Pac-Man

Skycally's Pac-Man recreates the iconic 1980 Namco arcade classic in your browser. Guide Pac-Man through the maze, eating all the dots while avoiding the four ghosts — Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Eat one of the four power pellets in the corners to temporarily turn the ghosts blue, making them vulnerable and worth bonus points when eaten.

Pac-Man was created by Toru Iwatani at Namco and released in Japan in 1980, becoming the best-selling arcade game in history with over 400,000 cabinets worldwide. It was the first video game with a distinct main character and the first to target a female audience, revolutionizing the industry beyond its space shooter contemporaries.

Each ghost has a distinct AI behavior: Blinky (red) always chases Pac-Man directly. Pinky (pink) targets four tiles ahead of Pac-Man. Inky (cyan) uses a complex calculation involving both Blinky's position and Pac-Man's direction. Clyde (orange) chases Pac-Man when far away but retreats to his corner when close. Understanding these patterns is key to mastering the game.

Eating all dots clears the level and advances to the next with faster ghosts and shorter power pellet durations. The classic strategy of 'patterns' — repeating the same route — works on authentic AI but our implementation uses randomized elements to keep each game fresh. Fruit bonus items appear periodically in the center for extra points.