diff --git a/src/algos/maze.cpp b/src/algos/maze.cpp
index 71969bf..d885f42 100644
--- a/src/algos/maze.cpp
+++ b/src/algos/maze.cpp
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ namespace maze {
     if(path_too) {
       for(matrix::each_cell it{wall_copy}; it.next();) {
         if(wall_copy[it.y][it.x] == SPACE_VALUE) {
-          wall_copy[it.y][it.x] = $paths.$paths[it.y][it.x];
+          wall_copy[it.y][it.x] = $pathing.$paths[it.y][it.x];
         }
       }
     }
@@ -309,57 +309,47 @@ namespace maze {
 
   void Builder::place_doors() {
     for(auto room : $rooms) {
-      // walk the outer wall looking for an emergent door
-      int possible_doors = 0;
-      Point last_door{0,0};
+      int best_longest = 0;
+      Point best_door{0,0};
+      bool door_found = false;
 
+      // do an initial pathing check and if it's good then done
+      int longest = compute_paths(room.x, room.y);
+      if(longest < WALL_PATH_LIMIT && longest > int($width * 2)) continue;
+
+      // can't path out of the room, so now punch a hole until it can
       matrix::perimeter it{room.x - 1, room.y - 1, room.width + 2, room.height + 2};
-
       while(it.next()) {
-        if(space_available(it.x, it.y)) {
-          // IN_BOUNDS CHECK, or maybe a can_place or is_available?
-          last_door = {it.x, it.y};
-          possible_doors++;
+        // don't use corners
+        if((it.x == room.x - 1 && it.y == room.y - 1) ||
+            (it.x == room.x - 1 && it.y == room.y + 2) ||
+            (it.x == room.width + 2 && it.y == room.y + 2) ||
+            (it.x == room.width + 2 && it.y == room.y - 1)) {
+          continue;
         }
-      }
 
-      // if only found one then make that an actual door
-      if(possible_doors == 1) {
-        $doors.insert_or_assign(last_door, true);
-        continue;
-      }
+        if($walls[it.y][it.x] == WALL_VALUE) {
+          $walls[it.y][it.x] = SPACE_VALUE;
+          longest = compute_paths(room.x, room.y);
 
-      // no natural door found, need to make one
-      it = {room.x - 1, room.y - 1, room.width + 2, room.height + 2};
-      last_door = {0,0};
-      bool found_door = false;
-
-      while(it.next()) {
-        for(matrix::compass near_door{$walls, it.x, it.y}; near_door.next();) {
-          // skip the wall parts
-          if(!space_available(near_door.x, near_door.y)) continue;
-
-          if($ends_map.contains({near_door.x, near_door.y})) {
-            if(room.contains({near_door.x, near_door.y})) {
-              // last ditch effort is use the internal dead end
-              // IN_BOUNDS_HERE
-              last_door = {it.x, it.y};
-            } else {
-              $walls[it.y][it.x] = SPACE_VALUE;
-              $doors.insert_or_assign({it.x, it.y}, true);
-              found_door = true;
-              break;
-            }
+          // keep track of the best door so far, which is the one with the longest path
+          if(longest != WALL_PATH_LIMIT && longest > best_longest) {
+            best_longest = longest;
+            best_door = {it.x, it.y};
           }
+          $walls[it.y][it.x] = WALL_VALUE;
         }
+
+        dbc::check(best_longest < WALL_PATH_LIMIT, "bad best_longest!");
+        if(best_longest > int($width * 2)) break;
       }
 
-      if(!found_door && last_door.x != 0) {
-        // didn't find an external door so punch one at the dead end
-        $walls[last_door.y][last_door.x] = SPACE_VALUE;
-        $doors.insert_or_assign({last_door.x, last_door.y}, true);
-      }
+      // should now have a door with the longest path
+      $walls[best_door.y][best_door.x] = SPACE_VALUE;
+      $doors.insert_or_assign(best_door, true);
     }
+
+    fmt::println("map valid after doors? {}", validate());
   }
 
   void Builder::inner_box(size_t outer_size, size_t inner_size) {
@@ -390,6 +380,15 @@ namespace maze {
     }
   }
 
+  int Builder::compute_paths(size_t x, size_t y) {
+    Point test{x, y};
+    $pathing.set_target(test);
+    int longest = $pathing.compute_paths($walls);
+    // $pathing.dump("AFTER COMPUTE");
+    $pathing.clear_target(test);
+    return longest;
+  }
+
   bool Builder::validate() {
     size_t width = matrix::width($walls);
     size_t height = matrix::height($walls);
@@ -410,15 +409,11 @@ namespace maze {
     // initial path test can just use one room then look for
     // any cells that are empty in the walls map but unpathed in the paths
     Room test_room = $rooms.at(rand(0, $rooms.size() - 1));
-    Point test{test_room.x, test_room.y};
-    $paths.set_target(test);
-    $paths.compute_paths($walls);
-    // $paths.dump("AFTER COMPUTE");
-    $paths.clear_target(test);
+    compute_paths(test_room.x, test_room.y);
 
     for(matrix::each_cell it{$walls}; it.next();) {
       if($walls[it.y][it.x] == SPACE_VALUE &&
-          $paths.$paths[it.y][it.x] == WALL_PATH_LIMIT) {
+          $pathing.$paths[it.y][it.x] == WALL_PATH_LIMIT) {
         return false;
       }
     }
@@ -430,8 +425,6 @@ namespace maze {
     bool in_bounds = matrix::inbounds($walls, x, y);
     bool is_space = $walls[y][x] == SPACE_VALUE;
     bool not_perimeter = x > 0 && y > 0 && x < $width - 2 && y < $height - 2;
-    dbc::check(x != $width, "bad x");
-    dbc::check(y != $height, "bad y");
     return in_bounds && is_space && not_perimeter;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/algos/maze.hpp b/src/algos/maze.hpp
index 247a564..c3fbbaf 100644
--- a/src/algos/maze.hpp
+++ b/src/algos/maze.hpp
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ namespace maze {
     Room $no_rooms_region{0,0,0,0};
     // BUG: instead of bool map it to the room?
     std::unordered_map<Point, bool> $doors;
-    Pathing $paths;
+    Pathing $pathing;
 
     Builder(Map& map) :
       $width(map.$width), $height(map.$height), $walls(map.$walls),
-      $rooms(map.$rooms), $dead_ends(map.$dead_ends), $paths{$width, $height}
+      $rooms(map.$rooms), $dead_ends(map.$dead_ends), $pathing{$width, $height}
     {
       dbc::check($width % 2 == 1, "map width not an ODD number (perimter dead ends bug)");
       dbc::check($height % 2 == 1, "map height not an ODD number (perimter dead ends bug)");
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ namespace maze {
     bool repair();
     void punch_dead_end(size_t at_x, size_t at_y, size_t x, size_t y);
     bool space_available(size_t x, size_t y);
+    int compute_paths(size_t x, size_t y);
   };
 
   std::pair<Builder, bool> script(Map& map, nlohmann::json& config);
diff --git a/src/algos/pathing.cpp b/src/algos/pathing.cpp
index 57d3f69..6429e1f 100644
--- a/src/algos/pathing.cpp
+++ b/src/algos/pathing.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ inline void add_neighbors(PointList &neighbors, Matrix &closed, size_t y, size_t
   }
 }
 
-void Pathing::compute_paths(Matrix &walls) {
+int Pathing::compute_paths(Matrix &walls) {
   INVARIANT();
   dbc::check(walls[0].size() == $width,
       $F("Pathing::compute_paths called with walls.width={} but paths $width={}", walls[0].size(), $width));
@@ -22,44 +22,46 @@ void Pathing::compute_paths(Matrix &walls) {
   dbc::check(walls.size() == $height,
       $F("Pathing::compute_paths called with walls.height={} but paths $height={}", walls[0].size(), $height));
 
-  // Initialize the new array with every pixel at limit distance
+  // Initialize the new array with every cell at limit distance
   matrix::assign($paths, WALL_PATH_LIMIT);
 
   Matrix closed = walls;
-  PointList starting_pixels;
-  PointList open_pixels;
+  PointList starting_cells;
+  PointList open_cells;
 
-  // First pass: Add starting pixels and put them in closed
+  // First pass: Add starting cells and put them in closed
   for(size_t counter = 0; counter < $height * $width; counter++) {
     size_t x = counter % $width;
     size_t y = counter / $width;
     if($input[y][x] == 0) {
       $paths[y][x] = 0;
       closed[y][x] = 1;
-      starting_pixels.emplace_back(x,y);
+      starting_cells.emplace_back(x,y);
     }
   }
 
   // Second pass: Add border to open
-  for(auto sp : starting_pixels) {
-    add_neighbors(open_pixels, closed, sp.y, sp.x);
+  for(auto sp : starting_cells) {
+    add_neighbors(open_cells, closed, sp.y, sp.x);
   }
 
   // Third pass: Iterate filling in the open list
   int counter = 1; // leave this here so it's available below
-  for(; counter < WALL_PATH_LIMIT && !open_pixels.empty(); ++counter) {
+  for(; counter < WALL_PATH_LIMIT && !open_cells.empty(); ++counter) {
     PointList next_open;
-    for(auto sp : open_pixels) {
+    for(auto sp : open_cells) {
       $paths[sp.y][sp.x] = counter;
       add_neighbors(next_open, closed, sp.y, sp.x);
     }
-    open_pixels = next_open;
+    open_cells = next_open;
   }
 
-  // Last pass: flood last pixels
-  for(auto sp : open_pixels) {
+  // Last pass: flood last cells
+  for(auto sp : open_cells) {
     $paths[sp.y][sp.x] = counter;
   }
+
+  return counter;
 }
 
 void Pathing::set_target(const Point &at, int value) {
diff --git a/src/algos/pathing.hpp b/src/algos/pathing.hpp
index d069b28..e5eebf2 100644
--- a/src/algos/pathing.hpp
+++ b/src/algos/pathing.hpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public:
     $input(height, matrix::Row(width, 1))
   {}
 
-  void compute_paths(Matrix &walls);
+  int compute_paths(Matrix &walls);
   void set_target(const Point &at, int value=0);
   void clear_target(const Point &at);
   Matrix &paths() { return $paths; }
diff --git a/src/constants.hpp b/src/constants.hpp
index b52b65c..a69d841 100644
--- a/src/constants.hpp
+++ b/src/constants.hpp
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ constexpr int COMBAT_UI_Y = RAY_VIEW_HEIGHT;
 constexpr int COMBAT_UI_WIDTH = RAY_VIEW_WIDTH ;
 constexpr int COMBAT_UI_HEIGHT = SCREEN_HEIGHT - RAY_VIEW_HEIGHT;
 
-constexpr int INITIAL_MAP_W = 25;
-constexpr int INITIAL_MAP_H = 25;
+constexpr int INITIAL_MAP_W = 21;
+constexpr int INITIAL_MAP_H = 21;
 
 constexpr float DEFAULT_ROTATE=0.25f;
 
diff --git a/tests/map.cpp b/tests/map.cpp
index b6b1cac..f8e0009 100644
--- a/tests/map.cpp
+++ b/tests/map.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ TEST_CASE("camera control", "[map]") {
 TEST_CASE("map placement test", "[map-fail]") {
   GameDB::init();
 
-  for(int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
+  for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
     auto& level = GameDB::create_level();
 
     for(size_t rnum = 0; rnum < level.map->room_count(); rnum++) {
diff --git a/tests/mazes.cpp b/tests/mazes.cpp
index d66a71b..8e855a1 100644
--- a/tests/mazes.cpp
+++ b/tests/mazes.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include "algos/maze.hpp"
 #include "algos/stats.hpp"
 
-#define DUMP 0
+#define DUMP 1
 
 using std::string;
 using matrix::Matrix;
diff --git a/tests/pathing.cpp b/tests/pathing.cpp
index 1052676..53d29e0 100644
--- a/tests/pathing.cpp
+++ b/tests/pathing.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include "algos/rand.hpp"
 #include "game/systems.hpp"
+#include "constants.hpp"
 
 using namespace fmt;
 using namespace nlohmann;
@@ -63,7 +64,9 @@ TEST_CASE("dijkstra algo test", "[pathing-old]") {
     pathing.$input = test["input"];
 
     REQUIRE(pathing.INVARIANT());
-    pathing.compute_paths(walls);
+    int longest = pathing.compute_paths(walls);
+    REQUIRE(longest > 0);
+    REQUIRE(longest < WALL_PATH_LIMIT);
 
     REQUIRE(pathing.INVARIANT());