How to Make a Directional Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 24th type of maze construction is the Directional maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into the example. Every example will use the sample basic outline (the state of Ohio) to better illustrate the differences between each maze type.

Directional Maze (may also called a Left Turn Maze or No Right Turn Maze, etc) - A maze where the solver must follow a specific directional rule at an intersection, like you can only turn left (or you can’t turn right) ! Can be applied to any number of conditions. This maze design ends up looking like a cut thru maze in that you travel ON the line.

How to Make a Directional Maze

Step 1 - Draw the Outline (Optional)

The outline of the maze makes the outer wall of the maze. It can be anything from a simple shape like a square, to a complex picture. The outline should be thicker than the internal lines to give the maze definition. In the example below I chose the state of Ohio. Unlike other mazes, I did not choose a Start and Goal before beginning the design of the maze. Also, most directional mazes WILL NOT have outlines.

Step 2 - Draw the Solution

Starting from the outline of the maze draw a line to another point in the outline that will become your solution. Obviously the solution will need to follow whatever directional rule you have decided on. In the example below I used a left turn only rule. This makes the solution a series of loops.

Step 3 - Add False Paths

Add new possible pathways that will not lead to a solution. Where you can turn onto them, but they will lead to a dead end, or they will lead to an intersection that requires breaking the solution rules. In the example below the false paths are in red. Check to make sure you haven’t created any additional solutions.

Step 4 - Complete the Maze

Convert the lines to a common color to complete the maze. Add directions if needed.

Step 5 - Make the Maze Solution

Highlight the correct path in the final version of the maze to create the final maze solution (shown here in red).

Additional Directional Maze examples

Here is another example of a Directional maze, this is a Left Turn only maze with no outline/border.

Here is a similar looking directional maze that must be solved using right turns only.

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.

If you prefer making labyrinths, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions.

How to Make a Pipes Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 23rd type of maze construction is the Pipes maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into the example. Every example will use the sample basic outline (the state of Ohio) to better illustrate the differences between each maze type.

Pipes Maze - A maze where the pathways are represented by pipes. The use of pipes allow the maze to take on an extra dimension beyond the paper as the pipes can weave around one another.

Before we get into the step by step process I want to note that this is one of the longer maze types to make. Even a short, easy maze takes a good amount of time to complete. It is also the maze type (along with it’s sister type the Weaving Maze) that is most likely to have design problems that are difficult to catch.

HOW TO MAKE A PIPES MAZE

• Step 1 - Draw the Outline (optional)

Because this is a Pipes maze there is no requirement to make any outline, in fact 99% of the time there will not be an outline as the pipes naturally make a self contained border. However, to be consistent with my project I have included my standard Ohio outline for comparison which I will use to guide the shape of my pipe maze (then delete).

• Step 1.5 - Draw a Guide Grid

To help give your Pipe maze some structure add a picnic blanket grid to guide the drawing of your pipes. Add a start location on the edge of your outline with an arrow (optional) and a turning knob. This grid will guide where you can and can’t draw pipes. Do not draw any pipes in the white grid of the “picnic blanket”, while filling the colored portion (in this example pink) with piping.

• Step 2 - Start Drawing Pipes

Starting from the entrance, begin drawing pipes. As you create the pipes remember you can loop and weave the pipes around one another. As you draw if you want to loop a pipe back you will need to stop a path (it will look like a dead end) and start it again leaving a gap for the future crossing. You can see an example the initial the gap will have a pipe thru it as the pipes continue to be drawn ! Also, I color the pipes grey as I go so they look like pipes !!

IMPORTANT RULES : Never end a pipe under another pipe. Never split a pipe under another pipe. Basically, anytime a pipe goes under another pipe it must come out the other side to avoid confusion !

• Step 3 - Add Shadows to the Pipes (timing optional)

I add shadows to the end of any section of pipe that will go under another pipe in the maze. While you can do this at the end of the mazes construction also, I find it is easiest to do this as you draw the pipes (it is VERY easy to miss some!).

• Step 4 - Keep Drawing the Pipes

Weave your pipes around one another, occasionally splitting the pipe into different sections. I believe that compared to other maze constructions this is the easiest one to lose track of your open pathways during the design. You also have the challenge of filling in all the gaps you have made along the way,

• Step 5 - Finish the Pipes and add the Spigot

End the final pipe you have chosen as a solution with a spigot (with an additional arrow and water drips optional). Notice that the dead ends get capped just as a pipe would, although this maze has many loops versus dead ends ( see below for additional examples with more dead ends! )

• Step 6 - Delete Your Guides

The Final Pipe Maze !

• Step 7 - Make the Maze Solution

Highlight the correct path in the final version of the maze to create the final maze solution (shown here in red). One other thing I have noticed when creating this type of maze is that while the making of it has a lot of complexity, sometimes the solve does not. Just look at this example. It really is a bit of an easy maze, or at least a maze that if you take a wrong turn you can still solve quickly,

Additional Pipe Maze Examples

I start with a link to the largest pipe maze in the world (probably) if you want to challenge yourself. It has no dead ends (pipe caps) and uses loops throughout for the wrong pathways. Definately a challenge.

Below is a more typical version of a Pipes Maze, but with no outline used (notice the large gaps without the guide to help), and a start and goal that are befitting of a pipe maze ! Also, there are lots of dead ends in this version vs loops.

I made a second Ohio Pipes maze below. Without context you might not know it is Ohio, but you could easily add a title or similar to convey that. Anyway, instead of an outline I used dead end pipes to make a kind of outline of Ohio, just to see how it would turn out.

My fourth example is a large size poster version of a Pipes Maze. I did not use any shadows so this looks a bit more bland than the other examples. IMO this also makes it more difficult to solve, but not necessarily in a good way, only because it is more difficult to see the crossings.. This also features more false pathways and crossing pipes. I think this is a fun maze to solve. Try it !

Explore the 10 different types of weaving maze styes, including pipes mazes and see which you prefer:

What is Your Preferred Weaving Maze Style ?

I also created a method to help create a complicated weaving maze that I found very helpful when making this maze type for adults:

Creating a complicated Weaving Maze - an updated method

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.

If you prefer making labyrinths, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions.

How to Make a Mixed Section Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 22nd type of maze construction is the Mixed Section maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into the example. Every example will use the sample basic outline (the state of Ohio) to better illustrate the differences between each maze type.

Mixed Section Maze - A maze that uses many different design constructions to sepArate different sections of the maze. This construction works well for objects that have many different parts.

HOW TO MAKE A MIXED SECTION MAZE

• Step 1 - Draw the Outline

The outline of the maze makes the outer wall of the maze. It can be anything from a simple shape like a square, to a complex picture. The outline should be thicker than the internal lines to give the maze definition. In the example below I chose the state of Ohio.

• Step 1.5 - Choose the Start and Goal

For the below example I chose the start of Cleveland and the goal of Cincinnati.

• Step 2 - Draw the Sections

Draw the outline of the sections. For this example I used the sections of Ohio. In some cases the drawing of the object you are making of maze of will already have sections naturally. This is a map that shows the five sections of the state of Ohio. A natural place to use this type of maze is with maps, like a country broken into the different states.

• Step 3 - Maze the First Section

Mixed mazes use many different path and construction types. Choose a wall type and construction and maze the section closest to the entrance. Different construction types will create different flow within a maze. This particular maze does not naturally call for darker/lighter, heavier/lighter, vertical/horizontal for any particular section, but some mazes will.

• Step 4 - Maze Each Additional Section

Draw walls one section at a time. Section 2 example below. Both are standard maze constructions but with different spacing. NE is horizontal and NW is vertical.

The third section is a small Standard Equal Path Maze. This appears much darker.

The fourth section is an Axonometric Maze.

• Step 5 - Complete the Maze

Draw all sections of the maze to complete the maze. The fifth an final section in the example below is a Grid Maze. Each section has a unique look.

• Step 6 - Make the Maze Solution

Highlight the correct path in the final version of the maze to create the final Maze solution (shown here in red).

Additional Mixed Section Maze Examples

More important than HOW to make this maze type is WHEN you might want to use it. When you are making a maze of something that has distinct sections. Or when something has a single color but different textures/sections and you want to help differentiate between them.

This Vanilla Ice Cream Cone maze is a great example of a mixed section maze. Everyone can understand what the “handle” of a cone looks like and this 45 degree shifted standard equal construction tries to duplicate it. The larger spacing of the ice cream portion lets the vanilla color come thru !

Another example of a mixed section maze is this maze of Australia that splits the country by state. This is also an example of a multi-goal maze with one entrance (Sydney) and 5 possible exits. The mixed sections make the states easier to see vs. only having one maze type.

My third example is this Chocolate Cupcake Maze which uses a small standard maze on the cupcake portion, below the free drawn maze drawn on the topping.

My last example is a Pancake Maze that features a lot of unique aspects. First it is a mixed section maze. The syrup portion of the maze is free drawn to flow naturally with the way syrup would, while the pancakes use a standard maze construction. I also like this maze because I made the syrup semi-transparent.

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.

If you prefer making labyrinths, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions.

How to Make a Warp Zone Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 21st type of maze construction is the Warp Zone maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into the example. Every example will use the sample basic outline (the state of Ohio) to better illustrate the differences between each maze type.

Warp Zone Maze - A maze that contains warp zones that allow the solver to move across the maze with no regard to walls. Another construction difference from other mazes is that sections of the maze may be completely closed from entry without using the warp zones.

How to Make a Warp Zone Maze

Step 1 - Draw the Outline

The outline of the maze makes the outer wall of the maze. It can be anything from a simple shape like a square, to a complex picture. The outline should be thicker than the internal lines to give the maze definition. In the example below I chose the state of Ohio.

Step 1.5 - Choose the Start and Goal

For the below example I chose the start of Cleveland and the goal of Cincinnati.

NOTE : Steps 2, 3, and 4 May be completed in any order

Step 2 - Draw the Warp Zones and Instructions

Create warp zones within the maze that will allow the maze solver to jump to different parts of the maze. Also add instructions to explain the warp rules. The more warp zones you create, the more complex the maze can become. For this example I used colored boxes, but any shape could work. If you are limited to black and white a variety of shapes and symbols could also be used to signify warp zones (Triangle, square, circle, diamond, etc.), or you could simply use letters of the alphabet.

Although you cannot see the guide grid I was using in the example, each warp zone was placed within a grid space so it will align with the maze pathways I make in future steps.

Step 3 - Draw the First Maze Section

Draw walls to create the first section of the maze. Unlike other mazes, because of the warp zones, these sections can be completely closed ! In fact, I suggest they are closed to take full advantage of the warp aspect of the maze. For my example below I used a standard path maze and completely closed the first section. The only exits from this section will come from one of the two warps. I also want to point out that each warp in this section was NOT placed at a dead end but rather in the middle of a continuing pathway. Although this section does not use it, in the future you may want to include multiple warps on a pathway to add more choice for the solver (just because you go over a warp does not mean you have to take it).

Step 4 - Add Additional Sections

I create a Warp Zone maze one section at a time. The first section below connects the initial red warp zone block to the other red block. This connects to the brown warp zone in addition to many dead ends. As you make a Warp Zone maze have an idea of what order you want the solver to take.

The third section connecting brown warp zones was drawn next (leading to a dead end). So Red to Brown to Dead End is not going to work.

The fourth and fifth sections connect the blue to green, and then the green to the purple.

Step 5 - Complete the Maze

Draw all sections of the maze to complete the maze.

Step 6 - Make the Maze Solution

Highlight the correct path in the final version of the maze to create the final Maze solution (shown here in red). For a Warp Zone maze you should also note the correct order of the warps !! The solution pathway will look very different than most mazes you create. If you think there could be any confusion with the answer, write out the color sequence of number the pathways to add clarity. In my example I believe the solution is clear, but I added a note at the bottom just in case !

Additional Warp Zone Examples

Here is a another example of a warp zone maze in a standard path format. This example uses dots for warps.

My second warp zone example includes a variety of sections where warp zones are vital to moving between them. In some ways this makes the solving easier since you could figure out sequences of warps before solving. Look back at first example above and notice without sections the solver has no idea which warp to travel to first since each is possible. The best way to counteract this is to add more warps as I did below.

And despite my first few examples using standard maze construction, that is not required. This third example is a mix of an Escape Maze, and a Warp Zone Maze with was made using an axonometric grid. The result is a Hexagon Maze that uses diamond shapes as warps and gives the maze a new look from our other examples.

For my fourth Warp Zone maze example I have this Cube Maze (made with an axonometric grid).

Free Downloadable Warp Zone Booklet

I did an entire month of daily mazes using warp zones and collected them into this booklet, free for you to download.

A WARP MAZE BOOKLET

29 pages, 29 warp mazes

File Size: 346 KB

Features each daily maze from February 2020. Warp mazes allow the solver to jump between points in the maze. Each maze gets progressively harder. Separate 4 page answer sheet available if you get stuck.

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.

If you prefer making labyrinths, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions.