Memory Maze

Engage (What you need to know)

• Ages

  • 12+

• Number of Participants 

  • 3+ 

    • Separate into teams if larger than 10. 

      • Will need to double the resources. 

• Time frame 

  • 20 - 30 minutes 

• Necessary components 

  • At least 25 squares

  • Maybe more if you want the game to be more complicated. 

• Purpose

  • This game is designed to test participants' ability to communicate with one another and their team. It is a great way to get a small group of people problem solving together. As it pushes students to use their memory and their team working skills to cross a maze that none of them can see, and that they can only remember. 

Demonstration / Guide 

Setup

1. First all of the 25 (or more) squares are going to be laid out in a grid pattern. 

2. Then on a piece of (preferably graph paper) you are going to make out the path that you are going to be making the participants cross. Here is an example of what I mean. That is it for the set up.

Game play

1. First off I am going to give the participants the starting square. I would highly recommend doing this as it helps make directions less confusing. It can also be helpful to give the participants a story! Ex. They are trying to break into an ancient temple and must make it past the maze without triggering the trap. 

2. Participants can only step on “safe” squares that are part of the path. If they step on a square that is not on the path, they ‘die’ and must start over, and the next participant in line can go. 

3. The biggest aim of the game is to get the participants to work together to memorize the path through the maze. As one participant could theoretically do this by themselves with enough repetition and practice. Optional extensions include time limits, only being allowed to do so once. MORE SQUARES!

Explaining the rules

• The participants goal is to make it through this ‘blind maze’

• It consists of a series of squares, and there is only one way through 

• Participants are to form a line behind the starting square. 

• The first person steps on the square and make a blind guess on which square to step next. 

• If they get a safe square they get to guess again 

• When they get it wrong they go to the back of the line

• The next person steps up with the knowledge of at least one square that is NOT safe

• This improves their judgement of where to go next

• The participants in the line are encouraged to help their teammate making their way through

• The game ends when the participants reach the ‘safe’ square that is the only exit out of this memory maze.