Play Pac-Man Google Doodle: 30th Anniversary Game Still Free to Play

Want to play the Pac-Man Google Doodle? On 21 May 2010 Google celebrated Pac-Man’s 30th anniversary by turning its homepage logo into a fully playable Pac-Man game, the first playable Google Doodle ever. We covered it live that day. Sixteen years later, the 30th anniversary Pac-Man Doodle is still one of Google’s most loved, and you can still play it free. Here is how.

Quick answer: Search for pacman on Google and click Play on the game that appears at the top of the results, or open the Pac-Man 30th anniversary Doodle in the Google Doodles archive. Use the arrow keys to move. Add a second coin to play two-player with Ms. Pac-Man using the W, A, S and D keys.

How to play the Pac-Man Google Doodle today

1. Go to Google and search for pacman or Google Pac-Man.
2. Click Click to play on the game card. It works on desktop and mobile; on phones you swipe to steer.
3. Or browse to the Pac-Man 30th anniversary Doodle in the Google Doodles archive and press play there.

What made the 2010 Doodle special

• The first playable Doodle. Before May 2010, Doodles were static images.
• The maze spelled GOOGLE. Pac-Man ate dots along the letters of the logo, with the original ghosts Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde.
• Insert Coin. The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button became “Insert Coin”. Pressing it once started the game; pressing it again added Ms. Pac-Man for two players.
• Original sounds and 256 levels, recreated with HTML and JavaScript instead of Flash, by Google’s Doodle team including Marcin Wichary.

Why Google kept it

The Doodle was planned for 48 hours, but it was so popular that Google gave it a permanent home. Productivity firm RescueTime estimated that people spent millions of hours playing it on the first day, which made headlines as one of the most costly Doodles ever. It has since become part of Google’s playable search features, alongside games like Snake and Solitaire.

Controls

Tips for a higher score

• Eat the power pellets in the corners when ghosts are close, then chase them for bonus points.
• Each ghost has its own habit: Blinky chases directly, while Pinky tries to get ahead of you.
• Collect the fruit that appears near the centre for extra points.
• Use the side tunnels to escape; ghosts slow down inside them.

More Google games and Easter eggs

Liked this? In 2015 Google also let you play Pac-Man in Google Maps on real city streets for April Fools’ Day. Try the Google Gravity trick and the Google snow Easter egg too. The official Pac-Man games are still published by Bandai Namco.

A short history of Pac-Man

Pac-Man was created by Toru Iwatani at Namco and released in Japan in May 1980. Its friendly, non-violent maze design attracted players who had never touched an arcade game, and it became one of the best-selling arcade machines of all time. The character went on to appear in dozens of sequels, cartoons and merchandise, and Ms. Pac-Man, added as player two in the Google Doodle, became a hit of her own in 1982. Google’s Doodle team recreated the arcade look and sound so faithfully that many people discovered the original game through the Pac-Man Google Doodle.

FAQ

Can I still play Google Pac-Man?

Yes. Search “pacman” on Google or open the Doodle from the Google Doodles archive. It is free and needs no download.

When was the Pac-Man Google Doodle?

It went live on 21 May 2010 for the Pac-Man 30th anniversary, and stayed available because of its popularity.

Was Pac-Man the first interactive Google Doodle?

It is widely recognised as the first playable Google Doodle.