I am a bit of a sucker for a wallet game, they do after all make for a likely lunch time game given their portability, and their tendency to be no more than 12 – 18 cards. It was with some excitement then that in my video watching in preparation for this year’s UKGE, I came across One Card Maze, a game, well more like a set of puzzles, by Andre Dobson and Simon Filice. Seeking it out at the expo I got hold of some sets.
How it plays
This is a game that is exactly what is says on the wallet, a one card maze. One wallet contains around 19 different mazes for you to get through. There is no set up needed, just take the maze you want to do from the wallet and off you go. Your goal is to get from the start one side of the card to the exit on the other.
To achieve this you need to go through open doors, flip cards and swivel them to create more passable doorways. By working these into the right combination you can eventually escape the maze. Some are trickier than others though even on the easy one I have got nowhere near the 3.5 secs that appeared to be the leading time at UKGE for completing the promo maze!
Each card you play follows the same concept apart from the boss set which has an increased level of challenge, and I think is my favourite. Instead of trying to escape, you’re trying to beat the boss. This involves finding your way into the boss segment of the card but crucially doing so in the direction of the sword. If you do then you get a hit, if not then the boss hits you. You have to repeat this process for each of the swords. At the end if you have hit the boss more times than it has it you, you win.
Good for lunch?
Actually good for any time you need a brain break or have a few minutes spare. Obviously it fulfils my criteria of portable, easy to set up and play for a lunchtime game but since it is one card, why would you limit yourself to lunch? In fact you don’t even need a set as you can play some here – https://www.onecardmaze.com/mazes though that does defeat my goal of not looking at a computer screen during lunch. Since acquiring the sets I have found myself carrying a wallet with me everywhere. Instead of doomscrolling on my phone while on a bus, I do a maze. I even do them while waiting for the kettle to boil at home. Thankfully with more sets to acquire and a new season on the way there are plenty more twists and turns coming to keep me occupied.
Lunch time solo 