Rules of the Game and Strategy for Pacman

There is one online game that is known and loved worldwide, and that is Pacman. Pacman was created in the 1980s, and it continues to be a perennial favorite among gamers. When you are looking for free online games or flash games, you will do well to choose Pacman.

To play Pacman, the idea is to use the arrow keys on your computer keyboard to move Pacman through the maze and eat all the white dots. The game becomes complicated because Pacman must avoid the four ghosts, named Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde, who can kill him. Pacman can, however, eat a power pill, which allows him to eat the ghosts, and he can earn extra points by eating fruit which appears in the maze on occasion. Eating the power pills does have an interesting affect on the ghosts. They change color to deep blue and change direction, moving slowly. The game ends when all the lives have been lost. It is possible to play all 256 levels for maximum points yet not lose a life, but it is not quick nor is it easy to do.

As long as Pacman still has a life left, you will be given a board to play. There are several scenes that happen in between board changes that are quite funny. For one, Blinky chases Pacman off the board only to have Blinky return, being chased by a huge Pacman. Another features Blinky chasing Pacman across the screen, only to have his outfit hem get caught and rip, which shows off his pink self. The final scene is with Blinky, who has his outfit sewn back together, chasing Pacman across the board. Blinky comes back running in the opposite direction, with his outfit completely loosed and dragging behind him.

Gamers who are proficient at playing Pacman have discovered a few strategies that help them earn high points. One suggestion is to practice getting Pacman smoothly around the corners. You will want to start cornering before Pacman actually gets to the corner. It is subtle, but does result in quicker cornering.

Because the ghosts are Pacman's opponents in this game, you will want some strategies for dealing with them. Blinky the ghost is very fast, especially with directional changes. His domain is the top right of the gameboard maze. It can help if you retreat quickly from Blinky and not in a straight line. Pinky runs quickly in the top left quadrant of the maze after Pacman, while Clyde is slower, and can be eluded by taking evasive action in the bottom left side of the maze. Inky is even slower than Clyde, but can shift personality in an instant in the bottom right portion of the game maze. The middle of the maze is the safest for Pacman, because of the larger number of escape routes, while the bottom row and the corners are the most dangerous.

Trying out these tips will improve your Pacman play and enjoyment of this classic game.