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Xor is a maze game that is played over fifteen levels with the option of beginning on any - though I suggest you cut your teeth on the first. Each maze has a name which often has a connection with its contents or construction. The aim is to collect all the masks held within the maze. The number of masks varies from maze to maze, but the total present and the total collected are always displayed on the screen.

Also shown is the number of steps you have taken while exploring the maze - you are allowed up to 1,999. This system is used instead of a time limit.

The maze walls are constructed of brick and cannot be walked through, and some of the passageways are filled with two other types of material, known as Dots and Waves. Dots can only be passed through when travelling in the horizontal plane and Waves in the vertical: In this way parts of the maze can be cordoned off until approached from the correct direction.

The maze also contains four special characters - as each of these is found a quarter of the maze map is drawn to the right of the screen. This shows the position of all masks, but not the dots, waves or yourself.

The first maze should pose few problems - the fun really begins on level two. The dots and waves are still there, but they have been joined by fish and chickens. The fish act in a similar way to the boulders in Repton, falling when unsupported. The chickens are a different kettle of fish - they "fall" horizontally from right to left.

A blow on the head from either of these characters is fatal, so a path through a pile of both types must be planned carefully. Maze number four, entitled Explosive Mixture, sees the appearance of bombs and nitro glycerine. The starting point for this level is inside a completely sealed cell - you soon learn that dropping fish or chickens onto bombs causes them to explode, blowing a hole in the nearest wall.

A few words of warning at this point: Don't stand too close to a bomb when detonating it, and always try to clear away any masks that may be near the bomb. You have to collect every mask to proceed to the next maze, which is pretty difficult when you've atomised half of them.

The Dolls House, maze six, introduces the dolls - harmless characters which continue to move in the direction in which you push them.

Unfortunately they don't detonate bombs, but I found them to be most useful when I wanted to manoeuvre a fish directly above a bomb before dropping it. This is done by lining them up to create a makeshift bridge across which the fish is pushed.

Some of the maze's nastier characters are the frowning masks, which render the maze walls invisible when collected, though all other characters are still displayed. The situation remains this way until you collect another frowning mask.

Very soon you begin to think twice about moving any character at all. The game's designers have quite ruthless and some of the most harmless looking moves have dire consequences. There have been dozens of occasions when I have just sat there, staring at the screen, trying to convince myself that there has to be a logical explanation for every puzzle.

Thoughtfully, Logotron has provided an abort key, especially for those occasions when you muck it up. One very clever feature of the game is the Replay mode which comes into operation when you've lost your second - and final - life, and retraces at high speed every move that you made on the current maze. It can be used to determine at which point you made a wrong move.

What at first appeared to be a very ordinary game is an absolute gem. The number and complexity of the puzzles is overwhelming. Every Electron owner who wants more than zap and blast should buy this game.

Beejay