Welcome, brave adventurers, to magic school/an elaborate prison/a lethal contest/any other perilous journey! Take a look at the towering walls, foreboding hedges, winding pathways, and dark corners lurking ahead of you. Any way you turn, you might find yourself facing any number of traps, vicious creatures, unsolvable riddles, and even fellow competitors. You stand before a massive fantasy maze.
At the center of this maze lies something you need—or at least, something you desperately desire. Perhaps it’s a trophy, a symbol of the glory you’ve sought for so long. Or maybe it’s the answer to a mystery ceaselessly tugging at the threads of your mind, tormenting you until you find that last piece of the intricate puzzle. Or, if you’re unlucky enough to live in a dystopia, the maze could be your one chance to escape the confines of whatever miserable dank hole you are forced—for now, at least—to call “home.” In some very rare cases, heroes find themselves navigating the maze after a babysitting gig goes horribly wrong, once their baby brother has been swept away by an androgynous, well-dressed ruler with glam Eighties hair and a knack for writing certified bops.
No matter your circumstance, the labyrinth ahead of you likely looms as large in your mind as it does in reality…
And that’s where we come in! The FLAMBO—that’s the Fantasy Labyrinth and Maze Bureau of Optimism—believe that you can do it! Using the following handy tips and tricks, we know that you can find your way through even the weirdest fantasy maze, survive the perils ahead, and emerge triumphant on the other side!
* * *
First, you must understand the difference between a maze and a labyrinth. Formally, a maze tends to have multiple pathways to the endpoint. Wrong turns and dead ends are common occurrences in a maze. Labyrinths are generally understood to have a single winding path to the center (or final destination).
We here at FLAMBO understand that the grammatical intricacies need not apply to the vibrant and magical fantasy worlds we cover. In this guide, consider the terms interchangeable.
Before you run haphazardly into the twisting caverns/shrubbery/walls of ice, etc, you must prepare yourself with as much knowledge as possible. FLAMBO encourages all maze-goers—that’s you!—to consider three factors that can drastically change your approach.
Identify the type of maze you’re dealing with…
While individual mazes and labyrinths share many similarities, it’s the differences between them that make this guide a necessity. Our first and most crucial piece of advice? Never run into a fantasy labyrinth without knowing as much as humanly (or goblinly?) possible about the challenges before you.
Start by looking. What materials make up the maze? Hedge mazes are common—look to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for a particularly terrifying example, or at the iconic labyrinth that features so prominently in Stephen King’s The Shining—but so, too, are mazes built with rigid materials. A hedge maze might give you opportunities to hide or blend in. In a rock or stone maze, you have nowhere to run.
Also, consider the height of the maze. Short walls can be an advantage, allowing you to peek over the edge, or even hack the labyrinth by climbing atop the borders. Our unlucky dystopian protagonists in The Maze Runner are confronted with multi-hundred-foot walls of sheer concrete. In such situations, more preparation is necessary due to the maze’s inflexibility.
Next, listen to the maze. Do you hear movement? Labyrinths are occasionally fickle, and may shift around when you least expect it. The Will of The Many by James Islington features a labyrinth with walls controlled by people within it. Other mazes have no such advantage but might move and change on their own.
Your ears may also pick up on low grumbles or mysterious cries. Labyrinths have been known to contain a veritable bestiary’s worth of dangerous creature, whether natural or supernatural in origin. Discern, to the best of your ability, whether the maze has creatures. Further, try to figure out whether those creatures are all the same type or different. If there’s only one creature roaming about—a Minotaur, say—do your best to avoid him.
We would encourage you to smell the maze, too, though our research indicates labyrinth aromas have little to no impact on a participant’s success. (Could still be worth a shot, though.)
Now, if you feel daring, you can cautiously begin traversing the beginning portions of the maze to get your bearings. Do this at your own risk; you never know when the labyrinth will lock you in with precious little hope of escape.
Know your goal and destination
Some mazes are presented as challenges or contests. The goal in these instances is clear: reach the end, grab the trophy. Others exist as elaborate obstacles that expand in all directions, apparently endless, and are often populated by all manner of odd flora and fauna. If you stumble into a labyrinth where a playful, puppety worm-like creature shouts “Allo!” you’ve probably entered such a maze. Our unfortunate dystopian maze-goers are yet again out of luck, knowing nothing about their grim maze beyond the fact that it offers a slim chance of escape (and zero muppets, sadly).
It may be impossible to know just where your destination is. In The Will of the Many, Vis must conquer a lethal maze knowing only that something sits on the other side. Thomas and his comrades in The Maze Runner must fight, through trial and error, to unlock the mysteries of their labyrinth. This is an unfortunate fact about of mazes, one inherent to their nature. You won’t always know where to go.
However, understanding your goal is a different story. And while it won’t give you exact directions—or any clue about what turns to make or which corridors to avoid—it will shape your approach to the maze. Competing against other runners might mean that speed is of the essence. The labyrinth in The Will of the Many has never been successfully traversed, so it requires practice and confidence. On the other hand, mazes like the one featured in Labyrinth might come with a 13-hour time limit, but rushing around at random isn’t helpful—you’ll benefit much more from a thoughtful, deliberate approach that builds your understanding of the gargantuan maze and its quirky occupants and culture. When you can, it never hurts to make friends along the way!
Understand what you’re up against
Finally, if you can, learn everything possible about whatever threats, enemies, and dangers the maze contains. Forewarned is forearmed.
In The Maze Runner, deadly Grievers roam the winding halls. These beings of metal and flesh hunt any humans within the maze’s pathways. Similarly, The Will of the Many depicts a labyrinth full of creatures that can slash humans in half with a single swipe. We recommend approaching these mazes with an abundance (nay—a surplus) of caution, and only when absolutely necessary.
Next, always beware of riddles, and brush up on as many logic puzzles as you can. In Labyrinth, Sarah solves a conundrum posed by two guards, each posted in front of a door. She knows that one guard always lies, and one guard always tells the truth. She gets to ask a single question in order to discern which door leads to safety and which leads to Certain Death. Goblet of Fire sees Triwizard Tournament contestants encounter all sorts of riddles and practical puzzles in addition to fending off scary beasts.
And last, do your best to remain calm and stave off the creeping psychological horror. Of the myriad dangers that await you in a fantasy maze, this is the most universal. Running through labyrinthine walls with no sense of direction can quickly erode your psyche and incite deep panic. We’ve all been to Ikea—keep it together, and you’ll get through this.
Your ability to handle any or all of these challenges will depend on your own skill and the tools available in the fantasy world your maze calls home. Exercise great caution, prepare as much as you can, and stay focused.
Best of Luck From FLAMBO!
Always remember: The Fantasy Labyrinth and Maze Bureau of Optimism believes you can overcome the challenges ahead of you. That’s why “optimism” is right there in our name!
We know we can’t always cover every type of maze or all the various threats and pitfalls you might encounter, so we hereby invite anyone reading this guide to comment with their own favorite examples and tips for success!
