{"id":13155,"date":"2010-05-22T10:38:37","date_gmt":"2010-05-22T05:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=13155"},"modified":"2026-10-07T12:54:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T07:24:28","slug":"play-pacman-google-doodle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/","title":{"rendered":"Play Pac-Man Google Doodle: 30th Anniversary Game Still Free to Play"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Want to <strong>play the Pac-Man Google Doodle<\/strong>? On 21 May 2010 Google celebrated Pac-Man&#8217;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&#8217;s most loved, and you can still play it free. Here is how.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13157\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-pacman.png\" alt=\"play the Pac-Man Google Doodle on Google\" width=\"476\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-pacman.png 476w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-pacman-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 476px) 100vw, 476px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Search for <strong>pacman<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeec276701e4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeec276701e4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#How_to_play_the_Pac-Man_Google_Doodle_today\" >How to play the Pac-Man Google Doodle today<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#What_made_the_2010_Doodle_special\" >What made the 2010 Doodle special<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#Why_Google_kept_it\" >Why Google kept it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#Controls\" >Controls<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#Tips_for_a_higher_score\" >Tips for a higher score<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#More_Google_games_and_Easter_eggs\" >More Google games and Easter eggs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#A_short_history_of_Pac-Man\" >A short history of Pac-Man<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#Can_I_still_play_Google_Pac-Man\" >Can I still play Google Pac-Man?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#When_was_the_Pac-Man_Google_Doodle\" >When was the Pac-Man Google Doodle?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/05\/play-pacman-google-doodle\/#Was_Pac-Man_the_first_interactive_Google_Doodle\" >Was Pac-Man the first interactive Google Doodle?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_play_the_Pac-Man_Google_Doodle_today\"><\/span>How to play the Pac-Man Google Doodle today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google<\/a> and search for <strong>pacman<\/strong> or <strong>Google Pac-Man<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Click to play<\/strong> on the game card. It works on desktop and mobile; on phones you swipe to steer.<\/li>\n<li>Or browse to the Pac-Man 30th anniversary Doodle in the <a href=\"https:\/\/doodles.google\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Doodles archive<\/a> and press play there.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_made_the_2010_Doodle_special\"><\/span>What made the 2010 Doodle special<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The first playable Doodle.<\/strong> Before May 2010, Doodles were static images.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The maze spelled GOOGLE.<\/strong> Pac-Man ate dots along the letters of the logo, with the original ghosts Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Insert Coin.<\/strong> The &#8220;I&#8217;m Feeling Lucky&#8221; button became &#8220;Insert Coin&#8221;. Pressing it once started the game; pressing it again added Ms. Pac-Man for two players.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Original sounds and 256 levels<\/strong>, recreated with HTML and JavaScript instead of Flash, by Google&#8217;s Doodle team including Marcin Wichary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Google_kept_it\"><\/span>Why Google kept it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>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&#8217;s playable search features, alongside games like Snake and Solitaire.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Controls\"><\/span>Controls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Player<\/th>\n<th>Keys<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Pac-Man (player 1)<\/td>\n<td>Arrow keys<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ms. Pac-Man (player 2)<\/td>\n<td>W, A, S, D<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Phone or tablet<\/td>\n<td>Swipe in the direction you want to move<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_a_higher_score\"><\/span>Tips for a higher score<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Eat the power pellets in the corners when ghosts are close, then chase them for bonus points.<\/li>\n<li>Each ghost has its own habit: Blinky chases directly, while Pinky tries to get ahead of you.<\/li>\n<li>Collect the fruit that appears near the centre for extra points.<\/li>\n<li>Use the side tunnels to escape; ghosts slow down inside them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_Google_games_and_Easter_eggs\"><\/span>More Google games and Easter eggs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Liked this? In 2015 Google also let you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2015\/04\/play-pac-man-in-google-maps\/\">play Pac-Man in Google Maps<\/a> on real city streets for April Fools&#8217; Day. Try the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/10\/google-gravity\/\">Google Gravity<\/a> trick and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/12\/google-snow-easter-egg\/\">Google snow Easter egg<\/a> too. The official <a href=\"https:\/\/bandainamcoent.com\/games\/pac-man\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pac-Man<\/a> games are still published by Bandai Namco.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_short_history_of_Pac-Man\"><\/span>A short history of Pac-Man<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>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&#8217;s Doodle team recreated the arcade look and sound so faithfully that many people discovered the original game through the Pac-Man Google Doodle.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_still_play_Google_Pac-Man\"><\/span>Can I still play Google Pac-Man?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Search &#8220;pacman&#8221; on Google or open the Doodle from the Google Doodles archive. It is free and needs no download.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_was_the_Pac-Man_Google_Doodle\"><\/span>When was the Pac-Man Google Doodle?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It went live on 21 May 2010 for the Pac-Man 30th anniversary, and stayed available because of its popularity.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Was_Pac-Man_the_first_interactive_Google_Doodle\"><\/span>Was Pac-Man the first interactive Google Doodle?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It is widely recognised as the first playable Google Doodle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to play the Pac-Man Google Doodle? On 21 May 2010 Google celebrated Pac-Man&#8217;s 30th anniversary by turning its homepage&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apps"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13155"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63462,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13155\/revisions\/63462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}