Pixel Arcade
About this game
Blast Maze is a grid maze where the only tool is a timed explosion. You walk on a lattice of indestructible pillars, the gaps between them filled with soft blocks. Dropping a bomb starts a two-second fuse, and the resulting blast travels in four straight lines from the bomb, destroying soft blocks, enemies and you.
Arrow keys or the pad move you one tile at a time; space or the action button drops a bomb. The fundamental skill is escape routing — before you place a bomb, you need to already know which tile you are standing on when it goes off. Dead-end corridors are where beginners kill themselves, because there is no perpendicular lane to step into.
Blown-open blocks reveal power-ups: extra bomb capacity, longer blast range, a speed boost and occasionally the ability to kick a placed bomb down a lane. They also reveal the exit that ends the stage, but the exit only opens once every enemy is gone, so clearing is mandatory.
Chained bombs are the advanced technique: a blast that reaches another live bomb detonates it instantly, so two well-placed bombs can clear an entire cross-section of the maze and several enemies with it. Bomb-maze games appeared in the mid-1980s and remain one of the clearest examples of a game where your own weapon is the main hazard.
FAQ
How many bombs can I place?
One at first. A bomb power-up raises the limit, which is what makes chained traps possible.
Why did my bomb kill me through a wall?
It did not — the blast travels along open tiles in four straight lines. If a lane looked blocked, the block was destroyed by an earlier explosion.
Do bombs set each other off?
Yes. A blast that touches another bomb detonates it immediately, which is how you clear a large area at once.
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