After years of arduous research, you alone have unearthed the complexities of using escalators. When a Hero Pawn is placed either at the foot or peak of an Escalator Space then you may move the Hero Pawn up or down accordingly.

Action tiles (5 of which are two-sided) for 2- to 8-player games, and 7 Action tiles for 1-player gamesMagic Maze is not a game of high complexity. It does require tactical moves though and although you might see the next best tactical move (e.g., move a Hero pawn on the timer square to increase time) the player that needs to make that move may not. Each player will receive a tile or tiles, depending on player count, with a direction and/or action on them. For example, I might have ‘move north’ and ‘use stairs’. I can use these actions on any character, so together we have to move the pieces around the mall without talking. Sounds easy, but when you are trying to direct four different pieces, to four different places without talking the challenge becomes clearer. To make matters worse there is a strict timer that will need refreshing at certain points.

Each Hero reaches their respective exit space (the exit sign with the colour and symbol of the corresponding Hero Pawn) and when all four heroes reach their exits, you are free! You’ve done it! You’ve stolen precious items from the humble servants of a fantasy realm! Well done you. However, if the Sand Timer runs out at any moment during gameplay, the Guards have rumbled your schemes and it’s off to jail, or a dungeon, or the guillotine. Any demise you dream of will suffice but basically, you’re met with defeat. In terms of putting the components together it’s fairly straight forward and takes very little time. Magic Maze Kids is a cooperative game that makes the original mechanisms of Magic Maze accessible to young players. Everyone controls all of the heroes, but only in one direction! Tutorials gradually teach you the rules, and several levels make the game evolve with the children. I usually don’t like when sand timers are used in games (see our Spaceteam review), but it is definitely necessary in this one and can’t be replaced by a digital timer. In fact, part of the fun of the game is keeping your eye on the timer so you can get as much time to talk as you can before continuing.As mentioned in the set-up for Magic Maze, each player is given an Action Tile; each tile displays what actions that player can take. E.G: In reality, theft is somewhat looked down upon by hardworking shop keepers, the law, your parents, and any normal decent human being. Magic Maze completely disregards the mundane societal obligations like “Not Steeling Things” and throws you into a heist scenario, frantically dashing through a randomly generated fantasy mall where time spirals out of your control along with remnants of your sanity.

Magic Maze had 17 scenarios in the box. It’s a great way to introduce the rules to new players and learn the game. It also adds a narrative story to the game in a campaign style that really was what intrigued me. Magic Maze has just five modules. This initially disappointed me. But there are plenty of other tiles in the box to create your own maps and mission. So, there is still a lot of replayability and more creativity with that. Creating your own missions is great fun! Co-op tension I mention all this, as for the people I have played with, this is the only thing they have said they didn’t like. So, if you don’t mind the idea of “Do Something” pawn or think your friends can play with this piece in a nicer manner than mine, then this game could be for you. With great tension, comes great cheering Scenario two is mostly the same as scenario one, with just a slight variation on the end condition. That’s the thing with the scenarios; they are slight rules changes from the previous scenario. Even so, the seventhscenario is such a different game experience than the first. You’ve learned to walk! Amazing. However, you only practised walking in one direction? You can only walk either up, down, left or right depending on the Action Tile in front of you. Each Player can move a Hero Pawn any number of spaces and at any time in their designated direction. Heroes cannot pass through walls or through each other. (Remember to keep the north arrow on each Action Tile aligned with the Mall’s Starting Tile)Make sure the Action Tiles are aligned using the Starting Mall Tile’s north arrow. It saves a tonne of confusion. I’m of the opinion that children will learn skills and knowledge from most modern board games. However, what Magic Maze Kids brings to the table, which most other games don’t, is the opportunity for children to improve teamwork, communication and co-operation. Having a very competitive four-year-old son, it brings a refreshing change of approach for him in the world of gaming! Accessibility and Replay-ability

Like Magic Maze, Magic Maze on Mars has a “Do Something!” pawn. Essentially, this is a way to tell another player that there is something they should do. Pretty much, every game I have played, and I have played both games a lot, one player will slam this pawn down in front of another player, banging it repeatedly on the table. Now, there are multiple issues here! First, it’s very annoying, rude and “don’t scratch my table dude!” Second, the person on the end of the banging won’t know what you want them to do, just that something is required by one other player. This is the defining moment for your group. Do you decide you’ve had enough already and can’t bear to go on? Or do you fight? You’ve been pretending to be heroes for the past two hours so why stop now?There’s a lot to like about Magic Maze and the mechanics with the restriction rules work so well and make it the game it is. It surprisingly better to play than expected! The game is set in a fantasy world where you play the usual tropes of mage, warrior, elf and dwarf. They have somehow lost their weapons and equipment, so, obviously, they decide to rob the local mall.