Amidar (1981). Play online

Summary

Amidar turned the classic maze chase into a grid‑capture puzzle. You wander a fixed rectilinear lattice, changing the color of every line you cross until each rectangular box is filled in. When a box is completed it flashes, awarding points, and the next level starts once every rectangle is colored.

The game swaps between two avatars: an ape that collects coconuts on odd levels, and a paint‑roller that brushes over squares on even levels. Each avatar is pursued by a set of enemies—headhunters for the ape and pigs for the roller—who become faster and more numerous as you progress.

Enemy paths aren’t random; they follow the deterministic “Amidar movement” derived from the Japanese lot‑drawing game Amidakuji. A unique white “Tracer” circles the perimeter before turning into a relentless copy of your exact route, making timing essential.

The bonus stage is essentially a playable Amidakuji ladder, and the game’s very name comes from that tradition.

Amidar inspired dozens of clones—from Time Runner to Kid Grid—and even arcade siblings like Pepper II. Stern distributed a harder ROM set while Konami offered a lighter version, giving high‑score hunters two distinct challenges.