Mathturion

Escape from the Garden

“During a feast at Senator Marcus’s villa, a young scholar named Lucius wandered through the famous garden. As night fell, he realized that he had lost his way. Standing beside a fountain, he remembered the senator proudly saying, ‘This fountain stands exactly in the center of my garden.’ Lucius also recalled entering through a gate on the northern side of the garden.”

Can you help Lucius? The fountain at the heart of the garden is the start; the opening in the hedge wall on the north (top) side is the gate he must reach. The clipped bushes form the walls of the maze, and the sandy lanes between them are the only safe ground.

The path always starts at the fountain and follows the open ground. It never crosses a bush. Movement around the fountain is not counted at the start. Grey steps are not counted; black steps are counted.

Your escape begins the moment you take a second step away from the fountain. From then on, every move counts, including walking back through the pool. You can still roam freely; your footprints remain, and a step straight back after a step forward is forgiven.

On a phone or tablet, pinch to zoom in for more precise steps (and drag with two fingers to pan).

Shortest on the control panel is the fewest number of steps needed to escape this particular garden. Match it to find the shortest path of all. The Reset button clears your trail; the New Maze button lays out a different garden.