Search for Treasures in the Maze of Towers in 3D Labyrinth

Enter the maze and make a path through the twisting hallways and looming towers to find your treasure! Be the first out with all your treasure to win the game.

Published by Ravensburger, 3D Labyrinth takes the 1986 family-friendly puzzle game Labyrinth and gives it a modern 3D twist.

Gameplay

The game is played on a board with 3D tower tiles. These towers can be one to five levels tall. The top of some towers will show a treasure, while others will be blank. Each tower tile also shows part of a path with exits or dead ends on the four sides of the tile. Nine of the towers are fitted into the board, while the other tiles are movable. The positions of the movable ones are randomized each game. There is always one leftover tower after set up.

Each player places their game piece on their color’s start tower and takes one spell card and a rune card. The twelve treasure cards are evenly distributed to each player. You place your treasure cards in a stack in front of you. You are only allowed to look at the top card of your stack. You do not show the card to the other players.

On your turn, you must start by taking whichever tower is not currently on the board and sliding it in. This will push another tower off the board. If a player’s game piece was on the tower that was pushed off, you move it onto the new tower that was just pushed in. Of all the rows and columns of towers, the board clearly marks with yellow arrows which ones you can slide a tower piece into and which ones you cannot (as they have unmovable towers in them).

After pushing in the new tower piece, you may move your character. You may not move through walls, but may move through as many tower tiles as you wish as long as there is an unobstructed path to follow. You may move onto towers that are one level higher or lower than your current tower if there is an open path. Moving levels does not allow you to move through a wall. A spell card can be discarded in order to move once up or down (depending on the card) as many levels as you wish but not through walls.

If you end your turn on the tower that shows the treasure depicted on the top card of your card stack, then you have collected that treasure. You place the card face-up in front of you, and may look at the next card in your stack. If you end your turn on the tower that shows the rune stone, you flip over your rune stone to indicate that you have visited it. Ending your turn anywhere else allows you to draw a spell card.

The first player to collect all their treasures, visit the rune stone, and return to their start location, wins the game.

Review

3D Labyrinth is a fun and attractive family game that kids and adults can both enjoy. It’s easy to teach, fast to get going, and game time doesn’t take too long. The puzzle of trying to map your way around the board is engaging, and you can always make a little progress, even if it’s just collecting a much needed spell card. The ability to loop from one side of the board to the other is also a nice addition and gives you the chance to take a clever shortcut or set an opponent back.

As the game progresses and you have more and more of an idea of what treasures other players might be after, you can attempt to manipulate the board to set them back. The board also changes quite rapidly from one turn to another, so you’re always watching and plotting your paths, even when it’s not your turn.

The game plays fairly quickly, and there can be a good bit of luck involved in what treasures you’re dealt. Do most of them just happen to be near your side of the board or are they more spread out? Drawing a spell card every turn you don’t collect a treasure is also fairly forgiving. If the board were just a little bigger with a few more towers, it would be a little more challenging, but for a family game it works well.

First time setup does take a while, as there is some assembly to do. It took us about twenty minutes. However, the end result is quite impressive looking and setup on all further plays is incredibly fast as the board, with all towers in place, fits perfectly into the box.

3D Labyrinth is a light, family-friendly game that plays really smoothly and offers a fun puzzle to work through. The production quality is impressive, and the 3D element adds a nice layer to the maze aspect of the game. It’s satisfying to slide the towers onto the board, and feels great when you’re able to successfully visualize a great path and then make it.  

Pros: Production quality, sliding the towers to change the path, 3D element

Cons: First time setup is long, you can get quite lucky in what treasure cards you’re dealt

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.