About

Pac-Man is one of the most recognized video games ever made. You navigate a yellow chomping character through a maze, eating all the dots while being chased by four ghosts — Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Eating a large Power Pellet temporarily turns the ghosts blue and vulnerable, allowing you to eat them for bonus points. Clear all dots to advance to the next level.

Beneath its simple premise lies a game of genuine depth. Each ghost has a distinct AI personality and movement pattern — Blinky chases directly, Pinky targets ahead of you, Inky uses a complex formula, Clyde alternates chasing and retreating. Understanding these patterns is the key to surviving deep into the game.

Pac-Man is timeless as a coffee break game: sessions start and end quickly, the challenge escalates smoothly, and the game's iconic design is universally understood.

How to Play

• Use arrow keys to navigate Pac-Man through the maze.
• Eat all dots and energizers to complete each level.
• Avoid the four ghosts — contact costs a life.
• Eat an energizer (large dot) to temporarily turn ghosts blue and vulnerable.
• Eat vulnerable ghosts for escalating point bonuses (200, 400, 800, 1600).

Tips

• Learn the ghost AI: Blinky always chases you; Pinky targets 4 tiles ahead of your direction.
• Energizers are most valuable when multiple ghosts are nearby — eat them strategically.
• The safe corner trick: Blinky's scatter mode sends him to the top-right — use it as a refuge.

History

Pac-Man was designed by Toru Iwatani at Namco and released in Japanese arcades in May 1980. It became a global phenomenon — Pac-Man merchandise, a Saturday morning cartoon, and a Billboard top-40 song all followed within two years. The game is credited with expanding the video game audience beyond teenage boys to include women and casual players. It remains one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time and a defining symbol of 1980s popular culture.