4 min read

Learn how to play Magic Maze

Get our guide on Magic Maze rules and gameplay

Players: 1 to 8 | Game duration from: 10 mins | Game Complexity: LOW

What is the goal?

In Magic Maze, players take on the role of 4 heroes: A mage, a barbarian, an elf and a dwarf, who have been stripped of their stuff and are forced to rob the local Magic Maze shopping mall for necessary equipment for their next quest.

They agree to steal at the same time, dash to the exits and evade the guards .

You and your friends have to work together to:

control any of the 4 hero pawns (mage, barbarian, elf or dwarf)
use the heroes to perform a specific action
cooperate with other players to move wisely to complete your mission before the timer runs out

You will only be able to communicate for short periods during the game. The rest of the time, you will not be able to speak or signal to each other.

Game setup

Choose a scenario. Game has 17 scenarios for you to choose to play. You can come up with your own scenarios as well. Scenarios tell you how to:

Set up the Mall tile deck
Place starting tile in the middle of table
Randomly place 4 Hero pawns on 4 centre spaces
Set aside Theft tile and Out of order tokens
Take action tiles corresponding to the number of players, and give to each player
Place Action card in front of you
North arrow of action card needs to be pointing in same direction as starting tile. Make sure they stay in same direction throughout game

Discuss as much as you want during setup but as soon as sand timer is turned over, everyone has to remain silent.

Gameplay

Maze game has the following gameplay:

Explore Action
Move Hero pawn at the same time onto item space of hero’s colour
When all heroes are on their item spaces, they steal items and alarm is triggered. Heroes must move to the exit before sand timer runs out. Flip Theft-B Side Up.

When Hero reaches Exit space, remove Hero from board.

The team wins when all heroes leave the board before the sand timer runs out. If sand timer runs out, the team loses

There are no turns. Everyone acts at the same time based on their Action tiles and as often as they wish.

You cannot perform actions that are not on your Action tile.

You cannot stop another player’s movement

Actions: Explore

Player who use the explore action add new tiles to the board but can only do this when a hero is standing on an exploration space of its own colour that is linked to an unexplored area.

When hero is on exploration space of own colour, player with Explore action:

reveals top tile from deck
places it so that white arrow continues from Exploration space used

Heroes can now move through it, in either direction, regardless of colour

Actions: Move

Move allows players to:

move a Hero as many spaces as you want in the direction shown by arrow
the movement must end before it hits an obstacle
there can never be 2 hero pawns on the same space

Any player can move the Hero at any time, in the direction indicated by their action card.

Actions: Use a Vortex

The player with use a vortex action (and only this player) can move any Hero from wherever it is to any Vortex space of its colour

Note: Once the theft occurs (landing all heroes on their items), VORTEX shuts down and cannot be used for escape

Actions: Take an Escalator

The player with the Take the Escalator action (and only this player) can move a Hero pawn from one side of an escalator to the other, no matter which way the escalator is oriented

A Hero pawn can never stop on an escalator.

Stealing

When all 4 heroes are simultaneously standing on their items (corresponding to their colours):

signal that theft has occurred
flip Theft tile B-side up
escape to exit (no Vortex allowed)

Timer

If sand timer runs out, the team loses.

Each time a hero moves to available Sand Timer space, flip the sand timer.

Each Sand timer space can only be used once. Place out of order token on it, beneath Hero.

Communication with team members

You are not allowed to communicate once gameplay starts
No signs, signals or sounds
Only permitted communication:
- Staring at another player
- Taking “Do Something!” pawn and placing it in front of a player to indicate that something must be done. Player may not agree and place it in front of another player

Performing an incorrect action

If a player did an error action not allowed by the rules, players are allowed to point it out. Return the piece to where it was before action occurred
Do not reset the timer – timer continues

Important rules to remember

Here are some important rules to keep in mind before starting the game:

Players do not “take turns” and you do not “play” or discard the Action
tiles when you use their effects. You just perform the action(s) that
your Action tile allows you to do, as many times as you wish, at the
moments that you deem appropriate.
In order to explore a passage to an unexplored tile, a Hero pawn must be on an Exploration space of its own colour. After the passage has been explored, any hero can pass through in both ways.
Hero pawns can neither pass through walls nor other heroes. There can never be two Hero pawns on the same space.
The Use a Vortex action allows you to move the Hero pawns from anywhere to any Vortex space of that hero’s colour.
When all four Hero pawns are standing on the Item spaces of their respective colours, turn the Theft tile over and run for the exit!
You are not allowed to use the Vortex system during your escape (after having stolen the items)!
The plan is simple: explore, steal the four items, run to the exit!