ManicMuncher

ManicMuncher 🕹️

A Python-powered retro arcade game with A* Pathfinding!

🎓 About This Project

ManicMuncher is a Pac-Man-inspired game I originally created for my Intro to Python course at Texas A&M University. The main goal of this project was to implement and demonstrate the A* Pathfinding Algorithm, which controls how the ghosts navigate the maze and hunt down the player in a smart and efficient way. 

While this started as a simple academic project, it became a bit of a passion project, so I added theme customization, a game store, and overall improvements to make it a more complete game. Now, I'm sharing it as an open-source project and releasing a standalone version on Itch.io for others to enjoy!

🎮 Features

• A* Pathfinding for ghost AI – Ghosts intelligently navigate the maze, creating an exciting challenge.
• Classic arcade gameplay – Dodge ghosts, collect dots, and use power-ups to turn the tables!
• Theme customization – Players can unlock and switch between different visual styles.
• Retro aesthetics – An homage to a classic retro game that mixes retro textures with Doom-inspired rendering techniques.
• Full standalone release – No need to install Python, just download and play!