Ghost Catcher 2026

A browser-based game inspired by classic Pac-Man, but with reversed mechanics: you chase the ghosts and they run away from you!

Built as a fun father-and-son project. Works on desktop (keyboard/mouse), iPad, and phone (touch/swipe).

How to Play

• Arrow keys / WASD to move on desktop
• Tap the maze to move towards where you tap
• Swipe in any direction on touch devices
• D-pad appears automatically on mobile/tablet

Chase and catch all the ghosts to complete each level. There are 4 levels with increasing ghost speed.

Running Locally

1. Install Node.js (LTS version) and pnpm:

   npm install -g pnpm

2. Install dependencies:

   pnpm install

3. Start the dev server:

   pnpm run dev

4. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Tweaking the Game

Edit client/src/lib/gameConstants.ts to change:

• Ghost speed per level (how fast they run away)
• Number of ghosts to catch per level
• Ghost spawn rate (how often new ghosts appear)
• Overall game speed
• Maze layout (design your own maze!)

The file is heavily commented with suggested values.

Building for Deployment

pnpm run build

The built files will be in dist/public/. Upload these to GitHub Pages or any static hosting service.

Tech Stack

• React 19 + TypeScript
• HTML5 Canvas for game rendering
• Web Audio API for sound effects
• Tailwind CSS 4
• Vite

Licence

MIT