Pac-Man 30th Anniversary is a browser version of Pac-Man created as an interactive Google Doodle. The player controls Pac-Man inside a maze shaped around the Google logo and must eat every small pellet while avoiding four ghosts. There is no story campaign or character progression. The objective is the same as in the original arcade game: clear the maze, score as many points as possible, and survive without losing all available lives.

Clearing the Maze Before the Ghosts Catch You

Pac-Man moves continuously through the maze while the player changes direction using the arrow keys. Eating every pellet completes the current maze. The four ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde, move through the same corridors and try to catch Pac-Man. Contact with a normal ghost costs one life. The side tunnels can also be used to move quickly from one edge of the maze to the other.

The main gameplay includes:

•         moving Pac-Man through the maze;
•         eating all small pellets;
•         avoiding Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde;
•         using side tunnels to change position quickly;
•         collecting power pellets;
•         eating vulnerable ghosts for bonus points;
•         collecting fruit and other bonus items;
•         continuing to later rounds after clearing the maze.

Power Pellets Reverse the Chase

Four larger power pellets are placed around the maze. Eating one temporarily turns the ghosts blue and makes them vulnerable. During this period, Pac-Man can chase and eat them for additional points. A ghost that is eaten returns to the central ghost house before rejoining the chase. The effect only lasts for a limited time, and the ghosts flash before returning to their normal dangerous state.

A Google-Shaped Version of the Original Game

Pac-Man 30th Anniversary does not introduce conventional new levels with different locations or stories. Its main maze is designed around the Google logo while preserving the rules, sounds, and visual style associated with classic Pac-Man. Clearing the pellets allows play to continue, with later rounds becoming more difficult as the ghosts become harder to avoid.

The game is mainly about route planning and knowing when to use power pellets. Moving into a dead end can make it easy for several ghosts to surround Pac-Man, while saving a power pellet can create an escape opportunity. There are no weapons, upgrades, inventories, or missions. Progress comes from clearing mazes, keeping lives, and increasing the score for as long as possible.