A new app shows every London tube station ‘labyrinth’ artwork

Forget Subway Surfer, Candy Crush or Wordle, because the London Underground comes equipped with its very own game. 

If you didn’t already know about this, every tube station in London has its own ‘labyrinth’. These artworks have been entertaining commuters since 2013 when they were created by artist Mark Wallinger to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. 

Now, there’s an app that allows travellers to ‘collect’ every single labyrinth and they travel through the tube network. Each of the 272 artworks has its own distinct pattern and number. The labyrinths are numbered according to the route taken by contestants in the 2009 Guinness World Records Tube Challenge, and features a distinctive design: black on white vitreous enamel with a red cross. Mind the Maze, a free iPhone and Android app, allows users to tick off each one as they discover it. 

Created by Ryan Dobson, the app lets users upload photos of the labyrinths as they go along, so they can track their progress. Some of the labyrinths are quite well-hidden – if you can’t find the artwork at a certain station, you can ask the app for a clue. All your ticked-off stations then appear on a map with a green pin. 

Dobson told Londonist: ‘What I’ve found fascinating is that there’s a small but enthusiastic community of people using the labyrinths as a reason to explore parts of London they’d never otherwise visit. Hunting them has taken us to stations, neighbourhoods and corners of the network we would have completely overlooked.’

You can check out Mind the Maze for yourself here.

Did you see that this major London tube line is getting more trains on weekends. 

Plus: One of London’s major airports is getting a new Wetherspoons pub this summer.