Pacman Games

Pacman games are a maze full of dots with ghosts chasing you. Your job is to eat every dot without getting caught. Namco released the original in 1980 and people are still copying it. There are about 35 versions here.

How it plays

You steer Pacman through the corridors, eating everything you find. When no dots are left, you move on to the next level. Ghosts cost you a life if they touch you, but there are big pellets in the corners: eat one and the ghosts turn blue for a few seconds, so you can eat them. Each ghost you catch in a row is worth more than the last.

In the original, the four ghosts (Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde) don't chase you the same way. Each has its own way of closing in, which is why you can't escape the same way every time. The tunnels on the sides link one edge of the maze to the other and help you shake them off.

A bit of background: the game was designed by Toru Iwatani at Namco, and its original Japanese name was Puck-Man. In the original, small dots are worth 10 and big pellets 50, and ghosts eaten in a row score 200, 400, 800 and 1,600. That's why it pays to save the big pellet until all four are close.

Versions to pick from

With the classic look you have Pacman, Pacman 3D or Pacman Maze. With a different hero there's Mario Pacman, Zelda Pacman, Sonic Pacman, Baby Luigi Pacman, Bomberman Pacman, Tom Cat Man or Monkey Pacman; in most of them only the artwork changes and the mechanics stay the same. Some, like Pacxon, tinker more with the formula, so don't expect the classic maze.

How to last longer

The ghosts don't move at random, they follow patterns. Spend your first few games watching how they behave and you'll start to anticipate them. Save the big pellet for when they're close and, above all, don't duck into a dead-end corridor with a ghost behind you.

One habit that works: clear one area of the maze completely before moving to the next, so you don't have to backtrack when only a few dots are left and the ghosts are waiting.