PAC-MAN

PAC-MAN

PAC-MAN is the player-controlled character. His objective is to consume every Pac-Dot while avoiding ghosts, collecting bonus items, and building the highest possible score.

Blinky

Blinky is the red ghost and the most direct pursuer. He typically targets PAC-MAN’s current position and becomes increasingly aggressive as fewer pellets remain.

Pinky

Pinky is the pink ghost. Instead of simply following PAC-MAN’s current tile, Pinky attempts to move toward a position ahead of his direction of travel.

Inky

Inky is the cyan ghost and has the most complicated targeting behavior. His target is calculated using PAC-MAN’s position and Blinky’s location, making his movement appear less predictable.

Clyde

Clyde is the orange ghost. He alternates between approaching PAC-MAN and retreating toward his corner based on distance, producing an unusual stop-and-start pursuit pattern.

The ghosts also cycle between general chase and scatter phases. During scatter periods, they move toward separate maze corners rather than continuously targeting PAC-MAN.

Pellets, Fruit and Scoring

Pac-Dots

The small pellets lining the maze are worth 10 points each. The original board contains 240 regular Pac-Dots.

Power Pellets

Each of the four Power Pellets is worth 50 points. Consuming one reverses the ghosts’ direction and temporarily places them in a vulnerable state.

Ghost Combo

Eating vulnerable ghosts during one Power Pellet sequence awards escalating points:

• First ghost: 200 points
• Second ghost: 400 points
• Third ghost: 800 points
• Fourth ghost: 1,600 points

Eating all four produces 3,000 points from the ghosts themselves during that sequence.

Bonus Fruit

A bonus item appears beneath the ghost house twice during each level in the original arcade game. Its appearance and value change as you progress:

• Cherry: 100 points
• Strawberry: 300 points
• Orange: 500 points
• Apple: 700 points
• Melon: 1,000 points
• Galaxian flagship: 2,000 points
• Bell: 3,000 points
• Key: 5,000 points

Collecting fruit is optional, so do not risk a life if several ghosts are blocking the path.

PAC-MAN uses the same core maze throughout the original arcade game, but its difficulty changes between levels. Ghost speeds, PAC-MAN’s movement, frightened-mode duration, and other timing values adjust as you progress.

Early levels provide longer Power Pellet effects, giving beginners more time to eat vulnerable ghosts. On later stages, the blue period becomes shorter and eventually provides little opportunity for a safe counterattack.

The original arcade program contains 255 normally playable levels. Level 256 triggers the famous split-screen or kill-screen bug, corrupting the right side of the maze with symbols and making the board impossible to complete normally.

The browser recreation may handle level progression differently, so the original level 256 behavior should not be guaranteed unless it has been tested in the FreePacMan.org version.

PAC-MAN was created during an arcade era dominated by space shooters. Toru Iwatani wanted to design a colorful game with broader appeal, using eating as its central theme.

Namco introduced the game in Japan in 1980, while Midway distributed it in North America. Its simple rules, memorable characters, maze strategy, and distinctive sound design helped it become a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

The original coin-operated title later inspired sequels, console adaptations, animated shows, merchandise, music, and many browser versions. Bandai Namco describes PAC-MAN as one of the most influential and longest-running video game franchises. Bandai Namco’s 45th-anniversary history

Google also created a separate playable PAC-MAN Doodle for the game’s 30th anniversary in May 2010. That version uses a Google-shaped maze and should not be confused with the classic browser recreation available on this page.