The origin story of the beloved 3D Pipes and Maze screensavers from classic Windows versions has been revealed by Microsoft developer Raymond Chen. According to his recent blog post, these screensavers arose from an ingenious solution: showcasing the implementation of new 3D graphics technology (OpenGL) in Windows NT 3.5 in a low-risk way.

Chen details a team contest within Microsoft where developers created screensavers to demonstrate the 3D capabilities. This ensured the functionality wouldn’t negatively impact core system stability. The success of the contest, coupled with a fortuitous email from marketing, led to all the entries (including 3D Pipes and Maze) being included in the final release.

This insightful blog post sheds light on the creative origins of these iconic screensavers, a nostalgic reminder for many Windows users.

3D Maze: best, playable, hearts still racing

While the contest produced the classic 3D Pipes, 3D Maze, 3D Flying Objects, and 3D Text, in your humble opinion, 3D Maze reigns supreme. Its resemblance to games like Wolfenstein 3D is undeniable, and it provided a fantastic way to zone out during those elementary school procrastination sessions (we’ve all been there!). 3D Pipes might be visually impressive, but 3D Maze truly stimulated the mind, especially for tech enthusiasts like yourself.

There’s even a playable version of 3D Maze out there! It’s a mod for a VR multiplayer shooter called Contractors VR, proving 3D Maze holds a special place in some hearts. (Just saying, you can’t exactly play the other screensavers)