QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT

MAZES & MINOTAURS

1) Mazes & Minotaurs claims to be "the first roleplaying game ever published". Was it really
released in 1972, two years before Dungeons & Dragons?

No - at least not in our time continuum. The story about Mazes & Minotaurs being the first RPG is a fictional conceit
not unlike the one found in Peter Jackson's faux documentary movie Forgotten Silver. This transparent 'hoax' is an
essential part of the homage / pastiche aspect of the game - as is its title, which deliberately mimics those of early
fantasy RPGs, including Dungeons & Dragons and Tunnels & Trolls. The whole Mazes & Minotaurs concept was
invented by Paul "Mithras" Elliott in 2002, in an article called The Gygax-Arneson Tapes published on RPGnet ,
which can still be found here. Also see the end of the present document for the detailed story of how this article
gave birth to a real, complete and 100% playable game. Also see this page for a more detailed account on how the
game came to be.

2) Is Mazes & Minotaurs an OSR or retro-clone RPG?

Since Mazes & Minotaurs was designed as a pastiche and homage to the first fantasy RPGs, it certainly has a
strong 'old school' feel; as such, its rules deliberately include many elements which were inspired by various old
school games, including Basic D&D, Tunnels & Trolls or Dragon Warriors - but it is not a retro-clone, since it has its
own, original game mechanics. The best term to describe the retro elements of M&M would probably be neo-
retro or faux retro (retraux?). As to the OSR, well, the first version of M&M was designed back in 2005, at a time
when OSR was not recognized as an ‘official’, coherent (and named) concept but was already part of what we might
call the gaming zeitgeist. In a typical instance of creative synchronicity, M&M came into existence roughly at the
same time that the OSR took flight – so yes, I think we can see the game as part of the OSR movement.

3) Is Mazes & Minotaurs just a hoax / parody game or is it really playable?

Mazes & Minotaurs is a completely, genuinely, utterly playable RPG. Its simple, straightforward rules were designed
to convey the "yahoo spirit" of early adventure RPGs, but with less emphasis on tactical simulation or so-called
realism - the game does not require the use of maps or miniatures, for instance.

4) Are there really two different versions of the game, the "1972 Original rules" and the "1987
Revised rules"?
The Original "1972" rules can be seen as the “white box” or alternate dimension equivalent of the original Dungeons
& Dragons rules, while the "1987" Revised rules, with their three core books (Players Manual, Maze Masters
Guide and Creature Compendium) are an obvious counterpart to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. It
should be noted, however, that the Revised M&M rules are much, much simpler than those of AD&D in any of its
incarnations. The “Anniversary Edition” available on DrivethruRPG and RPGNow corresponds to the Revised
version – but for all you diehard old schoolers, the 1972 version and its supplements can still be found here (but
the Revised version is really, really better – with LOTS of adventures, supplements etc.).

5) Are there any adventures available for Mazes & Minotaurs?

Yes! Several Mazes & Minotaurs scenarios have been published in the Minotaur webzine... And then there is Tomb
of the Bull King, a truly titanic 200+ page mega-module. And all this is completely FREE, like all the Mazes &
Minotaurs stuff. All this stuff can be found on the original Mazes & Minotaurs website but will be re-issued (in one
form or another) on DrivethruRPG and RPGNow as part of the Anniversary Edition.

Scenarios will be released as adventure compilations – starting with INTO THE WOODS, which contains three
starting adventures first published in the Minotaur webzine. The next compilations will be TALES OF THE MIDDLE
SEA, AGAINST ATLANTIS and (yes) MORE TALES OF THE MIDDLE SEA…

6) Is the game REALLY free?

Yes. Everything is 100% FREE - no hidden fees, no subscription, no catch. SHIELD WALL!

Olivier Legrand (2017)