Long Ago... In the year 1959... 60 YEARS AGO at MIT... A program is being added to the TX-0 Computer. The program is Mouse in the Maze!!!

Mouse in the Maze is an early computer game, now lost (re-created ports exist), involving mostly what the title says: A light pen was used to draw a maze and a computer mouse found the cheese or other foodstuffs. It was created by Doug Ross and John Ward [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/tx-0/TX-0_history_1984.txt]. The game seems to have not gotten as much publicity as other early games, but it is early nonetheless! The MAZE has been a common structural motif of the video game such as Mouse in the Maze, Pac-Man, Bomberman, Wizardry, 3D Monster Maze, Megami Tensei, MIDI Maze, Maze War, 3D Maze Windows Screensaver, Radar Rat Race, the list goes on and on...

In honor of 60 years of such a game's creation, I would like to host a small jam, the rules are simple:
1: The player character should preferably be a MOUSE, though other rodents would be acceptable, keep in mind there are more kinds of mice than house mice and pet mice!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muridae
What possibility!
2: The game takes place in a MAZE, a labyrinth, a world of routes and turns and too many dead ends. However it does not need be a literal maze- perhaps it is a maze of secrets, or a maze of inner conflict. It could be seen from top down or from first person- a rat's eye view. It could be more than one floor, why it could even be a dreadful teleporter maze!

Optional Rules:
X1: The game should have foodstuff to collect, CHEESE perhaps. However extensive research reveals mice don't seem to prioritize this food... get creative! I am aware an alternative version of Mouse in the Maze featured MARTINI glasses, but I would strongly recommend against giving rodents such beverages in real life. If you are to feature such a drink in a game, please do so cautiously!
X2: Ultra Hard Mode! The game could be controlled by PEN or TOUCH input as Mouse in the Maze was controlled by light pen input. However I am sure implementing such controls are a heavy task.

I am aware that some will be exhausted by the end of Sekret Santa, so eventually I will make an ASSET PACK that will be free to use, hopefully a little bit before the jam starts, but delays may occur.

MOUSE ASSET PACK is uploaded!

INCLUDES: Top-down rodent in six fabulous colors, brick and floor tiles, and a half baked first person dungeon crawler! I hope you enjoy.

Happy Game-Making!

(From top to bottom: Mouse In The Maze recreation, Wizardry I for the NES, Windows 3D Maze, The Tailor of Gloucester artwork by Beatrix Potter)

Games made for Mouse In The Maze 60th Anniversary Jam

9 games made!
View a random selection
RSS Feed

Name	Created	By	Screenshot	Comments
Mouse Box	04/19/2019 - 13:56	everythingstaken		15
mouse sector	04/19/2019 - 09:03	fotocopiadora		5
A Muddle Of Mice	03/28/2019 - 16:16	gisbrecht		3
Mouse Returns	03/27/2019 - 16:07	sylvie		3
Little Mouse Maze	03/25/2019 - 18:42	sylvie		9
The Four Desecrated Mruidea Kings	03/23/2019 - 11:22	nilson		8
Quiet Mouse Loud	02/25/2019 - 00:09	TheCakeFlavor		7
Mice Mage : The Quest For The Cheese	02/20/2019 - 14:22	scarbo		6
Mice While It Lasted	01/17/2019 - 11:49	fizzhog		8