Shadow Labyrinth is a 2D action-platformer that reimagines the iconic Pac-Man with a bold, genre-defying twist.
You play as Swordsman No. 8, awakened by Puck, a sentient floating yellow orb, on a mysterious planet littered with the remnants of ancient wars. You choose to serve as Puck’s instrument of will, navigating this perilous world to fulfill your destiny.
During Shadow Labyrinth’s initial announcement, Sci-fi series Secret Level debuted on December 10, 2024 on Amazon Prime. Episode 6, Pac-Man: Circle shares the same premise — a mysterious being calls upon a warrior to aid in its escape Caught in an endless maze and hunted by vengeful ghosts.
ONE Esports got the chance to speak with Seigo Aizawa, Producer of Shadow Labyrinth in a media roundtable to find out about Shadow Labyrinth’s connection with Secret Level episode 6 and its process of development.
Shadow Labyrinth is here to break new ground
The reason why the game development team wanted to deviate from the predictable Pac-Man in the first place is because they desire to reach a new audience, specifically one that hasn’t played Pac-Man before, Aizawa-san shared.
They first came up with a contrasting idea of “Dark Pac-Man” four years ago in 2021 which coincided with a proposal from Amazon. They pitched the idea of the dark Pac-Man to Amazon, which was well-received.
That said, playing Shadow Labyrinth doesn’t require you to watch or have knowledge of Secret Level episode 6, which is a prequel to the game, said Aizawa-san. You’ll notice that Swordsman No. 7 appears in the show while No. 8 is the protagonist of the game as Puck engages yet another human to help him on his quest.
The team decided on three pillars of Pac-Man gameplay they wanted to adopt to Shadow Labyrinth: eat and consume, escape, and the concept of the maze. What they debated the most on is whether to include “Pac-Man” in the title and logo. Since their main purpose is to reach a new audience, they decided not to in the end.
In terms of gameplay, as Swordsman No. 8, you’ll be able to transform into Puck to access areas that the human form cannot and even consume enemies. Consuming bosses grant you their skills, which in turn helps players explore the map.
In total, you can expect to spend about 30 hours to complete Shadow Labyrinth, said Aizawa-san. For completionists, it’ll take about 40 hours.
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