The Tilt-A-Maze® story

Inspired by fun, built for generations

Tilt-A-Maze® was inspired by a love of unplugged play, and an understanding of outdoor attractions and their operators’ needs. The idea was sparked from the tilting labyrinth marble games that we all played as children. They were small wooden toys that used strings and small wooden knobs to angle the surface and play the game. 

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Richard and Jo MacArthur took on the challenge to adapt this vintage game to a larger format that could be played by one, or a few people at once. Also important, the games needed to self-reset for the next gamers, without requiring any staff or maintenance, and without the ball going missing.  

 

The MacArthurs innovated their great design, with 2 ‘floors' and a ramp,  and enclosed it under a clear plastic top. This makes sure that the ball is trapped inside, and the game is always ready to be played. Jo and Richard MacArthur, who have owned and operated MacArt Studios together since 2002, wanted to create a challenging Tilt-A-Maze® game that would captivate older kids, and adults, and engage them into authentic social play.

 

Smart Innovations and Careful Crafting

Richard and Jo had strict requirements in their design process.  The game had to be very durable and stand up to all kinds of active play- so that it was strong enough for the commercial play environment. Also- it was designed to stand up to all types of weather situations, so that it could be installed outdoors. This meant that the materials had to be specialized to stay rigid, and true in all conditions, for generations of interactive play.  

 

In order to provide variety of play, Tilt-a-Maze games have been designed around dozens of themes, and each model is available in 3 different difficulty levels. 

 

How is it made?

Hand-crafted with the highest quality materials available, each Tilt-a-Maze®  is made by hand, in our studio, by our in-house manufacturing team. Located in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, Tilt-A-Maze® models ship around the world. Custom models can be designed around a client’s needs, brand or mascot characters. 

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Every piece and part is laser cut on a CNC routing table, out of eco-friendly and super durable composite materials that never warp, crack or splinter. The outdoor quality printing is also laminated against U.V. damage and abrasion wear and tear. 

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Included with the game is a guide to build the base, which can be customized with its side panels to suit the attraction’s aesthetic and help it blend in with other games in the space. As such, the lumber and base are not shipped with the table- those are purchase locally by the operator, and built according to our very helpful plans.