Wayout

Wayout
Title screen of the game
Game No.	556
Voting	4.00 points, 1 votes
Developer	Paul Allan Edelstein
Company	Sirius Software
Release	1983
Platform	Apple II, Atari 400/800, C64
Genre	Maze
Gamemode	Single player
Operation
Media
Language
Information	Released in 1982 for Apple II and Atari 8-bit systems.

Description

In the game Wayout (also referred to as Way Out in some publications), the player must find their way out of one of 26 possible mazes into which they are placed at the start of the game. To assist with navigation, the player has a compass and a map that continuously records the paths already traversed. However, an opponent known as the "Cleptangle" (a portmanteau evoking the word "rectangle" — formed from the Greek kléptein for "to steal" and the Latin angelus for "angle") roams the maze's corridors, attempting to steal these navigational aids. If the Cleptangle succeeds, the player must retrieve the items before continuing the search for the exit.

Design

During gameplay, a three-dimensional view of the maze — rendered at 16 × 12 characters (128 x 96 pixels) — is displayed in the center of the screen from the perspective of the player moving through the corridors. The display features smooth animation and responds quickly to player actions. Navigation aids and game status information are arranged around this view: a title bar at the top displaying the maze's name and the number of rooms traversed, and a map of the corridors already explored at the bottom. Technical details regarding the graphics rendering can be found in the "Technology" section.

The title screen alternates with scenes from the game

In the "INTRO" maze, the direct path to the exit is very arduous due to strong headwinds...

... but the goal can be reached easily by taking a roundabout route

Sound

The audio consists of simple, monophonic melodies that repeat after a short time, along with basic sound effects accompanying the gameplay.

The Cleptangle approaches...

... and strikes

Hints

The goal of the game *Wayout* is to navigate each of the 26 different mazes from the starting point to the exit — marked by a flashing wall — via the shortest possible route. To evaluate a solution path, each maze is divided into equal-sized square sections; their dimensions can be estimated using the vertical lines on the partition walls. As you move through a maze, the program counts the sections traversed; the shorter the distance to the exit measured in this way, the better the player's performance.

The Cleptangle steals the compass and the map plotter, one after the other...

... but they can be retrieved after a wild chase

Screen Layout

Typical scene from the game

Controls

Selecting the input device

Wayout can be controlled using the keyboard, a joystick in Port 2, or a paddle connected to Port 2. You select the input device on the start screen by pressing one of the following keys: K  for keyboard, P  for paddle, or J  for joystick.

The widest range of control options is available when using the keyboard:

• D : Start moving forward; pressing this key again stops the movement
• G : Single 90° turn to the left (counter-clockwise)
• H : Single 90° turn to the right (clockwise)
• J : Continuous turn to the left
• L : Continuous turn to the right
• K : Stop continuous turning

Unless the Cleptangle has stolen the compass, the following mappings also apply:

• E : Face north
• C : Face south
• S : Face west
• F : Face east
• Similarly, W , R , X , and V  set the view to northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast

Controlling via joystick is much simpler:

• : Start continuous forward movement
• : Stop forward movement
• : Single 90° turn to the left (counter-clockwise)
• : Single 90° turn to the right (clockwise)
• : Continuous turn to the left while the joystick is held in that direction
• : Continuous turn to the right while the joystick is held in that direction

Finally, if a paddle is used as the input device and turned to its leftmost limit, the viewing direction rotates continuously to the left (counter-clockwise); similarly, turning it to the rightmost limit causes the viewing direction to rotate continuously to the right (clockwise). Paddle positions in the middle range, however, are interpreted as specifying a fixed compass direction; for instance, the compass needle points North when the paddle is in the center position. As long as the paddle's fire button is held down, the player moves through the maze in the chosen direction; releasing the fire button stops the movement.

Entry in the "low score" list

Regardless of the input device chosen, the following keys and key combinations are also useful for navigation:

• C= 1  through C= 9  save up to 9 different positions within the maze.
• 1  through 9  trigger a return to one of the up to 9 previously saved positions via the shortest route; movement can be stopped at any time by pressing D  or the fire button, allowing the game to resume from the current position.

Pressing the F1  key allows you to switch input devices even while a game is in progress.

Pressing F7  exits the current maze; this offers the option to save the current game state to disk. Additionally, the game can be paused at any time using the RUN/STOP  key. In this instance, too, the program offers the option to save the current game state to disk (using Y ) or to continue playing without saving (using N  or RUN/STOP ).

You can return to a previously saved game state by simply pressing RETURN  at the start screen, rather than selecting a maze using the letter keys.

Tips

• All the exits you are looking for are located inside the maze, so there is no need to waste time checking the outer walls.
• Using the keyboard as an input device offers a wide range of control options; consequently, it may well be the best choice, even if a joystick is available.
• If the Cleptangle has stolen both the compass and the map plotter and you set out to chase it, it is advisable to save your current position first. This allows you to resume your journey through the maze from the exact point where you left off, once you have recovered these items.

Solution

Since the maze structures are fixed, success in each level depends on finding the shortest path from the starting point to the exit and following it as directly as possible — avoiding major detours caused by the Cleptangle or headwinds. A good sense of direction helps, as does using either the map that gradually builds up in the bottom third of the screen or the illustrations of the various mazes provided below.

Maps

The following illustrations show the layout of all 26 mazes in the game. In each case, the starting point is marked with a green dot and the exit with a red dot. In labyrinths A (INTRO), D (SPIRAL), G (SANCTUM), and T (DIAMONDS), the exit is difficult to reach — or requires a detour — due to strong headwinds, whereas in Level V (ROCKET), the player suddenly experiences a tailwind pushing them toward their goal while at the bottom edge of the labyrinth. Storm-force winds prevail throughout Level L ("GALE") and in several separate areas of the labyrinth in Level Y (ENTROPY). Finally, strong winds also hinder progress in the bottom-left section of Level E (PARK), though in this instance, the area is far away from the exit.

Level A: "INTRO"

Level B: "NOVA"

Level C: "GARDEN"

Level D: "SPIRAL"

Level E: "PARK"

Level F: "DOWNTOWN"

Level G: "SANCTUM"

Level H: "WHEELS"

Level I: "JOURNEY"

Level J: "TOWERS"

Level K: "LANTERN"

Level L: "GALE"

Level M: "MUTATION"

Level N: "WEAVE"

Level O: "LOOPS"

Level P: "OFFICES"

Level Q: "BRICKS"

Level R: "GRID"

Level S: "SNAKES"

Level T: "DIAMONDS"

Level U: "LATTICE"

Level V: "ROCKET"

Level W: "WORMS"

Level X: "TRACKS"

Level Y: "ENTROPY"

Level Z: "FLOWERS"

Cheats

On CSDb, there is a crack by Remember that includes an optional trainer function:

Trainer by Remember

This version of the game is recommended for several reasons: after the cracktro, it can display the full game manual upon request; unlike some other cracks, it supports saving and later returning to up to 9 positions; and it can not only save high scores but also reload them the next time the program is launched.

Internal Data Structures

Knowledge of memory layout and internal operations is helpful for developing custom trainer functions and for analyzing or manipulating the data used by the game. In particular, the maps of all labyrinths shown in the "Solution" section were created automatically by periodically manipulating the current position to visit every point in the labyrinth one by one, then viewing the surroundings by incrementally changing the direction of view. The following table therefore compiles a range of information about "Wayout". The first two columns list both the memory address of the variable in question and the offset — within the file created when saving the game to disk — at which that variable is located.

Address in Memory	Offset in File	Content	Value Range	Remarks
$8202	$0904 (2306)	Viewing direction	$00..$FF	$00=East, $40=South, $80=West, $C0=North)
$8203-$8204	$0905-$0906 (2307-2308)	Current position (North/South)	$0000 — $0F80 (0...3968)	The position of vertically stacked rooms in the labyrinth (each represented by two adjacent pixels on the map) differs by $0040 (64).
$8205-$8206	$0907-$0908 (2309-2310)	Current position (East/West)	$0000 — $1F40 (0...8000)	The position of adjacent rooms in the labyrinth (each symbolized by two adjacent pixels on the map) differs by $0040 (64)
$8214-$821C	$0916-$091E (2326-2334)	Saved position 1...9 (East/West)	0..255	The position of adjacent rooms in the labyrinth (each symbolized by two adjacent pixels on the map) differs by 1
$821D-$8225	$091F-$0927 (2335-2343)	Saved position 1...9 (North/South)	0..255	The position of vertically stacked rooms in the labyrinth (each represented by two adjacent pixels on the map) differs by 1
$8226-$822A	$0928-$092C (2344-2348)	Last 5 digits of the score	00000...99999	Unpacked BCD (0=$00...9=$09), most significant digit first Two additional, more significant digits are found in the screen memory but are ignored when the entry is added to the highscore list.

Votes

Voting of the C64-Wiki users (10=the best vote):
4.00 points at 1 vote. You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
Lemon 64	5,92	May 30, 2026 - 12 votes
Kultboy	2.88	May 30, 2026 - 8 Stimmen
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games	3/4	Vol. 1 No. 8 (June 1983)
Personal Computer News	4/5 (Lasting appeal 3/5, Playability 4/5, Use of machine 5/5)	No. 42 (Dec 22-Jan 4, 1984)
Micro 7	4/5 (Présentation 4/5, Originalité 1/5, Graphisme 4/4, Durée de vie 4/5, Qualité/prix 4/5)	Decembre 83
Rombach	8	September 1984 - "Verdict 2"

Critics

Stephan64: "Wayout is a labyrinth game featuring 3D graphics with surprisingly smooth animation — especially considering its early release date. Another well-executed and helpful feature is the ability to save previously visited rooms and automatically return to them later via the shortest path. However, scouring countless winding corridors for the flashing exit door soon becomes tedious, especially when headwinds and the thieving Cleptacle repeatedly complicate the search... 4 points from me."

Rombachs C64-Spieleführer: "The best of the pure labyrinth games. See also under Labyrinth and Maze."

Miscellaneous

Cover

The game's cover art can be found, for example, on the game's Wikipedia page. It depicts a clown wearing glasses shaped like the word "WAYOUT", facing the labyrinth's gloomy corridors with an expression that is a mix of confusion and astonishment.

Video Recording

Longplay of the first two labyrinths

Accesories

The game came with a pair of cardboard glasses shaped like the word "Wayout" (with eye holes) and a mock compass, also made of cardboard. Both items are useless for gameplay — or, in the case of the glasses, actually a hindrance.

Technical Details

Graphics

The screen output is rendered entirely in multicolor text mode (screen memory at address $0400). Raster interrupts are used to switch between a total of six different character sets at raster lines 33, 57, 81, 101, 116, 124, 132, 177, and 185: The first text line uses the uppercase/graphics character set from ROM (mapped to address $1000 in the VIC's address space) to display the labyrinth's name and the game status. The next three text lines (2–4) display the compass using a character set at address $3000, while the following 12 lines (5–16) show the view of the labyrinth. This is followed by a single text line (17) displaying the copyright notice — rendered using the uppercase/lowercase character set from ROM at address $1800 — and finally, text lines 18–25 display the map of paths already traversed, which builds up gradually using a character set at address $0800.

The screen display makes no use of sprites whatsoever, even though they would have been a logical choice — for instance, to mark the current position on the map being built at the bottom of the screen.

Highscore

A high score makes no sense in this game: for one thing, each level is scored individually, meaning that instead of a single top score, a total of 26 separate minimum values ​​would have to be recorded; for another, the maps shown in the "Solution" section allow for optimal route planning from start to finish, enabling any player — at least in the mazes without headwinds — to effortlessly achieve the same best performance.

Links

Wikipedia: Wayout

• C64Games.de - Game No. 2116
• Lemon64 - Game No. 3352
• Gamebase64.com - Game No. 8530
• CSDb - Release No. 40485
• CSDb - Release No. 148108
• C64.com - Game No. 1414
• ready64 - Game No. 5114
• Test Report No. 2721 on Kultboy.com
• Wayout at MobyGames

• Universal Videogame List

Magazines

• Electronic Fun with Computers & Games test report (p. 66)
• Personal Computer News test report (p. 72)
• Micro 7 test report (p. 136)