Making the Fold (Not the Cut) with Mazescape: Ariadne
Trace a path through various mazes across constantly changing and folding landscapes with Mazescape: Ariadne.
I’ve enjoyed many different types of puzzles over the years, so I was intrigued by the mazes in Mazescape: Ariadne. The folding elements seemed quite challenging, especially knowing how I sometimes struggle to think in abstact terms. Yet for an activity that didn’t seem overwhelming, I looked forward to settling in to escape from a few twisty pathways!
Disclaimer
This copy was given to me as a gift from my friend, who works for Devir. Definitely should have played it previously, as it’s been sitting on my shelf for many months! I received it to enjoy, with no expectation of any sort of review.
Game Overview
Game Name: Mazescape: Ariadne
Publication Year: 2021
Designers: Pablo Céspedes and Víctor Hugo Cisternas
Artists: Joan Guardiet and Álex Santaló
Publisher: Devir
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
The goal is to solve 7 different mazes, which offer new and changing challenges. Secondary objectives provide other ways to traverse the puzzles that fold in all sorts of ways. Paths change and shift, opening up new options and ultimately leading to the impossible triangle, or end!
First Play
October 18, 2022
Complexity
1
Latest Play
June 5, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
15 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
24" x 18"
Low Score
N/A
Following the Paths
Such a neat concept! Those who enjoy maze puzzles will likely appreciate a lot of these aspects. The paths are clearly marked and stand out in stark white.
Yet across the 7 booklets, the pages fold and unfold in unique ways. You simply track your current position, and change the areas surrounding the region.
It’s a clever mechanic that makes each maze feel like a maze… So many ways to go, and did I just double back?!
The first one led me to discover some very interesting folding possibilities. There’s more than meets the eye!
Secondary Objectives
Unsurprisingly, the goal of every maze is to reach the end, represented by the impossible triangle.
Yet there are other elements that create other challenges. I made it a goal to complete everything for the first map!
My only major complaint is how the identical objects are just that… Identical. So if I need to pass 5 vases, there’s no easy way to tell which ones I’ve already gone past.
Nothing major, and it added to the theme of feeling like I was lost in a maze. That’s something that works for some, and maybe not for others. I was still on the fence…
Tracing a Path
The game comes with a handy wooden pointer to trace a path through each maze. It doesn’t leave any marks, though: It’s there to keep track of where you are.
I was utterly baffled at one point, until I realized that there are multiple ways to fold or unfold pages. This isn’t about adding any new folds, but thinking outside the box.
And it was great! It didn’t take me too long to fly through this puzzle and complete all of the secondary objectives.
Would my luck hold up? I was curious about how the next map might be different, so onward I traced!
Does This Fit?
Alright, it had to happen. The popcorn tricycle made an appearance to try to fit along those tiny maze paths. Did it work? Well, I’m only stretching slightly, but I’ll allow it!
On that note, I realized I haven’t been grabbing any Calico Critters in costumes lately. They’ll be back for Halloween!
This second maze was absolutely diabolical. I did everything I could think of in terms of folding to move all over the place, yet I still only reached a few vases.
It felt like a long time to keep traversing the paths, so I ended up racing for the impossible triangle to call it a win!
The Debate About Games vs. Puzzles vs. Activities
I used to go through a bunch of different puzzle books back in the day. Most of them might have been classified as puzzles or even activities, but there are certain aspects that can make a puzzle feel more like a game. In this case, the mazes didn’t quite fit in with my definition of a game… And that’s fine! Never hurts to try out some more things.
Without a round structure, it was a race to complete the secondary objectives and find the exit. Had I wanted to, I could have recorded my exact times to create the minimum standard to beat in the future. Then again, how many times can a maze be completed? Many, but that first time is often the one that leads to all the fun and new discoveries.
And then there are the real life mazes, such as corn mazes. I love those! My favorite time was when I went with my dad not too long ago. By sheer chance, we took a random route that took us to the end in about 5 minutes. Didn’t get our money’s worth, so we turned around and got lost for around 2 hours. Maybe we should have taken the win. Ha ha!
My overall thinking is that a game can encompass a lot of different things, and that might change from person to person. These sorts of mazes and puzzles make me think differently than when I play board games, and the end result is a very different feeling. But am I complaining? Nope! Puzzles are merely another kind of fun that can be awesome!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 and 2
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Play Details: Mazes 1 and 2
Outcome: 2 Wins
Maybe I didn’t entirely master the second map with some missed secondary objectives, but it was still fun! My patience was stretched a little thinly… Owing to my severe lack of folding skills. In many cases, I could see what I needed to do, but it was impossible to keep track of every single area. Still, these were some very unique sorts of mazes that I enjoyed puzzling and tracing through!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
5
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
2
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each map is very different with unique challenges and also very different map folds, allowing for lots of variety.
- Tracing a path is easy with the clearly defined paths that stand out against the background and other artwork.
- Gameplay can involve other goals or even a timed element, although these are optional challenges to add on.
- The required table space is reasonable, even with a fully unfolded maze, and doesn’t extend outside the pages.
- Although not entirely required, the included wooden pointer is very helpful for traveling along the paths.
- Finding unexpected ways to fold the pages is very satisfying, leading to new paths and objects to discover.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Secondary objectives can be tricky to complete with multiple identical objects that aren’t easy to tell apart.
- It’s vital to be able to picture the map in a very abstract way with all of the different folds, which can be tricky.
- Although there are other goals to complete, once a map is solved, there isn’t much of a reason to play it again.
- Getting lost is quite thematic, yet there isn’t any way to easily track what paths have been traveled down.
Victory Conditions
Reach the End of the Maze
- Overall Goal Progress 33%
Goals and Milestones
Complete maze 1 and all the secondary objectives.
Complete maze 2 and all the secondary objectives.
Complete maze 3 and all the secondary objectives.
Continue the Conversation
What are your thoughts about Mazescape: Ariadne? Are there any other mazes, puzzles, or other similar activities in your collection? As with lightweight games, there’s often a time and place for these sorts of mazes. With new mechanics, like folding and unfolding pages, the age-old activity of getting lost along the paths offers more fun!
interesting review, I’m currently playing mazescape, also love your website.
Thank you very much for the kind words! Hope you have a great time playing and working through all of the different maze puzzles. Good luck!