The game’s brilliance is delivered through one simple rule; You can’t talk or communicate in anyway other than using the “Do Something Pawn. I’ve played it four players with two separate groups and the most enthusiastic anyone has been so far is to say, ‘I don’t know – it’s okay! I usually don’t like when sand timers are used in games (see our Spaceteam review), but it is definitely necessary in this one and can’t be replaced by a digital timer.

You don’t waste an evening because of a crossed wire – if anything you make the game evening better because while Magic Maze does offer a satisfying puzzle it’s really just an engine for making people laugh.

Another might be able to move them down and also trigger an exploration if someone is in the right location. Especially when you egg the person on by casually tapping the pawn while you’re waiting for them to act. Although you might miss all this because you’re too focused on delivering the heroes to where they need to be. I think though that all that will happen is that my experience would intensify and that’s not an appealing prospect. It’s a small co-op game where you’re trying to get 4 heroes to their ‘theft’ tiles then get them to the exit(s) before the timer runs out.

For my lunch games group, for example, I brought them through all of the rules in three or four games, knowing how much they could handle. Magic Maze is a cooperative real-time game where everyone collectively controls four characters: a Barbarian, Mage, Elf, and a Dwarf.It seems like I’m waiting for the one game that melts away my cold outer shell and replaces it with a warm sense of love and wonderment. Players really do have to work together to move through the maze and to spot the twists and turns where travel will be difficult.

In each subsequent scenario, characters will have to make it to their own exits, which are spread out around the mall. Even though there are ten different scenarios beyond the campaign tutorial to learn the game, I’m not certain the subtle variations in rules will hold my interest as groups continue to improve their tactics.

Magic Maze is a co-op game that effectively neutralises this by having everyone play in really time and not allowing them to talk!

When I look at the game bereft of that central concept thought I don’t see something that’s much worth playing. Give each player a tile (I’ll explain what the tiles do later), and have players with tiles with the same symbol sit across the table from each other, rather than adjacent. So players have to gauge how worth it it is to discuss strategy versus just running through the maze and hoping other players will get what you mean.For players who get flustered easily and don’t like timed or simultaneous action games, Magic Maze can be a frustrating and demoralizing experience, especially as players are banging the red pawn in front of them.