Maze Runner

Answer: SKEDADDLE

By Ben Coukos-Wiley

The first step is to recognize that the characters in the maze represent morse code. The small dots are dots, the dashes are dashes, and the large dots are separators between letters. In the lower right, we can see a strawberry followed by 5 question marks. Some experimentation will show that you can spell STRAWBERRY via morse code from Pac-Man’s starting location. We now realize we need to spell five other things for Pac-Man to eat along our way to the circled dot. The correct route is:

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# . – . . O Y – – . – R . # # . . . C . – . – T – O – #
# . # # # # . # # # # # – # # . # # # # # O # # # # – #
# . # # # # – # # # # # . # # H # # # # # . # # # # – #
# – # # # # – # # # # # R # # . # # # # # . # # # # D #
# O – O – O . – – – O – . – . E . . A – . – . C – . . #
# O # # # # P # # – # # # # # # # # – # # – # # # # – #
# O # # # # . # # – # # # # # # # # . # # O # # # # . #
# – . O . . – # # O – – . # # – – . P # # – S . . . P #
# # # # # # A # # # # # O # # . # # # # # T # # # # # #
# – # # # # # . # # Y # # # # # . #
# . # # – . R – . – – . . . # # – #
# – # # . # # # # # # O # # . #
# # # # # # . # # R # # – # # R # # # # # #
– . . . B . E/C . – . # # O – O . – A . – – W
# # # # # # – # # – # # – # # – # # # # # #
# . # # O # # # # # # # # – # # . #
# . # # . O . – O . . . O . # # . #
# D # # . # # # # # # # # . # # O #
# # # # # # – # # . # # # # # # # # – # # . # # # # # #
# . O . O – – . O – – . O # # – O . . . . O . . . O . #
# . # # # # – # # # # # . # # – # # # # # – # # # # O #
# . # # # # O # # # # # . # # . # # # # # – # # # # – #
# O . – # # – – – . – – N . – A – . R – O . # # . . – #
# # # – # # T # # G # # # # # # # # . # # O # # . # # #
# # # . # # – # # E # # # # # # # # – # # – # # – # # #
# . . C . – . # # – O . . # # – – O . # # . – – O . . #
# . # # # # # # # # # # . # # – # # # # # # # # # # – #
# . # # # # # # # # # # – # # Y # # # # # # # # # # O #
# H . E . – . R . – . R – . – – . . . . – O . – – – – #
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Along this route, we trace out the words: STRAWBERRY PACDOT CHERRY PACDOT CHERRY ORANGE (Pac-Dots are another name for the little pellets Pac-Man eats.)

Now that we’ve had our "meal", we should do as the flavortext suggests and turn our full attention to the leftovers. Let's remove all the characters we used in our path.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# . – . . O # # #
# . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # O # # # # #
# . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # . # # # # #
# – # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # . # # # # #
# O – O – O – – – O – . . #
# O # # # # # # – # # # # # # # # # # – # # # # – #
# O # # # # # # – # # # # # # # # # # O # # # # . #
# – . O . . # # O – – . # # # # #
# # # # # # # # # # # O # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # # # # . # # # # # # # #
# # # . . . # # #
# # # # # # # # # O # # #
# # # # # # # # # # – # # # # # # # #
# # O – O
# # # # # # # # – # # – # # – # # # # # #
# # # O # # # # # # # # – # # . #
# # # . O . – O . . . O . # # . #
# # # . # # # # # # # # . # # O #
# # # # # # # # . # # # # # # # # – # # . # # # # # #
# . O . O – . O – – . O # # – O . . . . O . . . O . #
# . # # # # # # # # # . # # – # # # # # – # # # # O #
# . # # # # # # # # # . # # . # # # # # – # # # # – #
# O . – # # – – – O . # # . . – #
# # # – # # # # # # # # # # # # # # O # # . # # #
# # # . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # – # # – # # #
# # # – O . . # # # # . – – O . . #
# # # # # # # # # # # . # # # # # # # # # # # # – #
# # # # # # # # # # # – # # # # # # # # # # # # O #
# . . . . – O . – – – – #
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

If we take the leftover morse characters not used on our route and read left to right top to bottom like a book, we get the following message: LEFT TO DOT RIGHT TO DASH LENGTHS 3 3 1 3 2 3 3 4 1

We now look back at the path we took through the maze and make a note of every turn we take, in order: LLLRLRLRLLLRRLLRLLLRLLL

Substituting dots for 'L's and dashes for 'R's and using the provided letter lengths, we get: ( . . . ) ( - . - ) ( . ) ( - . . ) ( . - ) ( - . . ) ( - . . ) ( . - . . ) ( . )

Translating this morse code, we get our final answer: SKEDADDLE, a synonym for "run" or "dash".

Author's Notes

Maze Runner was the first puzzle I completed, but it was one of the most difficult to write. The concept and steps to take were solid in my mind from the beginning, the only really uncertain thing being what maze I'd use. After a few attempts at custom mazes turned out ugly, I tried to put the path I needed in the maze from the original game, and was very grateful to discover I could (barely) fit the whole thing. I was also delighted that the path traveled through the wrap-around, since not using it seemed like a complete waste of the theme.

Unfortunately, the most difficult part of the construction was yet to come. Having so many constraints on what I could spell both within and outside the path meant I spent a lot of time just counting squares and testing the length of words in morse. At first I didn't think I'd have room for character lengths so the original message just said "GOOD LUCK WITH SPACES" at the end. After we tested and discovered that finding the correct spacing was virtually impossible, we spent some time whittling down the beginning clue phrase until we had enough characters to write all the lengths. Though this part of construction was arduous, it was also very rewarding. In a way I like writing highly constrained puzzles, as it means the often intimidating field of possibilities is narrowed to a select few I can confidently choose between.

The most unexpected, and perhaps most revealing, problem we ran into during testing was that solvers didn't think to read the leftovers in the intended left-to-right, top-to-bottom order. For this mechanic I drew upon my experience of doing complex word searches, where it was understood that after finding the words you should immediately try and read the unused letters. This experience was not universal, however, and several testsolvers were totally stymied after finding the path. Some contributing factors to this were the walls between the morse, the fact that you needed to actually translate the morse so patterns weren't visible upon inspection, and the distraction of the items on the path. Our takeaway from this is that mechanics aren't always as intuitive as we think they are, and should perhaps be tested in isolation before commiting to them.

Regardless of this flaw, I'm quite happy with how this puzzle ended up. Unlike the path, the puzzle doesn't have too many twists and turns, but I think the entertaining theme and tight construction makes up for the lack of a-ha.