Components: Maze, Pac-Man, dots to consume, 4 chasing ghosts
Skills required / taught: Quick decision making
Object: Player controls packman through the maze, eating the dots to complete the level while avoiding the lethal ghosts.


About the Game
This classic was immensely popular upon release in 1980 and has become an icon of the 1980’s pop culture. It’s success was attributed to that fact that it was the first arcade game to appeal to both genders, not being only a shooting or sport game. Everyone was drawn to the bright colors and quick movement of the spunky little character introduced by the  game. The Pac-Man character became a social phenomenon and sold numerous spin off products.


How it Works
The player controls Pac-Man through a maze, eating the pac-dots as it moves along. When all pac-dots are eaten, Pac-Man moves to the next level until it completes all the levels. Four ghosts pop up along the way giving chase to Pac-Man. They have the ability to cause Pac-Man to lose his life ending the game after all lives have been lost.

The maze idea proved to be popular and a great draw for guys and girls alike. That template should hold true for any game that doesn’t have only shooting or a sport related environment.
The bright colors and cute animation was also a draw. Thinking along these lines should help brainstorm new game ideas that would have a proven record of popularity.


Thought Bubble
Wide audience – Maze graphics appeal to guys and to girls. Other maze ideas might be good for a chase game, perhaps a thick jungle, a city block under construction, or a complicated office building.

Named characters – Pac-Man and his ghostly foes were the first named characters in a video game rather than a nameless shape on the screen, naming the characters may help endear a player to your games.