‘Moonlight Maze’ a Mushroom Deep in Water

Quick, enjoyable, mushroom puzzle fun where the twist is Death/ possession from demonic sounding Mimics. Moonlight Maze is a hybrid puzzle game being developed by Mad Mushroom Games for 2019’s Summer #ue4jam. Published on August 13, 2019, on Itch.io, Moonlight Maze features 10 unique stages in its current “prototype.” 

One of the many puzzles featured in the current version

In Moonlight Maze the player takes control of a simple mushroom trying to make it through the layers of an apparent curse that it finds itself in. Moving across a chess-like board, both the player and the mimic monsters move together in the same direction with the player navigating across the board to avoid the mimics. 

However, Moonlight Maze adds a mechanical twist to the classic puzzle design (mummy maze); In order to make it out alive the player must also avoid being seen by the gnomes (at any distance).

As well the player has a move limit that forces thought before moving, with each additional level, of course, getting harder and harder through complexity and additional enemy types.

The game’s current form has great simplicity

Though the death screen currently is simple, whats here in the sound design is not. Throughout the maze, cloaked in moonlight, a light piano can be heard, and it’s contrasted with the demonic sounds of the monsters should they get you. 

Mad Mushroom Games defines Moonlight Maze as a “horror puzzle game in the making” being “noir”, and having a “hazy aesthetic”. And state that they are working on the story of Moonlight Maze alongside boss battles and other types of puzzles.

Current map and concept released from the developers. 

Mad Mushroom Games have ambitious designs for Moonlight Maze and their little mushroom. They have even proposed interactions of other characters in the world in order to flesh the game out as a more complete story experience. 

Though the game was originally intended only to be for 2019’s Summer #ue4jam, the developers have been active providing updates to the game and constant feedback to their growing community. Releasing their first Dev Log on August 17, 2019, Mad Mushroom Games stated that they are committed to long term development of the game due to growing positive feedback from the community.