Robo Maze is inspired by Berzerk, a landmark 1980 arcade shooter designed by Alan McNeil and released by Stern Electronics. McNeil designed the game after a dream in which he was trapped in a maze fighting robots — a concept that became one of the most innovative arcade titles of its era. Berzerk was among the first arcade games to feature synthesized speech, with robots taunting players with lines like "Intruder Alert!" and the villain Evil Otto — an unstoppable, bouncing smiley face — calling out "Coins detected in pocket!" Evil Otto was deliberately made indestructible to prevent players from camping in one room indefinitely. The game achieved a grim historical footnote in 1981 when it became associated with the first known video game-related deaths, prompting nationwide press coverage. Classic Arcade's Robo Maze recreates the frantic room-to-room escape with procedurally arranged mazes, diverse robot types, and the relentless pursuit of Evil Brotto — your equivalent of Evil Otto.
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow Keys or WASD | Move your character through the maze |
| Z / X / C | Shoot left, right, or in the direction faced |
| Spacebar | Fire in current direction |
| P | Pause / resume |
| On-screen buttons | Move and shoot (mobile) |
Robots award points based on their type — standard robots score 50 points each, while faster and more aggressive variants score progressively more. Clearing an entire room of robots before exiting awards a room-clear bonus. Robots can shoot each other and can shoot the electrified maze walls, which also damages them. Evil Brotto cannot be harmed — he will appear after a set time in each room and accelerate toward you without stopping. Lives are awarded at score milestones.
Never stay still. Robots' bullets travel in straight lines and they aim at your position when they fire — keep moving laterally to dodge incoming shots. Exit each room as soon as it is safe; the room-clear bonus is worth less than the life you risk by staying for the last robot.
Q: Who is Evil Brotto and can I kill him?
Evil Brotto is the game's indestructible antagonist, modelled after the original Evil Otto from Berzerk. He cannot be harmed by any weapon — your only option is to reach the room exit before he catches you. He appears faster in later rooms and after higher kill counts.
Q: Can robots shoot each other?
Yes — robots fire at you but can accidentally hit each other or the electrified walls. Luring robots into cross-fire is a valid and satisfying strategy that also scores you the kill points.
Q: What is the boss on Room 10?
Room 10 features a special boss encounter with increased enemy density and a more aggressive Evil Brotto. Clearing it awards a significant score bonus before the room cycle restarts at higher difficulty.
Fan-made tribute · Not affiliated with or endorsed by any original game publisher