30 Maze Types Explained: A Complete Guide to Geometric Maze Styles
If you’ve ever browsed a maze puzzle book, you’ve probably seen the standard square grid maze. But did you know there are at least 30 distinct geometric styles a maze can take? Each one creates a different solving experience, visual appeal, and difficulty level.
This guide walks through every maze type available in The Maze Generator, grouped by geometric family. Whether you’re a KDP publisher building a puzzle book, an educator designing classroom activities, or a game developer prototyping a level, you’ll find the right style here.
Orthogonal Mazes (Types 1-2)
The classic. Orthogonal mazes use a rectangular grid of square cells, each with four possible walls (north, south, east, west).
Type 1 — Orthogonal (4): The standard square grid maze. Every cell has exactly 4 neighbors. This is what most people picture when they think “maze.” It’s the easiest to solve and the most familiar, making it ideal for younger audiences and introductory puzzle books.
Type 2 — Orthogonal (4:2): A variation with a different wall-removal pattern that creates wider corridors and more open spaces. The solving experience feels less claustrophobic while maintaining the familiar grid structure.
Best for: Children’s activity books, educational worksheets, introductory puzzle books.
Hexagonal Mazes (Types 3-5)
Hexagonal mazes use a grid of six-sided cells. Because each cell has 6 neighbors instead of 4, the solver has more choices at each junction — making these mazes feel more organic and less “boxy.”
Type 3 — Hexagonal (6): The standard hex grid. Paths flow more naturally than in orthogonal mazes, creating a honeycomb-like pattern.
Type 4 — Hexagonal (6:2): A hex variant with altered connectivity that produces longer corridors.
Type 5 — Hexagonal (6:3): Another hex variant with even more visual complexity.
Best for: Intermediate puzzle books, nature-themed activity books, visually striking wall art.
Rhombic Mazes (Types 6-8)
Rhombic mazes use diamond-shaped (rhombus) cells. The diagonal orientation gives these mazes a distinctive tilted appearance.
Type 6 — Rhombic: Standard rhombic tiling. Paths run diagonally, which is disorienting for solvers used to orthogonal grids.
Type 7 — Rhombic (:2): A variation with different connectivity patterns.
Type 8 — Rhombic (:3): More complex rhombic variant.
Best for: Advanced puzzle books, geometric art prints, challenging adult activity books.
Triangle-Square Mazes (Types 9-10)
These hybrid tilings combine triangular and square cells. The mixed geometry creates an irregular rhythm that keeps solvers engaged.
Type 9 — Triangle-Square (3-4): Alternating triangles and squares create a visually interesting pattern with varied junction types.
Type 10 — Triangle-Square (3-4:2): A variant with modified connectivity.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced puzzle books, educational materials about tessellations.
Hexagonal-Square Mazes (Types 11-12)
Another hybrid family, combining hexagons with squares. The result is a semi-regular tiling that looks complex but remains solvable.
Type 11 — Hexagonal-Square (6-4): Hexagons surrounded by squares create a distinctive pattern.
Type 12 — Hexagonal-Square (6-4:2): Variant connectivity for a different solving experience.
Best for: Visually distinctive puzzle books, geometric design projects.
Octagon-Square Mazes (Types 13-16)
The classic bathroom floor tile pattern — octagons with small squares filling the gaps. These mazes look impressive and offer interesting junction patterns.
Type 13 — Octagon-Square (8-4): Standard octagon-square tiling.
Type 14 — Octagon-Square (8-4:2): First variant.
Type 15 — Octagon-Square (8-4:3): Second variant.
Type 16 — Octagon-Square (8-4:4): Third variant, with the most complex connectivity.
Best for: Premium puzzle books, challenging adult activity books, architectural/design-themed prints.
Specialty Mazes (Types 17-18)
Type 17 — Hexagonal-Rhombic: A combination of hexagons and rhombuses. This unusual tiling creates a visually striking maze that’s rarely seen in puzzle books.
Type 18 — Cairo: Named after the Cairo pentagonal tiling. Each cell is an irregular pentagon, creating an exotic pattern that’s both beautiful and challenging. Cairo mazes are a strong differentiator for KDP publishers — your competitors almost certainly don’t have these.
Best for: Premium/niche puzzle books, geometric art, standing out in a crowded KDP market.
Extended Types (Types 19-30)
The extended collection includes additional geometric tilings:
- Types 19-22: Additional polygon combinations and Laves tilings
- Types 23-26: More exotic semi-regular and demi-regular tilings
- Types 27-30: Rare geometric patterns including dual tilings
Each of these types creates a unique visual and solving experience. They’re particularly valuable for publishers who want to offer variety within a single puzzle book or across a series.
Best for: Complete puzzle book series, “geometric challenge” themed books, math/geometry educational materials.
Which Maze Types Sell Best on KDP?
Based on what we’ve seen from publishers using The Maze Generator:
- Orthogonal (Types 1-2) dominate the children’s and family market — they’re familiar and accessible.
- Hexagonal (Types 3-5) perform well in “premium” or “deluxe” puzzle books that charge $1-2 more.
- Mixed-type books that include 5-10 different styles in a single volume tend to get better reviews because they offer variety.
The key insight: variety sells. A book with 100 identical square mazes competes on price. A book with 10 different geometric styles competes on uniqueness.
Algorithms Matter Too
The maze type defines the grid geometry, but the algorithm determines the maze’s character:
- Recursive Backtracker: Creates long, winding corridors with few dead ends. Good for “flow” mazes that feel satisfying to solve.
- Prim’s Algorithm: Creates mazes with many short dead ends and a more uniform distribution of path lengths. Good for challenging puzzles.
- Random Tree: Creates a uniform spanning tree — every possible maze is equally likely. Good for variety in batch generation.
Try Them All
The best way to understand each maze type is to generate one. Head to the Maze Generator and cycle through all 30 types. Each one renders instantly, so you can compare them side by side.
For KDP publishers: the Pro plan gives you access to all 30 types with PDF export at 300 DPI — exactly what Amazon requires for print-ready interiors.