Project Overview

The Pac-Man Clone is a recreation of the iconic arcade maze chase game, built using modern web technologies. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man, navigating through a maze to eat all the dots while avoiding ghosts. Special “power pellets” allow Pac-Man to temporarily eat ghosts for bonus points.

This project is excellent for final-year students because it involves pathfinding algorithms (for ghost AI), collision detection, game loop mechanics, and UI/UX design, making it both fun and technically rich.

Key Features

1. Maze Design

   • Classic Pac-Man style maze layout.

   • Dots, power pellets, tunnels, and walls.

2. Player Controls (Pac-Man)

   • Moves up, down, left, right using arrow keys.

   • Smooth animations for character movement.

3. Ghost AI (Enemies)

   • Four ghosts with unique chasing patterns (like original game).

   • Pathfinding algorithms (BFS/A* or random movement for simpler version).

   • Ghosts become vulnerable when Pac-Man eats a power pellet.

4. Scoring System

   • Eating small dots increases score.

   • Power pellets allow Pac-Man to eat ghosts for extra points.

   • Bonus fruits appear randomly for higher scores.

5. Lives & Levels

   • Player starts with 3 lives.

   • When ghosts catch Pac-Man, one life is lost.

   • Advancing levels increases ghost speed and difficulty.

6. Game Over & High Scores

   • Game ends when all lives are lost.

   • High scores stored in a leaderboard (backend integration).

7. Optional Multiplayer Mode

   • Player 1 controls Pac-Man, Player 2 controls a ghost.

   • Adds a competitive twist to the game.

Technology Stack

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript (for game rendering, animations, and logic).

• Backend (optional for saving scores/leaderboards): Node.js (with Socket.io for multiplayer), PHP, or Java.

• Database (optional): MySQL / MongoDB (to store high scores, player stats).

How It Works

1. Game Initialization

   • Maze grid is generated with dots, walls, and power pellets.

   • Pac-Man spawns at a fixed location; ghosts spawn in the “ghost house.”

2. Gameplay Loop

   • Pac-Man moves based on player input.

   • Ghosts move according to their programmed AI patterns.

   • Collision detection checks Pac-Man’s position against ghosts, walls, and dots.

3. Power-Up Mode

   • Eating a power pellet changes ghost behavior (turn blue & vulnerable).

   • Pac-Man can eat ghosts during this time for bonus points.

4. Level Progression

   • Once all dots are eaten, a new maze or faster ghost speed is introduced.

   • Difficulty gradually increases.

5. Game End

   • Player loses all lives → game over screen.

   • Final score is shown, and if higher than existing scores, added to leaderboard.

Enhancements (Optional)

• Responsive Mobile Version: Touch controls for Pac-Man.

• Custom Maze Editor: Players can design their own mazes.

• Advanced Ghost AI: Implement different personalities like original game (Chaser, Ambusher, Random, Patrol).

• Multiplayer Online Mode: Compete with friends in real time.

• Themed Versions: Space Pac-Man, Emoji Pac-Man, etc.