Honeycomb Maze

Honeycomb Maze is a main game first played on the original version of Takeshi's Castle.

This is a maze made up of lots of hexagonal shaped rooms that all look exactly the same. The rooms have six doors, one in each wall, which all open outwards and inwards. However, some of the doors in some rooms are dummies, which don't open, as they're against outside walls. The contestant enters the maze, at the top right, and has to try to find the exit, which is at the bottom left.

Waiting inside are two "Black-Handed, Black-Hearted" guards (usually Strong and Kibaji) who are trying to find the contestant. The contestant needs to avoid the guards, because if they get caught they'll have their face covered in black paint, get thrown out of the maze, and will have lost the game.

There are several exits all along the left and bottom sides of the maze, but only one is correct. If the contestant comes out of the wrong door they'll fall into a pool of water and will have also lost the game.

If a contestant manages to make it through the maze, avoiding being caught by the guards, and exits through the correct door they win the game.

One alternative solution for going through the game, apart from going through the maze is to climb up the wall and stand on top of the maze. This can be achieved by pretending to jump into the water, but then climbing up through the doors. After this it becomes easy for the player to see the directions and reach the goal.

The maze began with 12 rooms, 4x4. Later the size was increased to 20 rooms, 5x4, and a third guard was added (usually Animal) to increase the difficulty.

Later, there was a platform on top of the maze where Tani shouts out the directions to guide the contestants through the maze.

Variations[]

In family special episodes, the children stand on a platform above the maze. They have to shout out instructions to direct their parent through, avoiding the guards, to the exit.

This family variation was later used in regular episodes.