How to play Mirror Maze
Place a fish, bird or frog in every empty square so each number counts the creatures seen along its line of sight, bouncing off mirrors. Also known as Mirror line-of-sight puzzle, Reflection puzzle.
The rules
- Every square without a mirror holds exactly one creature: a fish, a bird or a frog. The totals of each are given.
- A number outside the grid counts the creatures seen looking in from there. The line of sight bounces off each diagonal mirror at a right angle.
- Birds are seen only directly — before the line of sight has hit a mirror.
- Fish are seen only in a mirror — after the line of sight has hit a mirror.
- Frogs are always seen. A creature passed twice is counted twice.
Playing Mirror Maze on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose a maze size and a difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
- Pick Fish, Bird or Frog and tap squares (or tap to cycle). Keys F, B and G work too.
- Tap a number around the edge to light up its line of sight as it bounces off the mirrors.
- Numbers and totals turn green when they are right. Hint explains the next deduction.
Using the Mirror Maze solver
- Choose the size, place the mirrors, and type the numbers and totals (or press Sample).
- Press Solve and step through each view: what it can and can’t see, and the totals.
A worked example
The view from the left of row 2 shows 0 and meets a mirror after two squares: those two squares are fish, and every square after the bounce is a bird.
A view through four squares with no mirror shows 4: all four are birds or frogs — no fish.
Strategies
- Zero views. A 0 means every square before the first mirror is a fish (invisible directly), and every square after it is a bird (invisible in mirrors).
- Straight through. A line of sight with no mirrors sees birds and frogs only: every fish in it is invisible.
- Big numbers. A number equal to the number of squares passed means every square is visible: before the mirror no fish, after it no birds.
- Trace it. Tap a number to light up its path. Note which squares are passed before and after the first mirror.
- Totals. When you have found all the fish, every unknown square is a bird or a frog.
Common mistakes
- Counting a fish before the line of sight has hit a mirror.
- Counting a bird seen in a mirror.
- Forgetting to count a creature twice when the line of sight passes it twice.
Where it comes from
Mirror line-of-sight puzzles are a favourite of puzzle collections and apps, with roots in the reflection puzzles of puzzle magazines. They are a playful way to practise tracing paths and reflections.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a mirror bounce?
Each diagonal mirror turns the line of sight through a right angle — / and \ turn it different ways.
Can a line of sight pass the same square twice?
Yes, after bouncing round — and the creature there is counted each time.
Is there always one answer?
Yes — every puzzle here is checked to have exactly one solution.
How do I solve one from a book?
Open the Mirror Maze Solver, place the mirrors, type the numbers and totals, and press Solve.
Keep going
- Play Mirror Mazea fresh puzzle every time
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