# What is the minimum count of steps required to complete this maze correctly?

Here's a map:

How to play

Legend:

B = Boost

X = Objective

(•) = Start point

Mission: Collect all the objectives and turn back at the base with the minimum count of steps.

How the game works:

• The pawn can only move in perpendicular directions, not in oblique ones.

• When the pawn is on a boost, it triggers all the gray boxes in crossable space (equivalent of white boxes) for 10 steps (1 step means 1 box changed).

• While the pawn is in a gray box and his boosted tenth step is triggered, the pawn is immune and is able to move.

Good luck!

• May you clarify what happens when you get a boost while already having a boost? Mar 28 '20 at 15:05
• While a boost is active and you trigger another boost, you have to consider the last boost triggered (10 steps after that) Mar 28 '20 at 19:48

I tried another path : i got

118 steps

Here's my path (sorry for the very bad paint editing. There's a yellow mark every 10 moves)

I tried to make the two 'back and forth' sections as clear as possible, but the left one is still hard to see. From the bottom, I head to the boost, then I grab the X and i go back to the boost.

This was done without a program so there might be a faster path.

• Very nice, seems like I was too hesitant to skip the upper right boost. Mar 28 '20 at 19:41
• I see this answer works really nice, the steps value is really low (I didn't expect that, it's amazing), anyway, for now I'll wait a few days to get eventual better answers. Mar 28 '20 at 20:11
• we just have to wait for someone to bruteforce the puzzle i guess :p. The fact that the bottom right corner must me taken from above may make it possible to find the perfect path, even without a program. Mar 28 '20 at 23:10
• Since this is still the valid answer with the lower number of steps, I've set this one as the best answer, nice job :) Apr 5 '20 at 13:36

The best I could do is

124 steps

The path I took was

Red is the main path, and blue indicates a short trip to grab an X and get back onto the path.

I do not know for sure whether the solution is optimal.

• I assumed that the same Boost can be used multiple times and that if your boost runs out while stepping onto a grey field, you do not get trapped but may leave the field. Mar 28 '20 at 15:01
• Since it was the first answer sent, I upvoted you, it was a nice try. My best when I created the map was your number of steps plus 2, so it has been a good attempt Mar 28 '20 at 19:48

I got

138 steps, as counted by @Daniel Mathias

This was my try. I haven't counted the steps yet but I will do it later.

• I counted 138 steps Mar 29 '20 at 1:57