1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1998 1999 2003 2008 2009 2014 These are games where the player moves through a maze while attempting to reach the exit, sometimes having to avoid or fight enemies.
1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998 This subgenre is exemplified by Namco's Pac-Man (1980),[24] where the goal is to clear a maze of dots while being pursued.
Pac-Man spawned many sequels and clones which, in Japan, are often called "dot eat games".
The gameplay is not fundamentally different from Pac-Man (players still have to navigate the entire maze to complete a level) but enough games have used the grid motif that it is a distinct style.
One unique element is that it is possible to capture multiple rectangles simultaneously, usually for extra points.