Pencil & Paper Games Plaza: Mazes

Mazes is a game with a simple aim: be the first to find the hidden Treasure in a maze.

Number of Players:
2 players

Age:
6+

Materials:
Pencil & paper. The paper should be paper with preprinted squares. The game can be played with ordinary paper, but then it is preferable when both players have 2 colours of inkt.

Time:
15-30 minutes.

Object of the Game:
The first player to find a treasure in a maze wins the game.

To start:
Both players draw two 4x4 squares on the paper: one for himself, and one for his opponent. Both players draw a number of walls, an S=Starting point, and a T=Treasure in their left square. This left square should remain hidden from the opponent. The location of the S=Starting point is told to the opponent.
Both the Starting point and the Treasure may be anywhere in the Maze.
The right square is used by the players to note everything they discover about the maze that their opponent has devised for them.

How to Play:
  • Players have alternate turns
  • In his turn a player says if he wants to move left, right, up or down. Players may use chessboard coordinates such as A1, D3, etc, to be more exact.
  • The opponent tells him if his way is blocked with a wall or not, and if he reached the Treasure.
  • The player draws his move and any walls discovered in his right square.
  • A player should always move from square to adjacent square . It is not allowed to skip squares, or to move diagonally.

The end:
As soon as a player finds the Treasure the game ends, and the player who finds the Treasure wins.

Sample game
Here is the start of a sample game. Let us call the players John and Jim. John draws a a maze and an empty square:

  S   T
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
Jim draws his own square, and tells John he will start in the upper left corner. John denotes an S in the upper left corner:
  S   T
       
       
       
S      
       
       
       
John starts by saying he moves to the right. Jim tells him that direction is blocked. John draws a wall.
  S   T
       
       
       
S      
       
       
       
John tells Jim that Jim will start at B4. Jim replies that he will move to the right. John replies that is OK and notes a dot in that cell.(any notation is ok to keep track of your opponents moves, as long as it doesnt get to confusing.)
  S . T
       
       
       
S      
       
       
       
John now tries to move down, and Jim answers that that is possible.:John writes also a dot for his own move.
  S . T
       
       
       
S      
.      
       
       
In 2 more moves, Jim will find that he has to retrace his steps. John doesnt know where he will end up. I trust that the idea is sufficiently clear to design your own mazes.