Editing Maze

A '''maze''' is a common [[Chip's Challenge]] [[level theme]] which is composed of a network of interconnected pathways, many leading to dead ends, and one route leading to the [[exit]], designed to puzzle the player. Almost all CC levels have portions composed of mazes, but this theme often fills the entire map.

== Types of mazes ==
* ''Normal mazes'' are mazes that consist of the bare minimum - [[floor]] and [[wall]]s - and usually include [[computer chip]]s. Aside from the usual wall tiles, the "walls" can be other [[acting wall]]s or [[destructive obstacle]]s, such as seen in [[Strange Maze]].
* ''[[Thin wall]] mazes'' are composed of [[thin wall]]s, such as in [[Scavenger Hunt]] or [[Doublemaze]]. These mazes are in a separate category, as they are frequently far easier than normal mazes due to Chip's doubled field of vision. Scavenger Hunt, in particular, becomes trivially simple when the player uses Chip's vision to avoid almost every dead end in the level.
* ''[[Blue wall]] mazes'' are mazes that consist entirely or almost entirely of blue walls, some being real and some being fake, which requires a lot of guesswork. These mazes tend to be easier in [[Lynx]] because the player can select two directions at the same time, and be moved in the second direction when legal moves in the first run out (see [[block slapping]]). Examples are [[Mishmesh]] and [[Chipmine]].
* ''Invisible mazes'' consist largely of [[invisible wall]]s or [[hidden wall]]s. These are not common since they require an extreme amount of guesswork, unless there is a specific pattern to the locations of the walls that is either given to the player, as in [[Stripes?]], or can be learned quickly by minimal trial and error.
* ''[[Ice]] mazes'' are not really mazes in the traditional sense, but they require specific pathways through sections of ice. Examples are [[I Slide]] and [[Icedeath]].
* ''[[Recessed wall]] mazes'' are mazes that consist of recessed walls and walls, so that Chip cannot turn back once he makes a decision. Examples are [[Cellblocked]] and [[Short Circuit]].

== Strategy ==

Many of [[CC1]]'s mazes are designed to take the player on the longest route possible; the obvious route is rarely correct. A theme such as this, when discovered, tends to be useful for most of the maze; Chipmine, for example, has only one blank dead end and almost no one-square moves in the route.

Another strategy for blue wall mazes in CC1 is that rows and columns 0 and 31 are never reachable and exposed at the same time, except in [[Thanks to...]], and usually not reachable.

A method used by many maze aficionados to solve mazes of any kind is termed the ''hand-on-wall'' method: follow the left or right wall whenever possible. The equivalents in Chip's Challenge are ''playing bug'' and ''playing paramecium'' - following the paths of a maze as a [[bug]] or [[paramecium]] would, but still thinking like Chip for all other purposes. Playing paramecium up until all the chips are collected is the simplest and quickest way to solve Strange Maze.

== See also ==

* [[Base]]
[[Category:Level themes]]