Theseus and the Minotaur: the story of a logic maze

In the Greek myth, Ariadne gives Theseus a thread to find his way out after meeting the Minotaur. In Robert Abbott’s puzzle, the hero needs a different kind of help: careful observation. The Minotaur is faster, but his behaviour is predictable.

A maze with rules

American game inventor Robert Abbott created logic mazes in which the walls alone do not determine the route. Theseus and the Minotaur appeared in his 1990 book Mad Mazes. On paper, players had to keep track of both figures and work through each turn.

Computer versions and new layouts followed. In an early interactive version by Toby Nelson, Abbott’s original maze appeared alongside puzzles created for the computer. The rules are quick to learn, yet allow a wide variety of challenges.

How the Minotaur moves

On each turn, Theseus moves to an adjacent square or waits. The Minotaur then takes up to two steps. For each step, he first tries to move horizontally closer to Theseus. If a wall or their positions prevent that, he tries vertically. If neither move is possible, he stays still.

The Minotaur does not look for a route around a wall or plan ahead. He does choose his direction again after his first step, so both steps matter when considering a move.

Why waiting can help

The shortest route across an empty board may lead straight into a trap. To get past the Minotaur, you may first need to draw him towards a wall, make him lose a move, or step away from the exit. Waiting also changes the situation: Theseus stays put while the Minotaur gets a chance to approach.

The same square can be safe or dangerous depending on where the Minotaur stands. Think of the positions of both figures as one state: returning to a familiar square with the Minotaur on the other side of a wall may open a new route.

Playing here

Mazes unlock in sequence and do not require registration. Sign in if you want to continue with your saved progress on another device. After a win, return to improve your route: three stars mean a shortest solution, two mean a route no more than 50% longer, and one is awarded for any other solution.

The collection combines layouts by different designers with puzzles made for this site. Credits and sources for each selected maze appear beside the game. The puzzles and their order here should not be taken as Abbott’s original sequence.