Pac-Man scoring system: every point value and how a board adds up
Every number in the game is a multiple of ten, and the arithmetic reveals where scores really come from. Here is the full table and the maths behind a perfect board.
Point values
| Action | Points | Per board |
|---|---|---|
| Small dot | 10 | 240 dots = 2,400 |
| Power pellet | 50 | 4 pellets = 200 |
| First ghost after a pellet | 200 | All four ghosts on all four pellets = 12,000 |
| Second ghost (same pellet) | 400 | |
| Third ghost | 800 | |
| Fourth ghost | 1,600 | |
| Fruit, level 1 | 100 | Two appearances = 200 |
| Fruit, level 13 onward | 5,000 | Two appearances = 10,000 |
The ghost chain resets with each new power pellet, so the maximum from ghosts is 3,000 per pellet. The fruit values for every level are in every pacman fruit explained.
What a board is worth
- Floor: 2,600 (every dot and pellet, nothing else).
- Maximum on level 1: 2,600 + 12,000 + 200 = 14,800.
- Maximum on levels 13 to 16 and 18: 2,600 + 12,000 + 10,000 = 24,600, the richest boards in the game.
- Maximum from level 19: 2,600 + 10,000 = 12,600, because ghosts no longer turn blue.
Those last two lines explain the shape of a perfect game: more than two thirds of the 3,333,360 total comes from fruit on boards 13 to 255. The full calculation is in pacman perfect score.
The extra life
On default settings one bonus life is awarded at 10,000 points. Operators could set the threshold to 15,000 or 20,000 or disable it. There is no second bonus life at any score, which is one reason survival matters more than it does in later arcade games.
How the score display works
The top of the screen shows the current score on the left (labelled 1UP) and the high score in the centre. Because the display has six digits, a score of 1,000,000 shows as 000000; this is called "rolling the score". The counter keeps running internally, which is why perfect games can be verified at 3,333,360 despite the display.
Scoring in other versions
| Version | Key differences |
|---|---|
| Ms. Pac-Man | Same dot, pellet and ghost values; fruit moves and includes a pretzel (700) and banana (5,000) |
| Atari 2600 | Wafers worth 1, pellets 5, ghosts 20 to 160, so scores are roughly a tenth of the arcade's |
| Championship Edition | Timed play; ghost chains continue across pellets and fruit resets the maze half |
| Pac-Man 256 | Dot combos and power-ups multiply points; no lives |
The home port differences are detailed in atari 2600 pacman port and the Championship Edition changes in championship edition gameplay changes.
Turning the table into play
Because the ghost chain is worth 4.6 times a full board of dots, the correct habit is to treat dots as a means of moving the ghosts into position. The practical drills are in proven pacman scoring strategies. Our own maze games on the mr pacman browser maze games use a similar ratio (pellets 10, chain 250 to 2,000) so the same instinct transfers.
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Frequently asked questions
How many points is a dot in Pac-Man?
10 points. A full board of 240 dots is 2,400.
How many points is a ghost in Pac-Man?
200 for the first, then 400, 800 and 1,600 for the rest eaten on the same power pellet, a maximum of 3,000 per pellet.
What is the maximum score per board?
24,600 on boards 13 to 16 and 18, where fruit is worth 5,000 and ghosts can still be eaten.
How many points do you need for an extra life?
10,000 on the default setting, awarded once.
What is rolling the score?
Passing 999,990 so the six-digit display resets to zero while the internal counter continues.