# Reverse control maze

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [May 12, 2015, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843 "2015-05-12T07:38:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843/1 "2015-05-12T07:38:37Z")

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Thread your way through a simple maze by moving an onscreen icon with your mouse.

Sounds simple? It is - except for one thing. Your mouse controls are reversed in direction.

[http://www.brainbashersgames.com/games/reverse.asp](http://www.brainbashersgames.com/games/reverse.asp)

eta: People playing at work should be advised the game makes a loud noise whenever you hit a wall or complete a maze.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843/2 "2015-05-12T12:15:14Z")

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Hold the mouse upside down

😃

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843/3 "2015-05-12T12:23:57Z")

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> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> Hold the mouse upside down
> 
> 😃

Actually you can just hit Ctl-Alt-Down Arrow.

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**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843/4 "2015-05-12T21:18:56Z")

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Damnable thing. Not as horrible for me as playing a FPS shooter game with normal controls because that is more time sensitive. My muscle memory says pushing forward on a joystick should make the crosshairs in a sight drop. I can sort of force my way through the maze. An FPS where I have to react quickly…

“AHHHHH Nazi cyborg zombie up on the ledge with a rocket launcher!!!”  
_Looks at my feet_  
_Looks straight up_  
_Gets confused and starts spinning around while alternating between staring at my feet and staring at the sky_  
_Dies as nausea is starting to set in_

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**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843/5 "2015-05-12T22:35:44Z")

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Man, I just can’t move straight. I think that my brain is automatically trying to correct for the unwanted side-to-side movement when I trying to move down, which of course means going even further to the side.

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843/6 "2015-05-12T23:52:01Z")

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> [@Rysto](#):
>
> Man, I just can’t move straight. I think that my brain is automatically trying to correct for the unwanted side-to-side movement when I trying to move down, which of course means going even further to the side.

That’s the problem I kept running into. With a reasonable amount of concentration, I could keep the icon moving in the primary direction I wanted by moving the mouse in the opposite direction. But if there was any lateral movement, I’d subconsciously try to correct it and I wouldn’t be thinking about doing that in the opposite direction.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-control-maze/719843/7 "2015-05-13T00:28:19Z")

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I imagine I’m flicking little bits of mass out the back of the square which forces it to move in the opposite direction. That allows me to control it grossly but I still struggle with fine and instinctive corrections.