MAZE MUNCHER
Run around eating the dots as fast as you can. Eat all the dots to clear the level. But don't get greedy! The ghosts are trying to attack you at every turn. Counterattack with power embers that let you fight back and take out the ghosts for a limited time. Use these sparingly because you only get four in each level. This is a classic arcade maze game reintroduced on the site that can be played anytime anywhere.
How to play
To clear a level you need to eat every dot. There is no time and no penalty. You only have 3 lives for the entire game. There are four power embers on each board. These will give you a time in which the ghosts turn brown for a few seconds and flash when the time is running out. When the ghosts are in this state you can eat them and they return back to their base to be released again. The scoring is as follows: Dot – 10 points, power ember – 50 points, fruit – 100 points, eating ghosts – start at 200 and multiply X2 for each ghost eaten with that ember. There are 5 level layouts and they repeat three times — easy, then medium, then hard — with the ghosts getting faster in between. That is 15 levels in total. If you make it past level 15 the layouts keep repeating and it becomes how many points can you rack up.
Behind the game
A redesign of the canvas was needed in order to fit the screen on mobile. I included the D-Pad for making fast turns. This is a version of the game that can be found on real physical large arcade machines from back in the day. I wanted to reproduce a similar experience and nostalgia. The few levels became 5 and difficulty was added for those that want to keep playing and go for a high score.
Hints
The strategy that I have always used is to clear most of a corner out but leave the power ember for later. There are times where I need to panic and run for a power ember in order to survive. This is what they are there for. I utilize this strategy instead of just eating everything I see, I try to plan it out. This is easier said than done in the heat of the action. I try to not get greedy when going for points and prioritize survival.
