Maze Construction - 5 Maze Design Decisions Make All the Difference

May 24, 2023

I’ve taken the time to look at 40 different maze constructions, giving you step by step Instructions on how to make each type. I had a fun time with the project but wanted to expand on the subject with a more detailed look at what the key differences are between each type. Also, in my old job I spent like 90% of my time making spreadsheets and this is a perfect time to break one out ! No V or XLOOKUPS though.

First let’s define a few common maze terms:

Start - Where you begin a maze from.
Goal - Where you need to arrive at to properly solve the maze.
Wall - The portion of the maze that creates uncross-able boundaries
Pathway / Paths - What you travel along in the maze to solve it, typically the place between walls
Outline - The outer wall of the maze or border. Can be a simple shape or something more complex like a picture.

So what are the key items that set the Maze constructions apart from one another ? I believe there are 5.

5 Maze Design Decisions that Differentiate Maze Constructions:

Where the maze starts
What type of pathways/walls the maze uses
Does the maze have an outline
Are there any conditions you need to follow to solve it
What is the purpose/goal of the maze

While there are other things that differentiate between mazes, these are the core 5 items. Let’s take a look at each one with some examples.

Where the Maze Starts
I believe there are 5 categories of how you might start a maze:

Border Start
Internal Start
Undefined location
Multiple locations
Specialty options

I would say that most mazes start at the border of the maze on the outside of the main maze structure. Essentially at the border you find an Arrow directing you into the structure or the word Start. But, there are more options. The internal start is the next most common. Escape mazes, by definition start inside the maze, but Arrow Mazes and Slide Arrow Mazes also start internally within the maze border. Block Arrow Mazes. Number Mazes, and Letter Mazes can also start internally depending on how you structure your maze. The third main start is the undefined start, usually with an undefined goal, meaning the start is either not known to you or it is selectable. A good example is the Dual Entrance/Exit Maze where you select the direction you wish to solve the maze in. While a Start/Goal type Arrow Maze gives you 2 options and you need to discover which is the start and which is the goal ! Finally we have 2 special cases, the Line Leads Maze where the start is a variety of multiple options, and the Pipe Maze construction where the start is the faucet handle (not really internal or border, but kind of both). Read about 9 common Options for Starting and Ending a Maze.

Here are examples of each type:

Ohio state maze — Start at the **border** of the maze

dual emtrance maze — **Undefined Start** - You choose the start and the goal

arrow maze — **Undefined Start** - Start / Goal Arrow Maze - You determine which is which !!

Ohio state shaped pipe maze — **Specialty Start -** Faucet Start

Line leads spider maze — **Multiple starting options** - Line Leads Maze

What type of Paths/Walls it Uses

I believe there are 5 categories of how you might construct pathways and walls:

Walled Pathway
Gridded Specialty
Grid Walls
On line Pathway
Specialty pathways

The paths are integral in the construction of any maze. The thing about paths is they are created usually by drawing walls. They really don’t exist without the other. The maze you are picturing in your head is probably the most popular pathway, the walled path, typically a line. Those lines create walls that you travel between. The next most popular pathway is the gridded specialty structure. It encompasses all of the maze types that use box grids to house the maze. Think of Arrow, Slide Arrow, Number, Letter and Puzzle Mazes. Each uses a grid pattern to house specialty symbols/items that dictate how you may move. Finally, the standard grid wall structure. A regular grid wall structure allows movement in a more typical way, through cuts in the walls to create a pathway. The last common pathway is the on line pathway. In this type you travel on the line, so that there are no walls. This exists for On-Line, Line Leads, Conditional Path, and Directional Mazes. The last group are a variety of specialty paths each unique to 1 or 2 maze types. 2 specialty paths share the common design of weaving, the Pipe maze and the Weaving maze., each which allow the solver to move over and under the other pathways! Additional specialty mazes include Pattern Mazes which will vary in their pathways based on the pattern you are mazing. Object Mazes use objects for walls, creating unique pathways. Draw and Cut mazes are similar in that the pathways reflect whatever is is you have drawn. For additional reading, I did a blog post about the 12 most common pathway types: Maze Pathway options.

Let’s look at some examples for each:

Pipes Ohio maze — **Specialty Path -** Weaving

Smile maze — **Specialty Path -** Weaving

Ohio names maze — **Specialty Pathway** - Objects (words in this case)

Square cut maze — **Specialty Pathway** - Draw and Cut

Does the Maze Have an Outline

As far as constructions go this is pretty simple because it is a Yes/No answer. Bordered mazes are the standard with defined outer edges common to determine the shape and size of the solvable maze. However, some mazes have less structure. Think about a Weaving Maze and a Pipe Maze. Neither has a defined border as you travel in pathways which create the structure of the maze. Non-bordered mazes are also easy to see with Line Leads Mazes, where the squiggly lines make the structure chaotic. Some Mazes have defined structures, but no real border like a Math maze. You could make a math maze in a defined bordered structure, but it is not pertinent to solving.

Are there any Conditions you need to follow to solve it

Most mazes are rather straightforward in how they are solved, but there can be a LOT of variety in the conditions. So the answer is either Yes or No, but the Yes has a huge amount of different conditions ! Let’s start with a standard maze which has No conditions to solving. The solver enters the maze, travels in it, then exits at the goal. That is the normal flow of most mazes. But sometimes there are conditions. A common clue is that if the maze comes with directions it is most likely conditional. Let’s look at a few: Solve the Puzzle to Move can describe many conditional mazes generally like a Block Move Maze. A Block Move Maze requires you to find a path between the start and goal by finding and moving the appropriate blocks to create a path. There are rules on how those blocks may move. A Puzzle Maze requires you to solve the puzzle to move correctly. A Number Maze requires you to choose the correct given numbers to move correctly. Same for a Letter Maze. A Conditional Path maze is by definition part of this as the puzzle you need to solve determines your movement. Likewise a Directional Maze (like a left turn only maze). Next is the Non Repeating Path condition. This is commonly used in a Find Items Maze and a Go & Return Maze. Each or these maze constructions require you to visit places in the maze before exiting, but the path you take may not backtrack from the way you came. Finally there is the Allowable Movement maze types. For me this includes Arrow Mazes and Slide Arrow mazes where movement thru the maze includes options on WHERE to go, but not HOW you may move. For more examples check out my blog on the 11 most common conditions: Conditional Pathway options

Let’s look at some examples:

Go and Return Ohio maze — **Non-repeating Path**

What is the purpose/goal of the maze

I believe there are 5 categories for the purpose of a maze

Reach the Goal
Escape the Maze
Solve a Puzzle
Specialty purposes
Unsolvable mazes

This answers the question - What are you trying to do in order to solve the maze ? The most basic purpose of a maze is also the most common, to reach the goal. While you may think this is the case for all mazes, here are a few other options: Escape the maze - this is of course used for the Escape Maze, where you start inside the maze and your goal is to escape the outer border. There are also instances where the purpose of the maze is to Solve a Puzzle. This includes a Hidden Trail Message Maze where the act of solving the maze creates a message for the solver. It also includes the Find Items Maze type where reaching the goal is only half of correctly solving the maze, you must also find certain items along the way ! Finally there are some Specialty purposes that only apply to 1 or 2 maze types per instance. Like the Math Maze whose purpose isn’t really to reach the goal or solve the puzzle, but you do each in order to learn mathematics ! And there is the specialty maze that should be used only for April Fool’s Day, the Unsolvable Maze. Or you made a mistake when you designed it, oops.

Hidden Trail Maze — **Solve a Puzzle** - Hidden Message Trail Maze

Hidden message maze — **Specialty** - Hidden Message Maze

So these are my 5 Maze Design Decisions that Differentiate Maze Constructions with examples. I have taken the time to summarize each of the 40 maze constructions based on these 5 criteria. Check out the chart below. Yellow highlights are on things that are not typical for a particular category.

Of the 40 mazes construction types, if we select the most common type for each of the 5 most common characteristics how many maze types are included ? So this would mean a maze that:

Starts at the border
Has walled pathways
Has an outline
Is NOT conditional to solve
And whose purpose is simply to reach the goal

That leaves us with 12 closely related mazes out of 40. And, if we wanted to add a 6th differentiator, the differences between these 12 mazes are generally HOW the walls/pathways are drawn. Happy maze designing !

Twisty Little Paths: Creating New Types of Experimental Mazes

May 2, 2023

I spent an entire month making Experimental Mazes were I came up with 11 different types of mazes. Each type had at least one daily maze posted on the site and some of these experiments had up to 5 different versions. Today I want to pull each of these new maze creations together and review them, see how I did, what worked and get some feedback from you.

Part 1 - Perspective Arrow Maze

This idea is pretty simple: Arrow Maze + a change in perspective. I did 5 different versions and below is my favorite example. A typical Arrow Maze is flat and I thought adding some perspective would be interesting. I enjoyed making this and getting the maze aligned as I made it in sections.

Part 2 - Multi Arrow Maze

This idea is connected Arrow Mazes. Day 1 is Arrow Maze 1 you solve normally. Day 2 adds Maze 2 (the upper left corner). The solver starts in the same place, but tries to reach the Day 2 Goal in Maze 2. This continues each day. Day 3 adds Maze 3 and a new GOAL. By day 5 you have 5 Arrow Mazes combined into one. Can you solve each maze in order ? Good Luck. To clarify, landing on a corner of the center arrow maze opens up the new maze section to you.

Multi connected Arrow Maze — Multi Arrow Maze

Part 3 - Color Grid and Grid Maze Combo

Another combination maze, this one featuring a color grid maze and a grid maze. Since the Color Grid is already “gridded” this made it easy to create a 2-in-1 maze. Solve the 2 mazes in any order. In this case the start and goal is the same for each maze type.

Part 4 - Folded Grid Maze

A Grid Maze that has the appearance of being a folded piece of paper based on changing the perspectives on a few sections. I did 2 versions. Easy to make. Looks more interesting than a regular grid maze, but is nothing earth shattering.

Part 5 - Layered Grid Maze

A Grid Maze that uses multiple layers to give the maze a more interesting look. Honestly, this is not very experimental in hindsight. It looks marginally more interesting, but at the end of the day is still just a grid maze.

Part 6 - Arrow and Grid Maze Combo

Another 2-in-1 maze experiment. This one combines the Arrow and Grid Mazes. I made it to be solved Arrow Maze first, then Grid Maze after, returning to the original start, but you can technically solve in either order. I like the idea of the start of one is the goal of the other. I did 4 different mazes of this type.

Part 7 - The Sectional Maze

A Sectional Maze uses lightly connected sections and weaving pathways to travel throughout the maze. Nothing too crazy, but a new type of maze for me. Maybe the newest portion is the one way pathways between sections. I feel like this is a small version of something much larger and more interesting.

Part 8 - Standard Perspective Maze

A standard maze where I have played with the perspective. I think this is the least appealing maze I made playing with perspective. Boring in this example and possibly boring in most examples. When I originally thought of it I was thinking it would look like a folded piece of paper. This particular example is also a Kids maze.

Part 9 - Stacked Grid Maze

A Grid Maze (blue) inside a grid maze (black). Day 1 included only the black walls, while Day 2 uses both black and blue to create the walls. I stopped after 2 days as the solution stays generally the same on day 2 in this version.

Part 10 - Pipes and Arrow Maze Combo

Another 2-in-1 maze that combines Pipe Mazes and Arrow Mazes. These can be solved in any order. I looks a bit odd but these are 2 of my favorite maze types. I will say as a designer this maze type takes a long time to make. If I could make this faster I would make more.

Part 11 - Stacked Standard Maze

5 Mazes in 1. Each Day for 5 days I added a new layer to solve. Each smaller arrow adds a new layer of walls to impede you. So the maze starts with black walls only. The next maze on day 2 uses black and grey walls. Then + Blue, + Red, and finally + Green. I thought this was a fun idea. But the actual execution is tough on the eyes and not as enjoyable to solve as I thought. I wonder if wider spacing for all maze pathways would improve it.

The odd sizes mean I did not make these mazes into a traditional free downloadable book, but I did gather them into a 31 page booklet. It is not recommended for printing. The download is 392Kb and is best used on screen.

download the maze booklet

Are there some mazes you like that should be continued and explored ? Send me a request.

Maze Art Case Study - Bodiam Castle Maze Coloration & Improvement

April 25, 2023

I wrote a blog post about improving existing maze art, Maze Art: Advanced Tips to Creating Your Own Masterpiece. I wanted to use my own writing to see if I could improve one of my own mazes. The maze in question is Maze of the Week #69 of Bodiam Castle in England. It is my second maze of a castle in England and this one I made only in black and white. When I was finished with the maze I didn’t really feel finished. I wanted to do more but was frustrated because the last section of the maze I worked on was a complicated. The parts that I could add would not have any bearing on the actual maze or maze solving so I moved to my next maze. Now I go back and try to improve the maze. Will work ?

Here are my 8 advanced tips for making maze art:

Tip #1 - Make lots of experimental mazes - DONE

Tip #2 - Get feedback - need to do !

Tip #3 - Famous landmarks/locations/objects get more interest - DONE.

Tip #4 - Leverage your unique skills - DONE , I make many building mazes !

Tip #5 - Don’t worry about “fitting” the maze into a particular size - DONE

Tip #6 - Slow down and take your time - I was rushing onto the next project…thus the case study !

Tip #7 - Add as many small details in the maze as possible ( & Consider adding shadows) - What I need to do.

Tip #8 - Take lots of detailed pictures of your subject - I do not live nearby but will search for as many details as I can find.

So 4 of the 8 tips apply to this maze. I will work my way through these and see how things go.

Tip #2 - Get feedback - I am going to send this to 2 friends to get some feedback and see what they say and include that in my changes.

Tip #6 - Slow down and take your time. I will be done when I complete the details I want to try and not before !

Tip #7 - Add as many small details in the maze as possible - This will be the core of what I do based off of additional pictures I find (Tip #8)

Here is my own evaluation of the small details that are missing in the current maze:

You can’t tell that there is a moat around the castle. I can try a few things to potentially fix this.
What is behind the castle on the landscape (it is not nothing) ?
The island includes grass although that is not clear in black and white.
Different sections of the maze bricks have different colors.
The structure on the island blends into the castle just to the right of the door.
The boards on the walkway leading to the entrance have additional details that can be added (like nails)
How about adding some shadows to give the castle some shape
The sky is empty
Moss and small plants cover a portion of the structure

As I sat down to enhance this maze I decided to start in the center with the wooden walkway and work my way from there. Let’s look at the changes I made:

1 - Walkway - added color - different shades based on shadows; added shadow between the boards; added nails; added lines to show ‘grain’ in the wood. Made over a dozen small fixes to extend/shorten lines and clean up the picture.

2 - Dirt Walkway - directly behind the wooden walkway it appears to be made of dirt and small stones. I gave it some detail to reflect that and colored it. I used lines closer together in the center where people would walk more.

3 - Island Bricks - I noticed that the bricks that make up the island have grout that it light colored, so as I colored the bricks, I changed the black grout to the lighter color with black accents.

4 - Island Moss - added color, including dead grass on the edges in a lighter color. I added some moss over the bricks.

Here is a close-up of 2 of the changes I made, the new bricks and the new walkway:

5 - Island fix - I actually did not finish the portion of the island that goes behind the walkway. And this was not finished on either the left or right side, so I added the portion of the island in the background between the wood. I also colored them and added grout as appropriate. Here is the section on the left side with the island added. Go back and compare the before and after’s. Most people don’t notice the missing island in black and white !

bridge with background bricks illustration

6 - Door area - Added stone detail in front of the front door (and behind the pebbles) and colored it. Adjusted this from 2 sections to 1 and added shadow area near/under the door. Changed the door panels to be smaller with more accurate depiction based on the pieces of wood that make up the door. Added bolts that hold the panels together on both doors. Added a door handle on the left door. Changed the iron parts of the door to be a more accurate shape. Changed the color of the gate and added the bolts at the intersections that hold it together.

7 - Castle fixes - There are remnants of a building in front of the main castle on the right side. It has moss on the top and a door. I made the bricks the same as the island. There is a rock in front of the door. You’ll notice that later I made additional changes to this section (darker moss, doorway shadows).

The main castle has a shape that includes sections with some depth so I added color and shadows to account for that. The bricks were not as strong in the pictures I saw so I softened them just as I did on the island with the lighter cement color. The bottom stones near the boat were colored darker.

8 - Water fixes - I went for it on this section. I created relections of the castle and island in the water. Obviously I colored the water a nice blue color. I also added the reflection of the shore items (trees and grasses) after they were added.

9 - Shore fixes - Added some trees near the shore and some small hills in the background. Near the shore coming from the water I added reeds/grasses in the transition area. All items were later reflected into the water !

To show more detail I will only show the right side of the picture.

10 - Final touches - Added a sky. Changed the color of some moss (darker) to better reflect reality. Re-worked some layers to improve the maze. Enlarged the name of the castle in the bottom left corner larger than the location.

Considered but did not ultimately add: Clouds in the sky. I practice these often but have not perfected a good enough cloud yet. Ripples in the water. I experimented with this but decided it looked forced. Something to practice ofr future mazes. Ducks in the water and birds in the sky. Not needed, but if I could make it well enough it would be fun little added touch.

Here is the Before:

And here is the After: I had some trouble saving this as a PNG and keeping all the reflections, So I went with a screenshot. The full maze as intended is shown in the saved and downloadable pdf file.

How long did the changes take to add?

Changes took me almost 4 full days to complete, working on and off most of each day. I did not work on any other mazes during this time.

How much bigger is the new file than before ?

I added a lot of small details that really add up. The PDF file went from 149KB to 1,886 KB (12.6x larger) while the PNG file grew from 422 KB to 1,048 KB (2.5x larger).

Was it worth it ?

Yes, I think it was. But what do you think ?

Hidden Message Maze challenge - Part 3

April 28, 2022

Here we are again. Part 3 of my hidden maze message challenge. It is the final section unless you want to try your skill (luck?) at some Spanish versions! By now now you know the drill. Let’s get started and good luck !