Pac-Man

Pac-Man is a maze arcade game developed and published by Namco, first released in 1980.

In Pac-Man, you control the yellow, circular protagonist through a maze filled with dots. Your primary objective is to clear the maze of all dots by eating them. As you move, four ghosts—Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde—pursue you. Each ghost has a distinct movement pattern, requiring you to learn their behaviors to avoid being caught. You must carefully plan your routes through the maze, using its corridors and dead ends to your advantage. Clearing a maze of all dots progresses you to the next, more challenging level.

A distinctive feature of Pac-Man is the inclusion of Power Pellets, located in the four corners of the maze. When Pac-Man eats a Power Pellet, the ghosts momentarily turn blue and become vulnerable. During this time, the ghosts flee from Pac-Man, and if Pac-Man eats one of them, they are temporarily removed from play, respawning back at their central pen. Eating multiple ghosts during a single Power Pellet effect yields increasing bonus points. Additionally, fruit items periodically appear in the center of the maze, offering bonus points when eaten. Successfully navigating these elements is key to achieving a high score.

The gameplay loop involves constant movement and decision-making; you are always looking for the safest path to eat dots while keeping an eye on the ghosts' positions and the availability of Power Pellets.