How to Solve Any Maze: Proven Methods

Some mazes you can eyeball; others need a method. Here are the techniques that solve any maze, whether it's printed in a book or you're playing it in 3D online.

The wall-follower rule

The classic trick: put one hand on a wall — say your right hand — and walk without ever taking it off. At every junction you keep following that same wall. As long as the maze's walls are all connected to the outer boundary (true for every perfect maze), this is guaranteed to lead you to the exit. It won't always be the shortest route, but it always works, and you can do it without seeing the whole maze — perfect for first-person 3D mazes.

Find the shortest path with breadth-first search

When you want the optimal route, think in ripples. Starting at the entrance, mark every cell you can reach in one step, then every cell reachable in two steps, and so on, spreading outward evenly. The moment this expanding frontier touches the exit, the path it took is the shortest one possible. This is breadth-first search, and it's exactly how MazeWalker's maze solver computes the solution it replays for you.

Practical tips for solving faster

• Scan from the exit, too. Working backward from the goal often reveals the one corridor that actually connects.
• Ignore obvious dead-end pockets. Short stubs off the main corridors almost never lead anywhere.
• In 3D, commit to one hand. The wall-follower rule shines when you can't see the whole layout.
• Learn from the replay. Watching the optimal solution trains your eye to spot the through-line faster next time.

Stuck on a maze in a book?

You don't have to solve it on paper. Photograph the maze, and MazeWalker will scan it into a playable grid and can trace the solution for you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the trick to solving a maze?

Keep one hand on the same wall and follow it without lifting. This 'wall follower' rule reaches the exit of any maze whose walls are all connected, which includes every standard perfect maze.

How do you find the shortest path through a maze?

Use a breadth-first search: explore outward from the start one step at a time. The first time you reach the exit, you've found the shortest path. MazeWalker can compute and replay this for you.