Roblox Pathfinding Puzzles: Code Characters That Solve Mazes

How does a game character find its way around walls and obstacles? The answer is pathfinding, one of the most important algorithms in game AI. In this four-week course learners explore pathfinding by building mazes and coding characters that solve them.

In week one learners solve mazes by hand and discuss strategies, such as following one wall or trying every path. They learn the idea of a grid and how computers can represent a map as squares or points. Week two introduces search algorithms in a visual, unplugged way, exploring how breadth-first search spreads out step by step to find the shortest route. In week three learners use Roblox PathfindingService to make a character walk around obstacles to a target, and they display the path with glowing markers. The final week is a maze challenge where learners design tricky mazes with moving doors and test whether their characters can still find a route.

The teacher explains algorithms with simple animations and connects them to real uses like map apps and delivery robots. Learners keep notes on how changes to the maze affect the path.

By the end learners will understand how pathfinding works and will have coded characters that navigate mazes. Basic Lua knowledge is recommended.

How classes work

Each class combines an unplugged algorithm activity with coding in Roblox Studio. Learners test paths in their own mazes.

What we'll cover

• Week 1: Mazes and Grids – Solve mazes and represent maps as grids.

• Week 2: Search Algorithms – Explore breadth-first search unplugged.

• Week 3: PathfindingService – Move a character around obstacles and show its path.

• Week 4: Maze Challenge – Design tricky mazes with moving doors.

Basic Lua knowledge such as variables, functions and events.