Mazescape: Ariadne and the Puzzle of Folding Paths
Fold and unfold a variety of map puzzles to trace paths and complete secondary objectives in Mazescape: Ariadne.
It wasn’t that long ago that I tried out the first puzzles in Mazescape: Ariadne. However, I wasn’t sure if the thought process was exactly right for me… Time to give it another chance to see how I would fare! There are a lot of different puzzles out there, and I often try a lot of them. Not all of them work, but it’s awesome to see the available variety!
Disclaimer
I received this copy for free from a friend who works for the publisher over a year ago. Such a kind gesture! There was no expectation of a post or review, and everything included here is my own based on trying out some of the mazes.
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)
With a set of 7 mazes of varying difficulty levels, the goal is to reach the exit by folding and unfolding each puzzle. There are plenty of surprises, and secondary objectives provide additional reasons to try to explore every available path through these very unique map puzzles!
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 Old Paths
I found the first maze to be pretty simple, although it likely served a good purpose as an introduction to the system. Winning easily can, indeed, be a lot of fun!
Secondary objectives provide additional goals to visit other areas, sometimes in order. So I went back to the second maze to see if I might do a little better this time.
The main issues I have are focused on the busy elements and difficulty in tracking overall progress.
It’s nearly impossible to track whether a certain path has been traveled down before, leading to lots of overlap.
Tricky Objectives
Additional achievements or objectives are often fantastic, and I will usually gravitate towards completing them. In this case, though, I struggled with a lot of the tasks.
Many involve passing 3-5 of the same item… Yet these are oddly unmarked and identical in the maze.
In essence, I had to try to remember which of these items I actually passed. Was it that one near the dead-end? Or wait, was that a slightly different dead-end I didn’t pass?!
Simply marking these items with letters or numbers would have made the mental overhead so much simpler.
Onward to New Paths
The hunt for secondary objectives may have thrown me off, but I still moved onto an entirely new maze. At the very least, I could simply work on finding this new exit.
It was reasonably fun! I think this puzzle featured many more visually distinctive areas, which was very helpful.
But even with the included wooden tracer, my mind kept moving ahead with thinking about folds so that I slightly lost track of where I was. These paths are very close!
Maybe the stairs didn’t stand out to me. I had a nice time finding the exit, though I was glad to reach the end.
Confusing Visuals
Before I packed away the rest of the puzzles, I took a look through some of them. This is another important point: I really think this is just not something my brain likes!
All of the white space melds together for me, and the paths that act as bridges make me noticeably pause.
I know that liking puzzles is very subjective, so I hope this makes some sense as to why this set is headed to a new home! This is still a very neat and compact concept.
Maybe it would be nice to give each map a try, yet I was already feeling a little discombobulated from this photo.
Appreciating Innovative Game Designs
This is going to be headed off to find a new home soon, but I think it’s important to recognize that there is a really neat concept here. Who thought folding and unfolding could be so much fun?! I hope that these puzzles will bring some joy to the next person who tries out my copy. After all, I still had some great moments when I reached the exits.
Although there are other sets available that look a little more promising, I don’t know if I’ll actively seek them out. Mazes were never my strong suit in terms of puzzles… And I lose standard solo games more than enough. Ha ha! Still, for those who enjoy these sorts of activities, I think the compact play area with the page folds is a very welcome design!
Session Overview
Play Number: 3 and 4
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Outcome: 2 Wins
I had a fun enough time, but felt content stopping here. Some of the maps I didn’t move onto featured incorrect folds and some ink transfer… Not something I wanted to experience with these sorts of puzzles! There is definitely something special with this system, and additional sets offer different visual styles that may work better for others. Although I’m happy to pass along this copy, it was still a fun time to try to work my way along the pathways!
%
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)
- Play time is typically pretty quick for the easier mazes, and it’s easy to pause or restart at another time.
- The folding mazes mean that the play area stays relatively compact and doesn’t always need table space.
- An included wooden tracer helps follow a path visually with a clear reminder of the current location.
- Pages may be folded in different ways that aren’t always obvious from the start, adding an element of discovery.
- Challenges increase with the later maps as they introduce different folds and more paths to explore.
- For fans of the puzzle and maze genres in general, this is a very clever concept that is worth taking a look at.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There is no sense of progression towards finding the exit, as it’s impossible to track all of the previous folds.
- Secondary objectives provide additional fun, yet identical items aren’t differentiated and can be confusing.
- If the visual style isn’t ideal for following paths, the mazes can be a bit frustrating and time-consuming.
- Although the concept is excellent, the constant folding, unfolding, and re-folding may wear down the paper.
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
Have you tried Mazescape: Ariadne or any of the other related sets? How far did you get with completing the secondary objectives? This remains a very unique sort of puzzle that will likely appeal to the right sort of player. I can’t love every game out there, yet I still had my moments exploring these paths and the satisfaction of all the different page folds!
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