Chapter 2 - The Maze Challenge

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A New Adventure Begins

Every great adventurer faces a challenge—a puzzle they must solve, a hidden path they must find, or an obstacle they must overcome. Today, you’re going to design your very own maze adventure!

Mazes have been around for a long time. You might have seen them on the back of a restaurant menu, in video games like Pac-Man, or even in real life at a corn maze during the fall season. A maze is a collection of paths that lead from an entrance to a goal. But there’s a twist—some paths lead to dead ends, while others lead to victory.

Are you ready to build your own maze and challenge your friends to solve it? Let’s begin!

Step 1: Entering the Maze World

Before we start designing, let’s explore the Maze Template in the Adventure Game section of codeSpark Academy. This template gives you a head start by providing a simple maze layout that you can customize.

To get started:

Open the codeSpark Academy app.
Go to the Create section and find Adventure Game.
Select the Maze Template.

Now, take a look around. What do you notice? The maze has walls made of trees, an open path to explore, and a place where the player can move around.

But something is missing… how do we win?

Step 2: Setting the Goal

In every adventure, there’s a goal. In your maze game, the goal is to reach the star at the end of the path. You’ll need to add a star to your maze to complete it.

Here’s how:

Open the Backpack (your editing inventory).
Find the star.
Place the star somewhere in your maze.
Test your maze by moving your character to the star.

Congratulations! You’ve created a goal. But is it too easy?

Step 3: Making the Maze More Challenging

A maze wouldn’t be fun if it were too simple. Adventurers love a challenge! That’s where obstacles come in. An obstacle is something that blocks or stops you from reaching your goal.

Think about what could make your maze more interesting:

Enemies like the Glitch character
Objects like cones or rocks that block certain paths
Hidden paths that trick the player into going the wrong way

Take a moment to plan what obstacles you want to include. Where will you place them? Will they move? Will players have to figure out a way around them?

Step 4: Planning Your Maze

Great game developers don’t just start coding—they plan first! You are going to use the Maze Planning Worksheet to map out your maze before you build it.

On your worksheet: ✔ Mark the trees that need to be moved or deleted.
✔ Draw where your star will go (your end goal).
✔ Add at least one obstacle (an enemy or object).
✔ Write what you want your message board to say (instructions for the player).

Why is planning important? Imagine building a real maze without thinking about where the paths go—it might not even work! Game creators think carefully about their designs before bringing them to life.

Step 5: The Magic of the Message Board

A message board is a special tool that can help players understand your game. You can code the message board to display instructions, hints, or even a fun challenge.

What do you want your message board to say?

“Find the star to win!”
“Beware of the Glitch monster!”
“Only one path leads to victory. Can you find it?”

Your message board is like a guide, helping players understand your maze and its challenges.

Step 6: Testing and Learning

Before you can call yourself a maze master, you need to test your game. Here’s how great game developers work:

Understand – What is my goal? (Creating a maze game)
Plan – What will my maze look like? (Use the worksheet)
Test – Can I complete the maze? Are there any problems?
Learn – What should I change or improve?

Testing helps you see what works and fix what doesn’t. Maybe your maze is too easy, or maybe there’s no way to reach the star. A great game designer always tests and improves!

Step 7: Reflecting on Your Creation

Now that you’ve planned your maze, take a moment to think about your design:

Why do you think it’s important to create a plan before building?
How will a player know what to do in your maze game?
What do you think will make your maze fun and challenging?

In the next lesson, you’ll bring your maze to life using your plan and coding skills!

Adventure Toolkit: Important Terms

Before you go, let’s review some of the key terms from today’s lesson:

📌 Maze – A collection of paths leading from an entrance to a goal.
📌 Backpack – Your editing inventory where you find objects to add to your maze.
📌 Obstacle – Something that blocks or stops a player from reaching their goal.
📌 Message Board – A tool you can code to give instructions or hints in your maze.

What’s Next? Building Your Maze!

Now that you’ve planned everything out, it’s time to build your maze! In the next lesson, you will use your plan to code and customize your maze in Adventure Game.

Are you ready for the challenge? Get your plans ready because your maze adventure is about to begin! 🎮✨

Vocabulary Review

Term	Definition
Maze	A puzzle with paths that lead to a goal.
Backpack	A place where you find items to use in your game.
Obstacle	Something that gets in the way and makes the game harder.
Message Board	A sign that gives players hints or instructions.
Star	The special item you need to reach to win.
Planning Worksheet	A paper to draw and plan your maze before making it.
Edit Mode	The place where you change and build your game.
Play Mode	The place where you play and test your game.
Overhead View	A map that lets you see your maze from above.
Test and Learn	A way to check if your game works and fix mistakes.