your goal is to reach the character in the maze that matches the first card in your hand by following the pathways on the board. You may also use a tile to slide the maze on the board to help you get there (or block other players from moving in the board).

Here are some of the reasons why the game Labyrinth has been so successful:

• It is a simple game to learn, but it can be challenging to master.

• The maze is constantly changing, so players have to be strategic in their movements.

• The game is competitive, but it is also cooperative. Players have to work together to collect all of the treasures, but they also have to compete to reach the finish line first.

• The game is educational. It can help players to develop their problem-solving skills and their spatial reasoning skills.

Labyrinth versions:

The success of the game led to new versions of it throughout the years. Initially those versions were not branded, like Junior Labyrinth (1995), Master Labyrinth (1991), Secret Labyrinth (1998), Labyrinth: The Card Game (2000) and 3D Labyrinth (2002). In 2003 co-branded versions of the popular game began with a collaboration with the book/movie Lord of the Rings. The success led to more co-branded games:

• The Lord of the Rings Labyrinth (2003)

• Star Wars Labyrinth (2012)

• The Amazing Spider-Man Labyrinth (2012)

• Disney's Frozen Labyrinth (2014)

• Marvel Heroes Labyrinth (2015)

• Sonic the Hedgehog Labyrinth (2017)

• SpongeBob SquarePants Labyrinth (2018)

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Labyrinth (2019)

• Harry Potter (2019)

• Pokémon Labyrinth (2021)

• Super Mario Labyrinth (2021)

• Disney Villains (2022)

As of this writing, there are currently 8 games available on the Ravensburger site, shown below, while the older games can be found for sale on sites like ebay:

If you are looking for a fun family game, this would make a great gift !

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Get Lost in the Fun: Gift Items for Maze Lovers

Last minute gift for a maze lover !!! How to gift a Kindle book !

The time until Christmas is getting short. We are well passed the point of having something ship on time and reaching your doorstep on time. Or have we ? If you have a maze lover in your life I suggest checking out my Arrow Maze Book available on Kindle. You could purchase it on the morning on December 25th and it would be on time ! Talk about last minute. It is also one of the few maze books that is formatted for kindle ! Because an arrow maze can be solved with your eyes or a finger (no need for a pencil or pen) it is actually more enjoyable in this format (IMO).

How to Gift a kindle book

You may have never noticed ti before, but on the right side of a books page is a section titled “Buy for others”, located directly under the one click purchasing button.

Hovering on the “Learn more” gives you a quick overview of how it works. Amazon does a great job taking you through the purchase as you would expect. All you need is a friends/family members email address and they will receive a claim code to get the book on the date that you choose !! Note: They must have a kindle device to claim it.

Here is the cover of the book. Let’s check out some maze examples below. Note that this book does have a free sample download available to try before you buy ! That button is located right below “Buy for Others”.

Wishing you Happy Holidays ! I hope you deserve some time off and remain happy and healthy !

Get Lost in the Fun: Gift Items for Maze Lovers

So you know somebody who loves mazes or labyrinths and you want to give them the perfect gift. That would be one of my maze books (or three) !!! Ok, ok so maybe there are other options. Today let’s take a look at some items I found on Etsy that would make a great gift for a maze lover that are not books. Items change often on Etsy, but they always seem to have a great selection of maze and labyrinth items for sale. Use these for inspiration !

1. Fleece Marble Maze by itsthesmallthings

If you aren’t familiar with textile marble mazes (this one is made from fleece), they are mazes sewn into a fabric that has just enough space to allow a marble to be guided thru it. Perfect for young maze enthusiasts. This particular fleece maze comes in 11 solid colors. Makes a nice stocking stuffer.

2. Puzzle Box Maze (Russian Doll Puzzle) by Backcorner3D

A really cool maze that has a dual purpose - you solve it and you get access to the inner part of the maze - a great place to give a small gift like money money money (or a note on a piece of paper). Or a scavenger hunt, or (lots of things). Come in a variety of colors, 17 by my count, and with 2 difficult levels, Easy or Hard. Also has a TON of 5 start reviews !!! Stocking stuffer ?

3. Wooden Maze Toy by DrapelaWoodworks

Made with red oak and measures 12.75 inches long by 9 inches wide. This seller is very large and is known for their high quality products. You can customize the item with a name on the back. Looks like a fun item for people of all ages.

4. Maze themed jewelry - assorted vendors

If you know someone who likes handmade jewelry and also are a maze enthusiast this might be the gift for them ! There are hundreds of items to choose from and they go out of stock quickly because of the low number of pieces available. Here is an example of what was available when I searched. Lots of labyrinths and always Native American themed Man in the maze. Rings, necklaces, broches, pendants; they have them all.

5. A Wooden Finger Labyrinth by Westlandco

Looks wonderful and can be inscribed on the back with a personal message. Perfect for those that use labyrinths for more spiritual uses rather than a puzzles/games. Finger labyrinths are used for meditation, relaxation, prayer, and concentration.

Hope you enjoyed this quick look at some possible maze gifts for that special puzzle solver in your life !