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Each Saturday I post a new hard maze with all of them sitting in the Hard Maze Archive. I will try to post a variety of maze types to keep things interesting.
Weekly Hard Maze #7 - Mega Grid Maze
This is a maze I made from scratch and it is a large Grid Maze. Solution will be in the archive. Download is below.
If you solved that maze quickly and want to try some of my archival hard mazes, these posts should do the trick:
This is a continuation of of maze design experiments. Read about it in post #1, One Maze - Many designs, then The first 5 experiments and so on, or just enjoy the ride.
The original maze:
I used Google Photos Remix for these 5 options to redesign it. I had it on my phone, and right now it appears to be gone so I named each on my own.
The first is Gatsby like with an elaborate background. If you don’t get lost in the background this remained a maze !
The second is my favorite. It made the maze into an ink on school paper. The start is blocked off a bit but could be easily fixed.
The third is themed like a watercolor painting. I would need to add the words START and GOAL to make this a maze since the openings are now closed.
The fourth is a fun background. You get a nature scene sprinkled with foxes playing on the maze walls. Unfortunately the exit is blocked off.
The fifth makes the mazes into a black and silver cuff link. Very cool looking. I just wish that the entrance was the correct width.
This AI based remix did not allow changes to the prompts but some of these I would adjust on my own of filter through Google Gemini to see if it could fix it. I think this is a fun and inventive week !
Previously we looked at how to digitally make a 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth. Then I compared the 11 circuit labyrinths in circular, classic and square constructions. All of those findings also relate to 9 circuits. Today I will look at a few possible constructions of a 9 circuit circular labyrinth.
Before we get into the details here are some definitions that will help us along the way:
turnback: the point in a labyrinth where you change directions
circuits: essentially how many layers a labyrinth has
Let’s start with speaking about a classical labyrinth, which has a standard construction that is used. Learning how to draw that construction is standard across any source you might find and it always starts with a seed pattern. But, for a circular labyrinth there is no standard construction. If it is circular and the path moves from the outer edge to an internal goal in one continuous path, you have made a labyrinth. So when drawing one, you can get creative !! Let’s look at what some circular labyrinth variations might look like.
Single Turn 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
Let’s start by looking at what a single turnback 9 circuit labyrinth would look like. Walking this would consist of long pathways, each getting shorter on your way to the center. You continually walk around the outer pathway until you have completed the circle then move in one layer. Visually, not much going on. I rarely see this version drawn or made.
Single turn 9 circuit labyrinth
2 Section 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
And now a version with 2 turnback’s, essentially breaking the labyrinth into sides. Walking this is more interesting with long walks getting shorter until you switch sides, then getting longer with a final long walk to the center. Notice that you switch sides at the halfway point as you walk around the center goal.
2 sectioned 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
3 Section 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
Now a standard 9 circuit broken into 3 sections. This could also have the entrance and final stretch pathways centered at the goal. My example only shows the final stretch to the goal centered. A little bit of mathematics - this is the only version where the initial pathway enters all the way into the maze. This would be the case for any odd numbered section circular labyrinth (like a 5 or 7 section - neither example is shown - try it !). You switch sections in this labyrinth in alternating places, outside wall, next to the center, outside wall etc.
3 sectioned 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
4 Section 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
And now the labyrinth broken into quadrants. Notice how the crossover point between the sides of the labyrinth is on the outside (a variation to my how-to) and each section you move into alternates the location (inside, outside, inside, etc.). This is the more standard construction. But that side switch can take place in multiple layers if you want. This is the cleanest look IMO.
4 sectioned 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
8 Section 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
Here we have an 8 section labyrinth. Things are getting crowded but there is still nice symmetry. If you had to walk this I think you would find it difficult to be relaxed since you are making turns frequently. Once again we see the pattern - each time we switch sections, the location alternates between the outer wall and inner wall next to the goal.
8 sectioned 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
12 Section 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
And finally the final labyrinth construction I made, a 12 sectioned version. This version would make me dizzy if I tried to walk it. Luckily I only drew it. Obviously you could continue to make labyrinths with more sections but they will continue to lose what makes them great - their meditative power.
12 sectioned 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
4 Section 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth
Now let’s go back and look at the 4 quadrant variant I taught how to make previously. It is a variant because the outer paths turn only once while the inner paths turn 4 times. This variation or other layer turnbacks are possible on any circular labyrinth. Feel free to play around and make new designs as you create your own labyrinths. Again there is no standard, but I personally prefer a more consistent look.
9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth variant
Every single construction you saw today was a 9 circuit circular labyrinth. Here is a look at the 6 main versions together. Which version do you prefer ? I like the 4 section, most likely because it is the most popular version and I am used to seeing it. I also believe this would be the most meditative version to walk in the real world.
As you make your own circular labyrinth realize that you can experiment and make some interesting variations. Good luck and happy labyrinth making !!
If you prefer making a different labyrinth, I have a section of step by step labyrinth making instructions.
Interested in learning how to make or draw other types of digital mazes ? I have step by step instructions on how to make over 40 different maze types.
I review any movie that features a maze or labyrinth. So far that means over 120 reviews and includes some all time great movies. If you are wondering what the best of these movies are, check out this post detailing the top 12 maze movies of all time. I think you will pleasantly surprised just how great and iconic some of these movies are ! Can you guess the #1 movie ?
In this post, I keep with the maze movie theme but pay tribute to the movie posters that promote movies. The best maze and labyrinth movies don’t always have the best ‘maze’ graphics on their posters. In fact, some very average movies have really cool posters with mazes in them. When researching this post I came across a rabbit hole website. That is a website so cool that you can’t stop spending time on it and suddenly 5 minutes becomes an hour. Fair warning. The website is dedicated to movie posters, and it allows you to search for any movie any find it’s poster variations. It is called Impawards. Click later…you might not come back.
I used the site after finding multiple variations of posters for the 2019 movie Into the Labyrinth. The initial poster I found for the movie did not have any maze designs so I was naturally interested in the variations that did feature a maze. Anyway, that became a rabbit hole when I started to research posters for some of the other 120+ maze movies I have reviewed.
Let’s get to the artwork. I narrowed down the top 10 from a first pass group of 21 posters that caught my eye. Some movies have multiple posters on the list, and every single poster contains either a maze or a labyrinth. I hope you enjoy this. Click on any title to read my review of the movie and watch it’s trailer.
#10 READY PLAYER ONE (2018) (IMDB)
Wait, didn’t you just say each poster would contain either a maze or a labyrinth ? I did. It does. What makes this poster great is the fact that it looks like a pretty typical adventure/science fiction movie poster, but it has a hidden maze. Do you see it ? I guess you could call this an Easter egg…
How about I show you an alternative poster that shows it more clearly:
That’s right, the start of the maze is on the left side of R in Ready, with the goal the egg located in the middle of the O in One. Easy to miss. And yes, this is a solvable maze ! If you have seen the movie this relates to the plot.
This is a terrible movie. Yes, it has an actor you know, Alec Baldwin. Yes, the poster and movie have a labyrinth/maze theme. Form a plot perspective, the idea was strong and interesting, but the execution was just not there, except for the poster ! Very Sci-fi looking with a group of people heading towards the center of what looks like an icy labyrinth. We have an intriguing tagline - “Only One Survives”. An alternative version of the poster replaces the spaceship with pictures of the cast, including Baldwin, but this version is the stronger of the two. Just don’t make the mistake that this means you should watch the movie.
#8 INTO THE LABYRINTH (2020) (IMDB)
The film that inspired this blog post makes it’s debut on the list with this character focused poster. The story takes place in 2 locations and these actors are in our 2 leading roles in those locations. Obviously, you probably know Dustin Hoffman the star in one half of this film. The poster features a circular maze in the background with 2 other characters from the movie. No that is not Donnie Darko, but yes it is a large rabbit.
#7 MAZE RUNNER THE DEATH CURE (2018) (IMDB)
It will not surprise you that The Maze Runner movies would be part of this list. Here is the first entry. An action poster featuring our characters running from the baddies with maze imagery on the side of the paths. I also like the tagline “Every Maze Has An End”.
#6 INTO THE LABYRINTH (2020) (IMDB)
Our first double entry (but not our last). This is my preferred version of this films movie poster. It focuses on one half of the story (of course the one that features our famous actor, Dustin Hoffman) and has slightly larger maze features in the background. The woman in the background appears to be dealing with the maze (accurate from the plot of the movie) It looks more ominous and makes me want to see the movie !
Of all the movies on the list this was the most difficult to choose the best poster from. I had 4 different versions that I liked, including a cool Japanese one. In the end I didn’t pick the most iconic one you are most familiar with. Instead I picked this version featuring the castle in the center of a green maze that looks somewhat like a hedge maze surrounding it.
The 3 additional posters are all honorable mention for this list, so let’s go ahead and look at them now. The first is the most iconic, featuring David Bowie as the Goblin King and a maze for the background. The second is a Spanish language version of the poster featuring the characters around the center scene. There is a small maze leading to the castle at the top of this poster also. And in the Japanese version we get a completely different look (that almost does not fit the movie IMO with the red/pink coloring) with a large white maze covering the top of the poster. It features photo images from the movie instead of artwork like the other versions.
#4 THE MAZE RUNNER (2014) (IMDB)
This is the version of the poster that I have seen most often when researching this film. It features a group of individuals running in between moss covered walls in a giant maze. They are in an elevated location so you can see the scope of the large maze behind them.
We have a Netflix exclusive movie on the list ! Welcome. It is a French science fiction film and this is the French version of the poster. It also feels like the most modern looking of the posters we have looked at so far. The maze superimposed (or reflected ?) on the eye works really well. A great design. It makes you think about what the story might be about.
#2 MAZE RUNNER THE DEATH CURE (2018) (IMDB)
Welcome back Death Cure. This poster version features our characters hovering over their challenge, a huge maze surrounding a central city. This gives new meaning to the term fortification. We get the tagline “Every Maze Has An End” again.
Before we get to my pick of the best movie maze poster let’s look at a few more that didn’t quite make the cut. The Exit Strategy poster features a maze as it’s background; Hell Fest has a barbed wire circular maze behind the devil; Maze features a maze background; Prisoners has many poster variations that feature mazes and some versions which feature a circular maze in the “o” of the title; The Man in the Maze has a maze background and a Man in the Maze labyrinth featured in the title; and the final example is a 3rd poster from Into the Labyrinth with a great circular maze background that didn’t make the cut only because it has no title/details like a normal movie poster. And we also have one more poster from Maze Runner: The Death Cure which features the cast in front of a maze. Active Measures gives us a large circular maze over Putin, a very clean looking labyrinth for another scorch trials poster, a maze of a man’s silhouette for Mister Organ, a woman stied to a chair behind a maze from the movie The Maze and finally a man standing in what looks like a religious building on a marble labyrinth from the Serbian film Labyrinth.
Click on a poster to see a larger version of it !
And now our (my?) #1 poster !
#1 THE MAZE RUNNER (2014) (IMDB)
I want no part of this maze. This is my favorite poster because when I look at it and see the enormous maze in front of them that is what I think. Challenge NOT accepted. The way the maze expands out in all directions and into the horizon seems ominous. The vines covering the stone walls do not give me confidence that this is solvable. The height of the walls mean a fall if you risk climbing them is fatal. There are no good decisions here.
And that concludes our poster contest. If you want to see where a movie is streaming I suggest using justwatch.
Want to know which movies are the best regardless of how their posters look?
