Arcade / Arcade - Maze · 1982
Wayout
Published by Sirius Software
atarimania.com — atari-400-800-xl-xe-games-wayout-5738
Information
- Genre
- Arcade - Maze
- Language
- Machine Language
- Controls
- Joystick, Keyboard, Paddles
- Players
- 1, Demo
- Programmer(s)
- Edelstein, Paul Allen
- Year
- 1982
- Publisher
- Sirius Software
- Country
- USA
- License
- Commercial
- Medium
- Disk
- Rarity
- 8
- Serial
- 20006
Votes / Statistics
Rating: 7.6/10 · Votes: 29 · Downloads: 3,019 · Hits: 16,697
Screenshots (4)
Cover Art (3)
Instructions (2)
Ads (1)
Book / Magazine Reviews (1)
Electronic Fun · June, 1983 · Rating: 3 / 4
There are twenty-six totally different mazes for you to escape from, and not even the introductory maze can be considered a pushover. It's all too easy to become very disoriented as you pass the tall blue walls - they all look alike no matter which maze you are in. To help in your search for the Wayout, you're provided with two on-screen tools. One is a compass that shows you the direction in which you are heading. The other is a standard two-dimensional maze map that is drawn as you wander, and contains a moving dot that shows where you are and where you are heading. Each time you see a new wall or door opening, the mapmaker sketches it in.
Of course, a compass and map would make things too easy, and so you have to fight to keep them. Entering every maze with you is a harmless mischiefmaker called a Cleptangle, and the name fits. It's a kleptomaniac 3-D rectangle that flashes in red and white and sneaks up on you to steal your tools.
To recover the equipment, you have to catch up with the Cleptangle and tag him. Finding him isn't too hard, as he often comes back to find you and his approach is always signaled by an alarm that gets stronger as he gets closer.
When you do find it, the Wayout is easily identified. It appears as a flashing panel changing from red to black to blue, and emits a distinct buzzing sound easily distinguishable from the other game noises.
While definitely better than most other maze games, Wayout has its drawbacks. After a while, looking at the uniform dark-blue walls gets monotonous. But the graphics are excellent and the mazes are original and challenging. Wayout also keeps score by showing how much distance you covered getting out. The score, along with the player's initials, can be permanently entered alongside the name of the maze in the selection menu, so score-beating becomes the challenge of a maze you have already solved.
If mazes and puzzles are your thing, then Wayout is for you. But if you're a person with little patience or no natural sense of direction, you're likely to find nothing but frustration.
The Wayout can be located anywhere but is usually somewhere in the middle of the maze. Searching the outside edges is generally a waste of time.
Comments (6)
Atari A to Z (Pete Davison) — 4 Jul 2022
Way Out is an early example of a first-person perspective 3D game with full(ish) freedom of movement. Can you escape the maze and the unwanted attentions of the Oblong Beast? Let's Play! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6R0zVwCknU
Jacob Hugart — 27 Nov 2008
It seems this is a .atx file; a copy-protected disk file. The Atari800MacX emulator for Mac OS X doesn't seem to handle this well. According to the documentation, it was a floppy; I can load the .atx file in to a floppy drive on that emulator, but a warm boot results in an error. Help?
Lockett — 4 Aug 2008
Try an emulator. You can play the ORIGINAL version in Windows with one.
ros — 30 Oct 2007
Although I haven't played Wayout in years, my ears still perk up when Pink Floyd plays the Cleptangle theme. Does anyone know how to open the Wayout download from the Atarimania page when using Windows? Does anyone know how to get the game in an updated format which will play on Windows? ros
JSUK — 17 Sept 2007
Very advanced 3D for the time, with some complex gameplay features integrated. Variety in colours and designs on the levels would have helped (and been perfectly feasible, even allowing for processor/memory limits) but this is still an appealing and innovative game.
Muffy St. Bernard — 30 Apr 2007
If the Cleptangle has stolen your map, go to a section of the maze with lots of dead ends. Then, when he arrives, follow him until he darts into a dead end, where he can be easily caught. Never bother chasing him down long corridors with no exits; he's faster than you. But if there are lots of exits around he often pauses briefly, allowing you to catch up. Also, if he's following you around, turn and take a few steps towards him; he'll run away. In a new maze, try to go all the way around the edge so you'll know the maze boundaries. Then start subdividing the different sections until you hear the "Wayout noise." Then you'll know where to focus (the comment that the exits are usually in the middle is false). When wind is coming out of the Wayout exit I have no idea how to force my way through. This is a problem with at least "Spiral" and "Sanctum."