Magenta's Maze

Magenta is an "algebraic spirit", somewhat cruelly condemned to roam the twisty passages of a 3D forest maze, until she can find the right numbers to factorize a cubic polynomial of the form x³-_a_x²+_b_x-c = (x-?)(x-?)(x-?). The three solutions must be found among the 9 numeric cubes scattered throughout the labyrinth, and placed on the three magic circles. To aid Magenta in her navigation, an overhead map is provided, and the circular focal points are connected by ley lines to the center of the maze (which is always the starting point). Our spectral, see-through student can only carry one number at a time; if it proves to be an incorrect factor, the circle will decline it, and another digit must be brought.

The puzzles are procedurally generated: on each new game the player inputs an alphanumeric "magic spell", which is used as a seed to determine the maze layout and the polynomial. Once the correct solution is found, the player is scored by the number of moves taken - the lower, the better. Magenta's Maze uses 4-color CGA graphics with spoken samples output through the PC speaker.