This is a list of maze video games by type.

Top-down 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 overhead perspective. They're listed in a separate section.

First-person maze games

These are games where the player moves through a maze while attempting to reach the exit, sometimes having to avoid or fight enemies. Despite a 3D perspective, the mazes in most of these games have 2D layouts when viewed from above. Some first-person maze games follow the design of ''

Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...

'', but from the point of view of being in the maze. First-person maze games are differentiated from more diversified first-person party-based RPGs,

dungeon crawler A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a "dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video g ...

first-person shooters A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...

, and walking sims by their emphasis on navigation of largely abstracted maze environments.

Maze chase games

This subgenre is exemplified by

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...

's ''

'' (1980), where the goal is to clear a maze of dots while being pursued. ''Pac-Man'' spawned many

sequels A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

and clones which, in Japan, are often called "dot eat games". Some other maze chases don't feature dots, and the goal is to clear the maze of the pursuers themselves (e.g., '' Pengo'', '' Guzzler'', '' Jungler'').

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 ''

'' (players still have to navigate the entire maze to complete a level) but enough games have used the grid motif that it is a distinct style. One unique element is that it is possible to capture multiple rectangles simultaneously, usually for extra points. '' Amidar'' established the model for this subgenre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maze video games

Maze games This is a list of maze video games by type. Top-down 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 overhead perspective. T ...