Minos Maze Maker
Maze Generator
Available for Macintosh
Intel or Apple Silicon, macos 10.14 or newer
Overview Video Pricing & Download Features What's New Screen Shots Testimonials/Publications Help/FAQ/More... Future Press Kit Contact More Software
 

Overview: What is "Minos Maze Maker"?

Minos Maze Maker is a powerful maze generator that makes beautifully shaped and customized mazes and their solutions.

You can print the mazes or export them into your newsletters, puzzle-books, school handouts, or web pages. Make them sweet and easy, or make them diabolically difficult. With Minos Maze Maker, you will be creating unique professional-looking mazes right away.

The name "Minos Maze Maker" hints at the the story of the ancient Greek king Minos who hid his Minotaur monster away in a labyrinth.

Many Shapes and Sizes - Choose from many built-in maze shapes, several cell shapes, and the mazes can range in size from as small as 5x5 up to 50x50, or up to 80x80 in the Pro product. .

Maze-Phrase Mode - Add a word or phrase, and it will be laid along the solution path. The rest of the maze will be filled with letters from your phrase, and only the solution path will contain the entire correct phrase.

Custom Detailing - Personalize your mazes by choosing your own wall colors, thickness, and wiggliness, move the start and end spots anywhere, choose different solution path display styles, et.

Royalty-Free Exports - You can export high-quality images of your mazes and solution keys for layout/publishing in your own books, newsletters, social media/web/blog, classroom handouts, games, or CNC/laser-cutter machines. Supports PDF, PNG, JPEG, SVG, and POV-Ray file formats. These mazes are royalty/copyright free for you to use for any purpose, no commercial licensing is needed.

Pretty Brainy - These are not just pretty mazes though. There is a powerful maze-generator under the hood with a unique maze-building algorithm. Just slide the "Difficulty to Solve" setting to whatever you need, and Minos Maze Maker will quickly create easy, difficult, or diabolical mazes for you.

Try-it-First - There is a "Lite" version of this software that you can download for free and see how it works before you buy it.

Pro Upgrade - There is an in-app upgrade option to the "Pro" version, which immediately gives you:

  • Batch-automation, letting you instantly and automatically generate up to 50 mazes at a time, great for publishing maze books.
  • Mazes can grow up to 80x80 dimensions.
  • User-defined-shape designer, letting you create any maze shape you want. Your shapes can be quickly exported/imported by other Pro users.
  • New alpha-numeric shapes (in serif or sans-serif font).
  • New export option for text info file.

 

Promotional Video

 

Pricing & Download

Lite Software

Full Software

Pro Software

User Guide

Free

Click the image below to download free from the App Store:

or, click the image below to download directly from my web site:

Do you wish to try it first before you buy it? You can download and use this "Lite" version of the application for free.

$14.99 USD

Click the image below to purchase from the App Store:

All future updates are free.

+$29.99 USD Upgrade

"In-app" Upgrade after purchasing Full software:

All future updates are free.

Free

Click the image below to download the User Guide:

If you want to look over the complete user guide that comes with the software, it is separately and freely available here too, as a PDF document.

Full/Lite Differences

Here are the differences between the Pro, Full and Lite software applications:

 

Features

Minos Maze Maker is a rather impressive maze-generator. Compare these features against any maze building software you are using now...

  • Quickly create one, or dozens, or hundreds of wildly unique mazes.
  • Choose from many built-in maze shapes: Square, Rectangle, Circle, Plus-sign, Square-hole, Donut, Heart, Bow-tie, Diamond, X, Pinwheel, UL-Wedge, LL-Wedge, UR-Wedge, LR-Wedge, Checkers, Crescent, Right-Arrow, Left-Arrow, Up-Arrow, Down-Arrow, Up-Triangle, Down-Triangle, Cross, Onion, 4-Clover, Square-Peg, Round-Peg, Mushroom, Oval-Easy, Oval-Up, Trapezoid, Pentagon, Hexagon, Octagon, 4-star, 5-star, 6-star, Chevron-Up, Chevron-Down, Chevron-Left, Chevron-Right, Rainbow-Up, Rainbow-Down. The Pro upgrade adds alpha-numeric shapes and your own user-designed shapes.
  • Create mazes ranging in size from 5x5 up to 50x50 cells. The Pro upgrade increases that to 80x80.
  • You are not stuck with boring old square cells... you can choose mazes to be built with square, hexagon, delta/triangle, or "octo-grid" cells.
  • Draw normal walled mazes, or draw lines along all the inner paths.
  • Easily change the maze difficulty. Simply move a slider from "very easy" mazes to "very hard" mazes, without worrying about all the details of how it works.
  • Maze-Phrase! You can add a word or phrase, and it will be laid along the solution path, with decoy letters along the wrong (dead-end) paths.
  • Customize the cell wall colors and thicknesses, and even make them wiggly for that hand-drawn look.
  • Turn on "Progress Animation" to watch the maze get built, step by step.
  • Easy printing of the maze and/or solution right to your printer.
  • Export high-quality images of your mazes and solution keys for layout/publishing in your own books, newsletters, social media/web/blog, classroom handouts, games, or CNC/laser-cutter machines. Supports PDF, PNG, JPEG, SVG, and POV-Ray file formats.
  • Save a "snapshot" your custom layout settings so you can instantly build other mazes with the same "look".
  • Mazes will always be built with only one guaranteed solution, no islands here!
  • Work without a net... You can run Minos Maze Maker anywhere... you never need an internet connection to create, save, and print your mazes.
  • Supports Dark Mode and Full-Screen mode.
  • Save your maze files and share them with other Minos Maze Maker users, or open them again later to edit them to create whole new mazes.
  • Includes a comprehensive built-in 40+ page User Guide, containing tutorials and tips and describing every option, getting you up-to-speed right away. Advanced features are explained, helping you create high-quality and uniquely personalized mazes.

Show Me More...

 

What's New

2.0.1 - December, 2023

  • Pro: Changed BATCH randomize settings and restructured the user interface and updated user guide. You can now choose your own subset of the list of shapes to randomly build (Thanks April!)
  • Pro: Changed BATCH "random shape" behavior. Each time a random shape is chosen during a batch session, it will no longer be chosen again. That way you will unique shapes instead of multiples of the same shape. Of course if you choose to make 20 different mazes and only allow 3 different shape types, then it will re-use shapes from your three chosen 3 until it creates 20 total mazes.
  • Pro: Added a "Save Settings as Default" button on Batch sheet for easy saving of settings. This is the same as the Application menu item "Save current settings as default".
  • Many wording clarifications and consistency cleanup in Intro Screens (thanks Katya!)
  • Cleaned up SVG Export file a little.
  • Re-organized User Guide sections so the "How To" section comes before the "Details" section.
  • Added "how-to" sections to the User Guide for setting up single batch settings or multiple batch setting "templates" for professional workflows.
  • BugFix: In the Batch window if NO random shapes are selected from the list, the START button is now dimmed.
  • BugFix: Creating a user shape with an island will now display a single error dialog later when you try to build the maze, instead of a repeating barrage of "Shape has an island!" error messages when changing the maze size. (Thanks Riccardo!)

2.0.0 - October, 2023

  • Bumped minimum supported Mac OS version to 10.14 (Mojave), native support for Apple Silicon Macs.
  • Pro Upgrade - There is an in-app upgrade option to the "Pro" version, which immediately gives you:
    • Batch-automation, letting you instantly and automatically generate up to 50 mazes at a time, great for publishing maze books.
    • Mazes can grow up to 80x80 dimensions.
    • User-defined-shape designer, letting you create any maze shape you want. Your shapes can be quickly exported/imported by other Pro users.
    • New alpha-numeric shapes (in serif or sans-serif font).
    • New export option for text info file.
  • Maze building is a little faster, and searches deeper/harder for good maze solutions.
  • There is a single EXPORT menu item, which brings up a window for you to choose export directory and if you want the answer and info file too.
  • Added mini icons for each shape in the puzzle shape drop-down menu, for quick visual identification (Thanks Marina & others)
  • You can now choose a letter for the "Start" and "End" markers. Note that the character can be Unicode in any language/alphabet, even emoji (Thanks Marina!)
  • Added more tooltips to the batch window.
  • Added "Arrows" as a new Start/End style (Thanks Marina.)
  • Added Rainbow-Up and Rainbow-down shapes (for Elli)
  • Added the iso-Triangle (Delta) cell shape style (thanks for the nudge, Nick & Lisa!)
  • You can choose to show the MazePhrase answers "Sparse" as before, and now "Dimmed" which fills all the other letters into the answer maze but as light gray, or as Dimmed+Line, which also draws the solution line UNDER the answer letters.
  • Added ability to turn OFF the outer wall openings on Start/End areas (Thanks Marina.)
  • You can now choose a letter for the “Start" and "End" markers. Note that the character can be Unicode in any language/alphabet, even emoji (Thanks Marina.)
  • Added (?) button at lower right of main window for instant access to the user guide.
  • Added EXPORT button down next to PRINT button (Thanks Marina and others)
  • Improved the error text descriptive hints when a Maze-Phrase solution cannot be found.
  • MazePhrase font size setting is now used for both maze and answer display, and the "Solution Path Size" no longer independently affects the answer font size.
  • Major changes to Maze-Phrase "exact-fit" solver, now works much harder to find a solution when "Exact Fit" is on.
  • Added a "Set all colors to B&W" option to App menu, for easy global change for printed publications (Thanks Marina!)
  • Export has a "Reveal Directory in Finder" button, which will open the directory you have chosen, so you can easily access it from the Finder later.
  • Maze title text font size will auto-shrink as the text gets longer, to reduce problems with verbose paragraph text as a title. Works on the Preview and on the printed pages.
  • If you choose Walls:Paths to be either "outer wall and path" or "path", then the maze builder tries to insure only a single path from the start and end cells.
  • The Application "Preferences" menu item is now renamed (per Apple's change in MacOS 13) to "Settings".
  • New option in Settings dialog for displaying animated maze-building progress.
  • You can now choose your own font for the Start/End Marker letters.
  • SVG Export now uses a sans-serif font for Start/Finish letters, and a different serif font for any MazePhrase letters. (Thanks Nick)
  • Cell Shape popup menu now has the common/technical shape names listed, and the names are consistent with the Stats display now. (e.g., Sigma, Delta...).
  • Added a WARNING dialog when opening older maze documents, since they will not re-build the same path with this new engine.
  • Re-sculpted every single maze shape, to accommodate Iso-Triangle cells, so there will be slight variations on the overall maze shapes from the prior versions (old saved v1.1 mazes will open and rebuild their solution paths differently in this version.)
  • Added "Contact Author" help menu item that sends me an e-mail.
  • Removed the tab numbers at the top of the Intro Screen to help de-clutter screen.
  • The Main and Layout tabs you selected when you quit the app will be remembered and popped back to when you run it again.
  • BugFix: POV-Ray MazePhrase letters are now properly aligned.
  • BugFix: SVG Export can now properly handle punctuation (&, ", ', etc.) in the MazePhrase letters. (thanks Nick!)
  • BugFix: Fixed the Bounding Box of SVG export so that very wiggly outer walls no longer get cut off (Thanks Sue!)
  • BugFix: MazePhrase (non-exact-fit) more closely tracks the DIFFICULTY setting, so higher difficulties now make longer MazePhrase solutions.

1.1.0 - October, 2022

  • BIG New Feature: Maze PATH style (See Layout/Walls.) Now you can choose to draw path lines along all the maze corridors, instead of walls beside the paths. This is possibly most useful when exported as SVG/PDF for cutting of a maze with a router/cricut/CNC machine.
  • Start and End wall-breakout directions are now configurable!
  • Big layout changes to the Layout tab, broken into Maze/Cell/Wall sub-sections.
  • Added 5 new shapes: Vertical Oval, Chevron-Up, Chevron-Down, Chevron-Left, Chevron-Right.
  • Allowed slightly smaller size (10x10) for shapes (Jen)
  • Cleaner user interface, and better preview display in dark mode. (Thanks Katya!)
  • MazePhrase now has a #-of-letters counter text above text box, updated as you type.
  • Updated the maze-maker so it makes nicer looking mazes on EASY difficulty.
  • When doing MazePhrase mode, the Solution Marker style is now automatically switched to MazePhrase letters, and no other styles are allowed.
  • Reworked the Intro Screen, adding a PRIOR button and refining the user interface for easier navigation (Thanks Katya!)
  • Swapped position of Export and Appearance in the Prefs window. (Thanks Katya!)
  • Added a small "not yet built" prompt under Maze Preview whenever maze is cleared.
  • Huge update to the last page of the Intro screen, which now shows a scrollable table of ALL my software products, and clicking any row will open that product's web page. (Thanks Katya!)
  • POV & SVG export now fully support wiggly walls.
  • Allow ANY punctuation & symbol characters in MazePhrase text.
  • Added "Phrase (Puzzle) Letter Vertical Adjust:" slider to MazePhrase to slide letters up and down a bit in cells.
  • Changed PREVIEW area to toggle via radio-buttons.
  • BugFix: Resizing the window now updates the preview's maze title text size.
  • BugFix: When using Arrow Solution markers, and the END cell for the maze solution is not touching an edge wall, the last arrow in the solution becomes a non-directional cell dot instead.
  • BugFix: Maze wall "width" popup menus now describe wall thickness in a "relative way" (not fixed point size), so actual thickness is indeed relative to (and scales with) exported image size.

1.0.0 - March, 2022

It's 1.0, so everything is new!

 

Screen Shots

 

Testimonials

People are quite excited about what they can make with this software:

  • Minos Maze Maker is a game-changer for my religious education mission to children aged 3-11 worldwide. It's incredibly easy to use and offers a range of maze choices, sizes, and difficulties. The "exact-fit" feature is a standout, enabling one-path mazes that boost critical thinking. Its unique ability to incorporate religious verses and phrases into mazes makes learning both fun and meaningful, enriching the spiritual journey of young learners. I wholeheartedly recommend Minos Maze Maker for educators and parents in the global community. -- April Reinhardt
  • Minos Maze Maker is an incredible maze program. I’ve used it for student worksheets thus far but look forward to making more mazes. What I enjoy most are the different levels of difficulty – ranging from super easy to exceptionally difficult – and the large variety of shapes (square, circle and octagon are my favorite!) I can even add color to the mazes. I can’t wait to publish my first maze book! - Jen Olson
  • Minos Maze Maker was such a fantastic tool as I created my memory-friendly activity books (for people recovering from stroke, or living with memory loss). My goal was to create a range of activities that looked fun, appealing, and adult, but were slightly easier and more achievable than they would be in a mainstream book. It was essential to get the clarity, size and difficulty just right. Minos Maze Maker was perfect for my mazes (thanks also to SchwanSongs' Whirlwind Word Search software!) - Clare Harris (Unforgettable Notes)
  • Minos Maze is an amazing program with infinite possibilities for creating mazes. The only limit is your imagination. You won't regret purchasing it! - Matt Enterline

Publications using Minos Maze Maker

Below is a wonderful introduction video by Marina Art Design, who has an amazing array of additional tutorial videos that introduce great tools for helping you create your own puzzle books:

(Please contact me if you want to have your product/site added to this list!)

 

Help & FAQ & More Info

Q: Can I make my own puzzle book with these mazes and sell the book without royalty or copyright issues?
A: Yes you can... Any mazes you create using Minos Maze Maker are completely yours to give away or sell, no royalty payments or copyrights on your puzzles, you don't even need to mention this software.
Q: Is this an interactive game I play on the computer?
A: No, this is software that will print mazes and their solutions, or export them as image files.
Q: Can I save the mazes as PDF files instead of printing them?
A: Yes you can... Open your maze in Minos Maze Maker and choose the "File:Export:" menu and choose to export just the puzzle and answer key as a PDF file.
Q: If I save a maze document, then later re-open it, will it keep the same solution?
A: Yes, if you open a saved document, it will be laid out exactly the same way that you saved it.
Q: How do I upgrade to the Pro version to get the extra powerful features?
A: To permanently upgrade your copy to Pro:
  • Run Minos Maze Maker, and choose "Pro Upgrade" from the "Minos Maze Maker" menu at the top of the screen. It will bring up an "Upgrade to Pro" dialog:
  • Click the "Upgrade for $xx" button, and after a moment (possibly with you logging into your AppStore account), it should return and tell you you successfully upgraded.
  • But you are not quite done... one last dialog will pop up saying you are "Almost Complete":
    you must quit and re-start the application before the Pro features take effect. Click "Finish Now" and Minos Maze Maker will automatically quit for you.
  • Now re-start Minos Maze Maker, and it will be the Pro version with all the new features.

Read the Software Privacy Policy Here

 

What is next?

Well, what would YOU like? If you let me know what things you would like to see next, and I will add them to my to-do list for the next update!

 

Press Kit

If you would like to publish a review of this software and would like more information and assets for your article, download the free Press Kit below:

Download Press Kit (".zip" file)

 

Contact Me

If you have more questions or wish to send me feedback:

Contact Me

 
Home Software Photography Digital Art Video Music Writing About
SchwanSongs
e-mail: note@schwansongs.com or schwansongs@gmail.com
Copyright © 2024, SchwanSongs, all rights reserved Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, macOS, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.