Maze game is a video game genre description first used by journalists during the 1980s to describe any game in which the entire playing field is a maze . Quick player action is required to escape monsters, outrace an opponent, or navigate the maze within a time limit. After the release of Namco's Pac-Man
Overhead-view maze games
While the character in a maze would have a limited view, the player is able to see much or all of the maze. Maze chase games are a specific subset of the overheard perspective. They’re listed in a separate section.
1959
1973
1976
1977
Comotion , Gremlin, ArcadeHustle , Gremlin, ArcadeMaze , Fairchild, Channel F 1978
1979
1980
Berzerk Car Hunt ,[1] Crazy Balloon Lupin III ,[2] Spectar Tank Battalion [3] Tranquilizer Gun ,[4] Wizard of Wor 1981
005 A-Maze-Ing , Texas Instruments, TI-99/4AThe Adventures of Robby Roto! Armored Car The Hand ,[5] K-Razy Shoot-Out Minotaur , Sirius, Apple IIPulsar Route 16 , Tekhan/Sun, ArcadeThunder Island ,[6] Treasure Island 1982
Ali Baba and 40 Thieves Anteater Bable Terror Blue Print Dig Dug Diggerbonk , Atari Program Exchange , Atari 8-bitEntombed Frenzy Garden Wars , Commodore, VIC-20K-Razy Antiks ,[7] Maze Death Race , PSS , ZX81,[8] [9] Microwave , Cavalier, Apple IIMines of Minos [10] CommaVid , Atari 2600Mr. Do! Nibbler Night Stalker Raid on Fort Knox , Commodore, VIC-20Robot Killer , Emerson, Arcadia 2001Shamus Star Maze Talbot ,[11] Tax Dodge Towering Inferno TRON Maze-A-Tron , Mattel, IntellivisionTutankham Zzyzzyxx 1983
Android Two [9] Vortex , ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPCArdy the Aardvark ,[12] The Birds and the Bees II: Antics Abracadabra! Bewitched ,[13] Bomberman Bumpomov's Dogs ,[14] Castle Keeper ,[15] Cavelon , Jetsoft, ArcadeChack'n Pop [16] Chase the Chuck Wagon Creepy Corridors , Sierra On-Line, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, othersDandy Flappy , DB-SOFT, Sharp X1Grabber ,[17] Intrepid , Nova Games, ArcadeKey-Quest ,[18] Lady Tut ,[19] Master Miner Mazer Blazer , Stern, ArcadeOil's Well Sewermania ,[20] Space Maze Attack , HAL, MSXSplat! Spy Catcher ,[21] Styx [9] Time Bandit Track Attack [22] 1984
3D Silicon Fish Cybertron Mission Diamond Mine Fred , Investronica, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, C64Henri ,[23] Humpty Dumpty Meets the Fuzzy Wuzzies , Artic, C64, ZX SpectrumLabyrinth Maziacs [9] [24] Mr. Dig ,[25] The Tower of Druaga 1985
Cops 'n' Robbers Gauntlet Lord of the Orb ,[26] King Tut's Tomb ,[27] Maze War , ANALOG Computing Project Future ,[28] Raiders5 ,[29] Wriggler Zone X 1986
A-Maze , K'Soft, ZX SpectrumAardvark Gauntlet II Merlin's Money Maze , Zilec, ArcadeSnail Maze Thunder Castle 1987
Fast Lane Phantom ,[30] Rescue , Mastertronic, ZX SpectrumThink Quick! Starbase , Taurus Computing, Tatung Einstein 1988
1989
Cratermaze Krazy Mazes ,[31] ANALOG Computing , Atari 8-bitTank Action ,[32] 1999
Quest: Fantasy Challenge , Sunsoft, Game Boy Color2003
2008
2009
2014
Maze chase games
This subgenre is exemplified by Namco 's Pac-Man [24] Pac-Man spawned many sequels and clones which, in Japan, are often called "dot eat games". Other maze chases don't have dots, and the goal is clear the maze of the pursuers themselves (e.g., Pengo Guzzler Jungler
1979
1980
1981
A-maz-ing , Audiogenic, VIC-20Cave Hunter ,[47] Chomper ,[48] Crazy Chicky , VTech , CreatiVisionCrazy Pucker / Crazy Moonie / Crazy Chewy , VTech , CreatiVisionFrisky Tom Ghost Hunter , Arcade Plus, Atari 8-bitGobbler The Hand / Got-Ya ,[49] Hangly-Man , Nittoh, ArcadeJawbreaker Jelly Monsters , HAL Labs, VIC-20Jungler Lady Bug Lock 'n' Chase Make Trax Crush Roller , Alpha Denshi, ArcadeMouse Trap Ms. Pac-Man Muncher ,[50] Bally Astrocade Munchkin KC Munchkin , Magnavox, Odyssey²Munchyman , Program Power, BBC MicroNew Rally-X Packri Monster , Bandai, HandheldPiranha , GL, ArcadeRadar Rat Race Round-Up Scarfman [51] Snoggle , Broderbund, Apple IITaxman Thief Turtles 1982
Alien Dung Beetles Baby Pac-Man Byte-Man , Mindseye, ZX81CatChum Cat Trax , Emerson, Arcadia 2001Changes ,[52] Clean Sweep , GCE, VectrexCosmic Cruncher , Commodore , VIC-20Crazy Mazey [53] Devil Fish Doodle Bug ,[54] Eyes Gobble a Ghost Gulpman , Campbell Systems, ZX SpectrumHard Hat , Exidy, ArcadeHot Lips ,[55] Hungry Horace Labyrinth ,[56] Lochjaw aka Shark Attack , Games by Apollo , Atari 2600Looper , Orca, ArcadeMazeman ,[57] Money Munchers Mouskattack , On-Line Systems, Atari 8-bit, Apple IIMunch Man Muncher! ,[58] Pack Maze ,[59] Pakacuda , Rabbit, C64PC-Man , Orion, IBM PCPengo Pig Pen ,[60] Serpentine Snack Attack Snack Attack II , Funtastic, IBM PCSnapper The Snapper ,[61] Spec Man , Jega, ZX SpectrumStreaking ,[62] Spookyman , Abbex, ZX SpectrumSuper Pac-Man Super Taxman 2 VIC-Men ,[63] Zuckman , DJL Software, ZX811983
3D Munchy ,[64] Alien's Return Bank Heist Bootleg , Atari Program Exchange, Atari 8-bitBotanic , Valadon, ArcadeCaterpiggle , APX, Atari 8-bitChomper Man , Victory, C64Crazy Bugs! ,[65] Crystals of Zong [66] Crystal Castles Cyclops ,[67] Dot Gobbler ,[68] Drelbs Felix and the Fruit Monsters Getaway! [69] Ghost Hunt ,[70] Ghost's Revenge ,[71] Gnasher ,[70] Commodore 16 /Plus/4 Gobble A Ghost , CDS Microsystems, ZX SpectrumGuzzler Hover Bovver Jawbreaker II Jr. Pac-Man Marvin's Maze Maze Chase ,[72] [73] Maze Man , Creative Equipment, C64Miss Gobbler ,[74] Monster Munch Mouser ,[75] Munch Man 64 ,[76] Pacar ,[77] Pacmania ,[78] Pac Rabbit , International Publishing & Software, ZX81Plaque Man ,[79] Power Blaster ,[80] Preppie! II [81] Rubbish Monster ,[82] Scooby Doo's Maze Chase ,[83] Scrambled Egg , Technos, ArcadeSnakman ,[84] Supercuda ,[85] Trashman ,[86] Traxx Van-Van Car ,[87] Zappy Zooks ,[88] 1984
Devil World Ghost Gobbler ,[89] Ms. Maze ,[90] Munch Mania ,[91] Oh Shit! Pirate Ship Higemaru Spatter ,[92] Spriteman 64 ,[93] Squirm ,[94] Z-Man ,[95] Zulu ,[96] 1985
1987
3D Dotty Classic Muncher , Bubble Bus, Amstrad CPCCruncher Factory , Kingsoft, AmigaFantasy Zone: The Maze Gobbler's Revenge ,[100] Commodore Magazine , C64Mango ,[101] Pac-Mania 1988
Knicker-Bockers ,[102] Mad Mix , Topo Soft, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, othersSnowplow ,[103] ANALOG Computing , Atari 8-bitYuu Maze , Taito, Famicom Disk System1989
Fast Food Maze Mania , Hewson, ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPCMaze of Flott , Taito, Arcade1990
Hacman II , freeware, Atari STMarty's Nightmare ,[104] Perplexity Trog 1991
Jungle Jim ,[105] 1992
GobMan ,[106] 1993
CD-Man ,[107] Mean Arenas , Nite Time, AmigaTinkle Pit 1995
Go! Go! Mile Smile ,[108] 1996
1998
2006
Pac the Man X ,[109] 2010
Grid capture games
In grid capture games, also called line coloring games, the maze consists of lines, and the goal is to capture rectangular areas by traversing their perimeters. The gameplay is not fundamentally different from Pac-Man Amidar
1981
1982
Blade Runner ,[110] Demolition Herby , Telesys , Atari 2600Jeepers Creepers , Quality , Atari 8-bitJolly Jogger , Taito , ArcadeKid Grid Macho Mouse , Techstar, ArcadeRadar Zone / Out Line , Century, ArcadePepper II Exidy , ArcadeTime Runner Triple Punch 1983
Colour Clash ,[111] Cuthbert Goes Walkabout Gridder ,[112] Potty Painter in the Jungle , Rabbit, C64Rollin ,[113] Spiderdroid Super Gridder , Terminal, C641984
Crazy Tracer , Acornsoft, Acorn Electron, BBC MicroHooper ,[114] Oh Mummy Pesky Painter ,[115] Rollo and the Brush Bros. 1986
Gapper , freeware, MS-DOSPanel Panic ,[116] 1999
