I don’t usually pay much attention to in-game player announcements for community events in Final Fantasy XIV, perfectly content chipping away at things with my Free Company (player-run group). I am aware of its thriving nightclub scene, which isn’t something I’m naturally drawn to and is by far the most prevalent activity, so more often than not I pay little mind. This changed when something called ‘The Maze’ caught my eye; a unique puzzle experience making its debut during Halloween.
If you’re unfamiliar with the inner workings of Final Fantasy XIV, player-hosted venues can range from aquariums to clubs, theatres, bars, and, to my newfound delight, puzzles. These are created within the game’s player housing system and are a significant investment (much like in real life). While it provides scope for a lot of creativity, it’s not the game’s main focus, so it isn’t as user-friendly as life-sims designed for this purpose. I’ve seen some incredible housing and am aware of how laborious it is to create these masterpieces, even with the use of glitching or creating what are known as ‘void builds’ to design expansive spaces that go beyond the confines of the interior walls.
Suffice to say, The Maze had piqued my curiosity and amidst the gloom of shorter days, it felt like the perfect time to curl up, dive into the unknown, and uncover a chilling player-designed adventure…
Upon arrival at the mansion, I heeded its notice and watched the introductory video, which sets the scene for the horrors among its stark, blood red walls. Hidden in the depths of the maze, a plushie thieving doll named Brina is hiding with her hoard - cloaked in shadow in appropriately creepy fashion. But that’s not all you can discover in the maze; the age old question of whether the cake is a lie rears its head and a torture chamber also lies buried within its halls. You’re told to follow four cryptic clues to help you uncover The Maze’s secrets and find the three secret rooms:
- Sleep under the stars.
- The blue dolls are looking at Brina.
- One doll is looking in the direction of the cake.
- Darkness can be your friend.
Upon entering the venue, you’re enclosed in a small space, as black and red walls block your progress. Helpfully, the wall directly in front of you features a large golden arrow pointing upwards. My conventional Final Fantasy XIV brain wasn’t sure how any of this would work, but it felt instinctive to jump on the spot. I was suddenly swallowed by the ceiling and thrust into a completely different space above where a spotlight shone down upon me. Getting my bearings, I found myself confronted with multiple potential routes. How hard can it be, right?
What I anticipated to be a brief diversion, became at least an hour of exploring every nook and cranny in absolute awe - resolved to find all three rooms even if it meant my Warrior of Light would never see the light of day again. Along with a gaggle of other players, we scurried about in the shadows like chaotic mice with no end in sight. After a little bit of ‘recon’ - which sounds smarter than the reality of ‘running around like a headless chicken’ - I thought back to the clues and approached a wall adorned with a moon and stars decoration. “Sleep under the stars,” I recalled. I used ‘Doze’, one of the game’s emotes, and was promptly teleported to a bed in yet another area.
The closer I got to finding Brina, the more surreal it became. I tackled devilish jumping puzzles, as strategically placed dolls stared blankly toward Brina’s location, took a leap of faith into the abyss onto some well-placed slime, and teleported above mysterious floating platforms. After several twists and turns through the disorienting and compelling space, I eventually found all the secret rooms through a combination of problem solving, puzzle platforming, and navigational skills.
The Maze is hosted by a group of community volunteers called Tucana Tiki Bar and was created in collaboration with a player called Noko. Tucana’s main venue is a tranquil, tropical getaway that’s like a combination of the Rainforest Café and board and video game bars. Its owner Neiara tells me that her priority is to step away from the more adult-focused scene and host "immersive roleplaying events with a unique twist—most of which are tiki-themed venues."
"Alongside these lively social settings, we also craft interactive, player-made puzzles that add an engaging challenge to the experience," Neiara says. "Our events offer a welcoming space for players to dive deeper into roleplay, solve puzzles, and enjoy the social side of FFXIV in a way that’s fun and memorable.”
It was a wonder I hadn’t come across anything like this before. Had I missed an entire puzzling community right under my nose these past seven or so years? After a bit of digging I discovered there is a thriving community that caters to people that like to flex the left side of their brain, with a focus on jumping puzzles of spectacular scale. Promptly falling down a rabbit hole, I came across the Strange Housing community website, which is frequently updated with new puzzles. With over 1000 to try your hand at, I’m about to be very preoccupied. However, Tucana still struck me as being wholly unique in terms of catering to social puzzlers rather than segregating experiences.
Similarly, The Maze sets itself apart as a puzzle by way of a theme park attraction. It has a classic ‘house of horrors’ vibe that incorporates platforming into the experience, rather than being its primary focus. Noko tells me that it began as a fun side-project where he created a test build that attracted the attention of another player. “At that time I just discovered the concept of jumping puzzles," he tells me. "So when he said he wanted a maze, my curiosity transformed into interest as I wanted to test it out and see how far we could push the thing, and make an 'interactive house'.”
This first version of The Maze debuted in 2022 and after gaining popularity, the venue eventually closed over time. After joining a new Free Company this year, Noko wanted to hold an event and, as fate would have it, they were keen on an escape room or a maze. Using the original prototype for The Maze, Noko made significant changes and improvements to create the current version. A little while later, he came across Tucana Tiki Bar and noticed they hosted puzzles, so he decided to offer up The Maze as a public venue - which has since become a staple of Tucana’s line-up. Tucana has also just opened Noko’s follow-up puzzle ‘Door Dash’, an escape room-style maze with one true path, mischievous traps, and four paintings to be found. Ominous.
It seems there’s plenty for this puzzle-loving Final Fantasy XIV veteran to enjoy, thanks to its wonderfully diverse and creative community. It’s fantastic how players are continuously finding ways to amaze with unexpected new experiences. If you’re curious but don’t fancy getting into the weeds of the MMO experience you can access these puzzles in the game’s Free Trial, as the vast majority are located in the starter zone housing districts with all three accessible by level 10. Maybe I’ll see you there?
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