| Object: roll the ball to the exit.
Click anywhere on the board to create a random wall maze. The creation of the maze might take a few seconds. Each maze will be different. Each maze has a unique solution. Every square can be reached and there are no loops.
To move the ball in any orthogonal direction, you can click the target square of your move. Somewhat more convenient are the arrow buttons: The ball will start rolling in the direction of the arrow button, and then AUTOMATICALLY follow the labyrinth until it comes across the next intersection.
You win when the ball reaches the exit at the top center.
You can also let the program find the solution by hitting the SOLVE button at any time during the game! (The program follows the famous 'right-hand rule', keeping a wall at the right hand at all times. Pretty to watch.) The program will then also SHOW THE SHORTEST PATH to the goal by a chain of dots! It is the first maze-solving Zillions game.
Design your own mazes: Before starting the random maze generation,
use CTRL/C and CTRL/V with mouse click to copy coloured squares
from the right boarder onto the main board to paint your own obstacles where the maze cannot run;
(or create a new variant with your own board setup, see variants 8 and 9 for examples).
Variants 2 TO 7:
CIRCULAR MAZES, STELLAR MAZES, HORIZONTAL MAZES, VERTICAL MAZES, STRAIGHTLINED MAZES, WIGGLY MAZES.
(for details see associated game help text of these variants).
To all these mazes you can add your own coloured designs (no-go areas).
Variants 8, 9: two examples of DESIGNED MAZES
Variants 10 to 15: like variants 2 to 7, but features taken to the extreme.
Please note that there is an alternative piece set available, whose structure makes solving the maze more difficult.
Big Maze is based on the similar game Maze Haven by Karl Scherer. It demonstrates how to make truly large wall mazes with Zillions.
A discussion of maze algorithms can be found at http://www.astrolog.org/labyrnth/algrithm.htm. This script uses the Hunt and Kill method. |