Snack Break Games
Apprentice locksmith navigating an intricate brass clockwork labyrinth of keys and moving walls.$1.99PLANNED
In development

Grid puzzle / tactical exploration

The Iron Maze

Nothing moves until you do, so danger becomes a problem you can reason about.

A turn-based dungeon adventure where every player step advances the entire mechanical maze by one beat. You are an apprentice locksmith trapped inside a legendary machine built to test impossible keys.

Planned price$1.99
Session3–8 minute rooms; 70–100 minute campaign
Demo10-minute vertical slice
DRMNone
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Checkout remains disabled until a tested commercial build and final product details exist.

WHAT IS THE IRON MAZE?

You are an apprentice locksmith trapped inside a legendary machine built to test impossible keys.

A turn-based dungeon adventure where every player step advances the entire mechanical maze by one beat. You are an apprentice locksmith trapped inside a legendary machine built to test impossible keys.

Best for: Players who enjoy clear logic, experimentation, useful assists and compact problem-solving sessions.

WHY IT IS DIFFERENT

Nothing moves until you do, so danger becomes a problem you can reason about.

  • Nothing moves until you do, so danger becomes a problem you can reason about.
  • Forty-eight compact rooms across six maze wings, plus twelve expert chambers.
  • Progress unlocks inspection tools that reveal longer future cycles, but core solutions never require grinding.

CORE LOOP

From first decision to completed run.

a six-room wing built around rotating walls and key reshaping.

  1. 1Enter a room and inspect its repeating machine cycles
  2. 2Move one tile, causing gears, enemies, doors, and platforms to advance
  3. 3Manipulate switches, blocks, keys, and timing states
  4. 4Reach the exit or retrieve the room's mechanism core
  5. 5Unlock new wings and optional mastery rooms

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

A complete arc, not an endless grind.

Forty-eight compact rooms across six maze wings, plus twelve expert chambers. Each wing introduces one mechanism and ends with a multi-room lock.

Progress unlocks inspection tools that reveal longer future cycles, but core solutions never require grinding. Collected maker marks reveal the history of the maze and unlock a final alternate chamber.

CONTROLS & ACCESSIBILITY

Clarity and assists are part of the design.

Four-direction movement, wait, interact, undo, reset, and inspect. Unlimited undo is standard outside score challenges.

Unlimited undo, cycle previews, and hint steps are standard. Assists can highlight safe tiles, freeze one mechanism, or show a full solution path.

CORE SYSTEMS

  • Nothing moves until you do, so danger becomes a problem you can reason about.
  • Forty-eight compact rooms across six maze wings, plus twelve expert chambers.
  • Progress unlocks inspection tools that reveal longer future cycles, but core solutions never require grinding.

FIRST PLAYABLE PROOF

10-minute vertical slice

a six-room wing built around rotating walls and key reshaping.

QUICK ANSWERS

The Iron Maze FAQ

What kind of game is The Iron Maze?+
A turn-based dungeon adventure where every player step advances the entire mechanical maze by one beat. You are an apprentice locksmith trapped inside a legendary machine built to test impossible keys. Its central hook is: Nothing moves until you do, so danger becomes a problem you can reason about.
How long is a session of The Iron Maze?+
The planned play pattern is 3–8 minute rooms; 70–100 minute campaign. The first browser demo is a 10-minute vertical slice.
What is included in The Iron Maze?+
Forty-eight compact rooms across six maze wings, plus twelve expert chambers. Each wing introduces one mechanism and ends with a multi-room lock. Progress unlocks inspection tools that reveal longer future cycles, but core solutions never require grinding. Collected maker marks reveal the history of the maze and unlock a final alternate chamber.
Will The Iron Maze be DRM-free?+
The Iron Maze is planned as a complete $1.99 DRM-free download for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a separate browser demo and no proprietary launcher.

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