Maze Generator
A small public web toy for making fresh printable mazes without accounts, ads, or a backend.
Maze Generator revives a JavaScript canvas experiment I programmed myself in 2018 during a free afternoon. I had a new idea for a maze-generation algorithm, wanted to see if it actually worked, and built the thing to prove it. The modern version preserves that original spirit while adding seeded grid, circular, triangular, hexagonal, honeycomb, and diamond mazes, adjustable rounded walls, optional solution paths, PNG export, and clean browser printing.
- Canvas
- Static web
- Free utility
- Printable puzzles
Screenshot Gallery
Primary app screens appear first, followed by supporting workflow and detail views.
Key Features
Seeded grid, circular, triangular, hexagonal, honeycomb, and diamond maze generation
Adjustable sharp-to-rounded wall rendering
Kids, classic, and large preset sizes
Optional solution overlay for checking or learning
Downloadable PNG output
Print-friendly layout that hides the website chrome
Technical And Architecture Notes
Next.js App Router static route inside darylbeattie.com
Client-side canvas rendering with no backend dependency
Seeded pseudo-random generation for repeatable puzzles
Depth-first maze carving with breadth-first solution tracing
Integrated into the existing website deployment and image optimization flow
AI In This Project
How AI fits into the work while product, architecture, security, and quality decisions stay human-owned.
Used Codex to port the old canvas idea into a typed, static Next.js route while keeping the utility simple and browser-only
Used agents for implementation, responsive polish, project wiring, and local verification
Kept the scope focused on preserving the original toy as a useful public page
Product Context
Originally programmed in 2018 because I was bored, had some free time, and wanted to validate a maze-generation idea by building it
Preserved because it shows the kind of engineer who still programs for fun outside of assigned product work
Designed as a free, lightweight utility for kids, parents, teachers, and puzzle people
Lives at /maze so it can remain part of the public website project archive