Spider Maze 2 (TND) Free
Game description: Spider Maze 2 is a single-player arcade maze game developed by Richard Bayliss of The New Dimension in collaboration with Blazon Games. Fredrik the ball is back, and this time he has a rescue mission on his hands. His girlfriend Ruby has been kidnapped by the Spider King and is to be sacrificed to the Spider Lord. The only way to save her is to accept the Spider Lord's challenge — collect every diamond from all 16 lairs of the Spider Maze and deliver them as payment for her freedom. With the clock ticking, Fredrik must move fast. Each lair is patrolled by four spiders that travel between webs in fixed directions. Avoiding them is the primary challenge, though two additional hazards — rising spikes and skull-and-crossbones obstacles — will cost Fredrik a life regardless of any protection he has picked up along the way. Helping him on his quest are several collectable items scattered throughout each level: bonus pickups add to the score, light bulbs provide a temporary shield against the spiders, hearts award an extra life, and clock items either add or subtract time from the countdown. The game is over when all lives are lost or the timer runs out. Clear all 16 lairs and Fredrik — and Ruby — are free.
-
Production - 76%
76%
-
Fun - 68%
68%
-
Depth - 64%
64%
Summary
Spider Maze 2 arrives as a confident and polished step up from its predecessor, and for fans of old-school arcade maze games, there is plenty here to enjoy. Richard Bayliss has clearly put care into the production, and it shows — this is a tidy, well-presented release that punches above the weight you might expect from a free homebrew title.
The difficulty curve is one of the game’s strongest suits. The opening levels ease you in at a comfortable pace, giving newcomers time to learn the spider movement patterns and get a feel for the layout before things genuinely start to tighten up. From level 5 onward, the game begins to bare its teeth, and that escalation feels earned rather than arbitrary. It is the kind of curve that keeps you pressing on for one more go rather than reaching for the off switch in frustration — and that is no small achievement.
The animated multicolour sprites are bright and characterful, and the varied wall backgrounds do a reasonable job of keeping the visual presentation feeling fresh — at least through the middle stretch of the game. By the time you are pushing through the later lairs, a sense of familiarity does begin to creep in, and the level designs start to feel as though they are drawing from a fairly shallow well. It is not fatal to the experience, but those hoping for significant surprises in the back half may find themselves going through the motions somewhat.
The SID soundtrack deserves a mention, though perhaps not entirely in the way Bayliss might hope. The techno-synth track on offer is genuinely well constructed and demonstrates real compositional craft — but it sits at something of an odd angle to the game’s tone. A spider-infested dungeon rescue mission calls for something a touch more atmospheric or urgent, and the upbeat electronic energy of the music, enjoyable as it is in isolation, never quite locks into the on-screen action the way the best C64 soundtracks do. It is a curious mismatch that is hard to ignore once noticed.
Replayability sits somewhere in the middle of the dial. The high score table gives you a reason to revisit, and the promise of a hidden cheat tucked somewhere in the game adds a little intrigue for the more curious player. That said, Spider Maze 2 is not the kind of title that demands repeated runs — it is an enjoyable session or two rather than a long-term fixture in the collection. Dip back in occasionally, chase a better score, and it will reward you well enough.
Ultimately, Spider Maze 2 is a genuinely fun arcade romp that does what it sets out to do with confidence and competence. It is not a game that redefines the maze genre or pushes the C64 hardware into uncharted territory, but it does not need to. As a free release, it represents excellent value for what it is — a brisk, bright, and increasingly demanding sprint through 16 lairs that will keep you entertained for a very pleasant sitting or two.
Overall
69%User Review
( votes)Pros
Well-Judged Difficulty Curve: The game starts gently and builds with purpose, delivering a progressively demanding experience that keeps players engaged without resorting to cheap difficulty spikes.
Polished Presentation: Animated multicolour sprites, a multicolour loading bitmap, a full front-end with high score table, and varied level backgrounds combine to give Spider Maze 2 a production quality that stands well above many homebrew releases.
Cons
Music Mismatches the Mood: The upbeat techno-synth track, while enjoyable on its own terms, sits uneasily alongside the game’s dungeon-rescue setting and never quite creates the atmosphere the scenario calls for.
Repetition Sets In: While the changing wall backgrounds provide variety in the early and middle stages, the level designs grow increasingly familiar by the later lairs, and the sense of freshness that characterises the opening runs dry before the finish line.
Additional Screenshots:
