About Pac-Man
Pac-Man is arguably the most iconic video game ever created. Released by Namco in 1980 and designed by Toru Iwatani, it transcended gaming to become a cultural symbol. The concept is timeless: guide the yellow, pie-shaped Pac-Man through a maze eating dots while avoiding four colored ghosts — Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (cyan), and Clyde (orange). Clear every dot from the maze without being caught, and you advance to the next level. Every subsequent board uses the same maze with increasingly aggressive ghosts.
What most people don't know is that Pac-Man is a game of patterns and psychology, not random chaos. Each of the four ghosts has a distinct AI behavior: Blinky directly chases Pac-Man, Pinky tries to get four squares ahead of Pac-Man's current direction, Inky targets a position calculated using both Pac-Man and Blinky's positions, and Clyde alternates between chasing and retreating to his corner. Understanding these behaviors transforms Pac-Man from a panic game into a calculated one.
How to Play Pac-Man
Eat every dot in the maze to complete the level. The four large flashing dots in the corners are Power Pellets — eat one and the ghosts temporarily turn blue, becoming vulnerable. Chase and eat them during this window for massive bonus points (the bonus doubles with each ghost you eat: 200, 400, 800, 1600). Fruits appear periodically below the ghost house in the center — these are bonus score items that vary by level.
Controls
- Move: Arrow Keys (Up, Down, Left, Right)
- Queue a turn: Press the direction key slightly before the turn — Pac-Man will execute it at the exact moment the path is available
Tips & Tricks for Pac-Man
- Pre-turn your inputs: Don't wait until you're at a corner to press the turn key. Press it just before — Pac-Man queues the input and turns the instant he can.
- Use the tunnels: The side tunnels (horizontal warp zones) slow the ghosts but not Pac-Man. Use them to lose a pursuing ghost.
- Clear edges first: Eat the dots along the maze's outer ring first, then work inward. This keeps escape routes open.
- Save power pellets for clusters: Don't eat pellets randomly. Wait until multiple ghosts are in close proximity, eat the pellet, and chain-eat all four for maximum points.
Controls
Arrow Keys: Move
