Maze Runner Arcade

• Genre: Arcade
• Objective: Maze Runner Arcade is a browser-faithful recreation of the 1980 arcade masterpiece that defined the maze-chase genre.
• Play Style: Fast-paced reflexes, pick-up-and-play
• Difficulty: Easy

Maze Runner Arcade is a browser-faithful recreation of the 1980 arcade masterpiece that defined the maze-chase genre. You navigate the yellow, chomping Maze Runner through a winding maze, eating pellets and power pellets while being pursued by four ghost characters — Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde — each with distinct AI behavior patterns.

The objective is simple but the execution is nuanced: eat all pellets in the maze to advance to the next level without being caught by a ghost.

What gives Maze Runner its enduring appeal is the ghost AI. Blinky (red) chases Maze Runner directly. Pinky (pink) aims four tiles ahead of Maze Runner's position.

• Power-ups and upgrades
• Multiple levels and stages
• Bonus rounds and special events
• Classic retro-inspired design
• Instant browser play — no download needed
• Free to play on desktop and mobile

Maze Runner Arcade follows the iconic rules players have memorized since 1980:

1. Navigate the Maze — Use directional controls to move Maze Runner through the maze corridors. Maze Runner continues in the input direction until hitting a wall.
2. Eat All Pellets — The maze is filled with small white dots (pellets). Move through them to eat them. Eating all pellets clears the level — you advance to the next level immediately.
3. Avoid the Ghosts — Four ghosts roam the maze. Contact with a ghost costs one life and resets positions. Lose all lives and the game ends.
4. Use Power Pellets — Four large flashing pellets sit in the maze corners. Eating one causes all four ghosts to turn blue and become edible for a limited time. Chase and eat blue ghosts for bonus points (200, 400, 800, 1600 per ghost in sequence).
5. Eat Fruit — Bonus fruit appears in the center of the maze periodically. Eating it scores bonus points without any additional risk.
6. Progress Through Levels — Each level cleared increases ghost speed and reduces the duration of the power pellet blue state. By level 9+, power pellets may not affect ghosts at all.

• Scoring: - Small pellet: 10 points - Large power pellet: 50 points - Ghost while blue: 200/400/800/1600 - Fruit: varies by level (100–5000)

• Left Arrow (←) / A — move left
• Right Arrow (→) / D — move right
• Up Arrow (↑) / W — move up
• Down Arrow (↓) / S — move down
• P / Enter — pause/unpause
• Spacebar — in some versions, starts the game or confirms menu selection

• Swipe left — turn left
• Swipe right — turn right
• Swipe up — turn up
• Swipe down — turn down
• Virtual D-pad buttons are common in mobile versions

Pro Tip: Tunnel Wrapping: - The left and right edges of the maze connect through a tunnel.

• Blinky (red): always moves directly toward Maze Runner. He becomes faster as the level progresses.
• Pinky (pink): targets four squares ahead of Maze Runner's current direction. Cut off from the front.
• Inky (cyan): unpredictable but generally corners Maze Runner in combination with Blinky.
• Clyde (orange): chases directly but retreats to his corner when within 8 squares of Maze Runner. Safe to use as a corner anchor.

• Blinky (red): always moves directly toward Maze Runner. He becomes faster as the level progresses.
• Pinky (pink): targets four squares ahead of Maze Runner's current direction. Cut off from the front.
• Inky (cyan): unpredictable but generally corners Maze Runner in combination with Blinky.
• Clyde (orange): chases directly but retreats to his corner when within 8 squares of Maze Runner. Safe to use as a corner anchor.

High-Score Tip: Survival: - In the ghost house area (center of the maze), ghosts spawn slower.