Escape the Labyrinth
Escape the Labyrinth Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
50 square cards (1 Magician card, 1 Start card, 1 Magic Gate, 2 Keys, 45 Path cards), 20 Puzzle cards, 1 playing piece.
Goal of the Game
Together you try to find a path via both keys to the Magic Gate. You may turn the paths during play by successfully solving puzzles. But can you open the Magic Gate before you answer incorrectly for the third time?
Setup
The oldest player is the start player and takes the Magician card. Lay out all of the remaining 49 square cards in a 7 x 7 square. Important: certain positions hold the Start, the Magic Gate and the two keys. Lay the shuffled Path cards face up in random orientation.
Place your shared playing piece on the Start space. Shuffle the Puzzle cards and place them as a face-down stack.
Puzzle Cards
The large Puzzle cards show tasks on the front and back. Some cards even show several tasks. Before each round, agree whether you want to solve task A, B or C. The solution is on the back of the card, so please do not look at it beforehand!
There are 5 types of puzzles:
- Find the path through the tangle and name the correct number or motif.
- Which shadow fits the picture exactly? Name the correct number.
- Find the motif on the square cards that looks exactly like the one in the magnifying glass. Right next to the motif in the labyrinth is a symbol, for example a blue ball. The motif and symbol are given as the solution on the back of the Puzzle card.
- How many motifs are there in total on the square cards of the labyrinth?
- The motifs are arranged in a logical row. Look at a row closely and name the motif that belongs in the place of the question mark.
The Adventure Begins
Move the piece – solve puzzles – change paths!
The start player receives the Magician card at the beginning. After that, the card is passed on around the table.
As the Magician, you may move the playing piece along a path of the labyrinth as far as is possible. You may also stop early if it seems sensible for the route ahead. Moving backwards is also allowed. You are welcome to consult the other players.
As soon as you want to turn a Path card in front of the piece, you stop and try to solve a task. To do so, you draw the bottom Puzzle card of the stack and explain the task. As the Magician, you may first think about the solution, but you may ask your fellow players for help at any time. Once your answer is settled, you say it out loud and check the solution.
If the answer is correct, you may turn the chosen Path card so that the path in front of the piece is opened. Place the piece on the turned card and thereby end your turn.
If the answer is wrong, you put the Puzzle card into the box as a penalty. The chosen Path card may not be turned.
In both cases, you pass the Magician card to the next player in turn order.
That player may also move the piece as far along the labyrinth as they like, until they reach a card they want to turn – or a card with a key.
When you move the piece onto a Key card, you must stop in any case to solve a puzzle. If the answer is correct, you have found a key to the Magic Gate! The Key card stays in place. Pass the Magician card to the next player.
If you did not solve the puzzle at a key, the Puzzle card is put into the box as a penalty. With the next task, hopefully you will get the key.
You may decide the order in which the two keys are found.
End of the Game
You win the game as soon as you have found both keys and the piece reaches the Magic Gate. Now you can open the Magic Gate and leave the labyrinth. Congratulations!
The game ends immediately if you have answered the third card incorrectly. It can also rarely happen that there is no longer any way, by turning the paths, to reach the Magic Gate. In these cases you have unfortunately not succeeded.
Solo Play
If you are brave, try to escape the labyrinth alone!