Maze Chase: Collect the Dots, Escape the Chasers
Steer the red ball through the maze, collect every dot and clear the level without being caught by the four chasers.
Maze chase is an action and strategy game in which you collect every dot in a maze while characters hunt you down. Collect the last dot and the level ends, and the next, slightly faster level begins.
The best-known game of this kind is Pac-Man, released by Namco in 1980. The game here uses the same basic idea with its own maze, characters and look, and is free to play.
The large red energy dots in the four corners turn the tables: collect one and the chasers turn blue and slow down for a few seconds. Touch them then and they are caught instead of you, for bonus points.
How do you play maze chase?
- Press “Start”; the red ball sets off from the bottom middle of the maze.
- Steer with the arrow keys, W A S D, a swipe or the arrow pad; the ball turns at the next corner you ask for.
- Collect the grey dots; the level is complete when every dot is gone.
- Do not touch the chasers or you lose a life. You have three.
- After an energy dot, touch the blue chasers to catch them.
How do the chasers behave?
Each of the four chasers behaves differently: one follows you directly, one tries to cut you off ahead, one closes in from a distance but backs off to its corner when near, and the last wanders unpredictably.
At intervals the chasers stop hunting and scatter to their corners — the best moment to clear dots in the tricky parts of the maze. They leave the centre room one by one, a few seconds apart.
How do you score points?
Each small dot is worth 10 points and each energy dot 50; chasers caught after an energy dot are worth 200, 400, 800 and 1,600 in turn.
Catching all four within one energy dot gives the biggest bonus. A caught chaser returns to the centre room and rejoins a few seconds later.
Which tactics work best?
The most effective tactic is to hold off on the energy dots until the chasers are close behind you, then eat one.
Long corridors let you see where chasers are coming from; tight, twisting areas are where you get trapped. Clear the maze area by area and avoid leaving the last dots scattered in far corners. Blue chasers start to flash just before they return to normal — chasing a flashing one is risky.
Maze chase: common questions
Is maze chase free?
Yes. It is free, with no account or download, and runs in the browser.
How many lives do I have?
Three. You lose one each time a chaser catches you; the game ends when they run out.
How do I play on a phone?
Swipe on the maze in the direction you want to go, or use the four arrow buttons below.
Is this Pac-Man?
No. It is an independent game of the same kind with its own maze and characters; the Pac-Man name and characters belong to their owner.