Mazes

Medium mazes use 14×14 to 18×18 grids with moderate branching and 40–70 step solutions. Dead ends appear more frequently — about 20–30% of cells — which means you will hit wrong turns regularly and need to backtrack.

Dead-end awareness is the key technique at this level. Before committing to a corridor, scan ahead. If it narrows to a single-cell-wide passage heading away from the exit, it's likely a dead end. The solution path on medium mazes tends to follow the main corridors rather than the thin branches.

The start and end are still in fixed corners (top-left and bottom-right), which gives you a general direction to aim for. Try heading diagonally — right and down — and only deviate when the maze forces you. This heuristic won't always work, but it keeps you moving in roughly the right direction.

Ready for more? The hard level jumps to 20×25 grids with randomized start/end positions and 35–45% dead ends.