On the Subject of Mazeseeker

Everything you need is right in front of you, probably stolen off of a restaurant placemat.

This module initially presents a central display with a digit on it, four arrow keys, a selectable LED and a smaller display at the bottom right, with a number on it. You are on a random tile of a maze, whose walls you cannot see. The module is currently in “discovery” mode, meaning that walking through its walls bears no consequence. Pressing the display changes the mode to “submission” mode.

To solve this module, you must get from one location of the maze, the “start”, to another, the “goal”, while the module is in submission mode. Once on the goal, pressing the display again will solve the module. Walking into any walls in submission mode or pressing the display again while on a non-goal tile will cause a strike and reset the module back to discovery mode.

Finding the Layout of the Maze

Each tile has a digit associated with it. This digit represents the number of walls surrounding the tile, like Minesweeper. The maze is six tiles long by six tiles tall and is surrounded by walls. Here is an example:

3	1	1	2	2	3
2	2	2	1	0	2
3	2	2	2	3	2
3	2	3	1	2	2
3	1	2	1	2	2
3	2	3	2	3	2

The LED

In discovery mode, the LED changes colour depending on what tile you are on. The tile is not special if it causes the LED to turn/remain off. Red denotes the start, green signifies the goal and blue locates the top-left cell of the maze. If the start is at the top-left of the maze, it will be magenta. If the goal is at the top-left, it will be cyan.

While working out the layout of the maze, you may get stuck. In that case, you can “radar” (reveal the walls surrounding) a tile while in discovery mode. To radar a tile, move to the tile that you would like to radar, then press the LED. Some arrows may get brighter, denoting a wall in their directions. The radar has a cooldown of 120 seconds — this cooldown is shown on the bottom-right display. Moving from and returning to a previously radared tile will show the radar again, thus you cannot radar a tile twice.

Some Things to Note

Moving while in submission mode will impact where you end up in discovery mode after a strike. For example, if you move right from the start in submission mode then strike, moving left will put you on the start again.

Movement in discovery mode wraps around (eg. moving left from tile A1 will bring you to tile F1).

Keyboard Support

This module has keyboard support, meaning that you can use your keyboard to move, radar and submit. You can move using WASD or the arrow keys, radar with E, and press the display with the return key.

Interactive Controls

Use the above interactive graphic to input the read and try out different paths.

• In Read mode:
  • Select a cell and type [0]-[4] on your keyboard to input the puzzle grid. Space/Enter to clear.
  • Use the Goal, Start, and Corner tool to mark the goal, start, and top-left corner position
  • First use the arrow buttons, or WASD, or arrow keys on your keyboard to shift the maze so the corner cell is in the top-left corner.
  • Then select Input Walls and use the arrow keys to input the walls of a selected cell
• In Solve mode, the grid behaves like the module with options for free movement or enforced movement as the module demands.
• Use the arrow buttons, or WASD, or arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate the maze.
• Your Path may be invalid if you turn off enforced movement in Solve mode
• The ↻ button resets the position back to the start.
• The sound effects can be muted.
• Press the Manual button to switch into Generated mode:
  • Have fun solving generated puzzles of size 3 – 10.
  • Use the Radar button to see the correct walls of a cell in a generated puzzle, just like the real module.
  • Use the - and + buttons or press [-] and [+] on your keyboard to increment the size of the generated puzzle.
• The solution you came up with in Solve mode as well as the solution to generated puzzles can be shown or hidden.
  
• Using the other buttons, you can save the current state of the grid, delete the saves, or reset everything.