While developing and testing RealMaze AR, I stumbled upon a curious realization: standing on my toes gave me a slightly better vantage point to peek over the maze walls. At first, I thought, "This is fine—after all, it mimics the experience of a real-life maze." But my curiosity didn’t stop there. What if I went even higher? What if I climbed a flight of stairs or stood atop a hill?
The answer became glaringly obvious during testing: you could rise high enough to see the entire maze layout from above. Worse still, you could bypass the challenge entirely, "walking" above the maze to the exit. The same held true in reverse—if you descended stairs or moved down a hill, you’d effectively be "below" the maze. Without walls blocking your path, you could cheat by skipping straight to the exit.
And that’s when it hit me—what’s the point of a maze if you’re not solving it the proper way, walking between its walls to discover the correct path?
A Simple, Invisible Solution
Just as I had tackled the issue of players trying to walk around the maze (more on that in this blog post), I knew I had to prevent players from breaking the experience by going above or below the maze. The solution was both elegant and invisible: an invisible floor and an invisible roof.
Here’s how it works:
When you play RealMaze AR, these invisible planes form a boundary above and below you.
If you move up or down slightly (within 10 cm of your height), nothing happens—this small slack allows for a bit of realism, like peeking over the maze walls by standing on your toes.
But the moment you move beyond this slack, the entire maze moves with you!
If you climb stairs, the maze follows you up. If you descend a hill, the maze comes down with you. This clever trick ensures you’re always locked into the maze’s layout, keeping you between its walls and maintaining the integrity of the challenge.
No More Cheating
With this invisible floor and roof in place, cheating by going above or below the maze is impossible. Combined with the measures already implemented to prevent walking through walls or around the maze, RealMaze AR is now entirely uncheatable.
Some players might be tempted to game the system and post lightning-fast leaderboard times, but I believe in fair play. RealMaze AR is about genuine skill and problem-solving, not exploiting loopholes.
Why It Matters
The thrill of RealMaze AR lies in the challenge—navigating a maze using your wits and determination. By closing this potential cheat, I’ve ensured that every leaderboard time represents true effort and mastery.
To all the maze enthusiasts out there: thank you for embracing the challenge and for helping make RealMaze AR a game that rewards real skill. Keep playing, keep exploring, and remember—every twist and turn is there to be solved the right way.
Happy mazing! 🌟
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