Game: “Sanctuary Pac-Man”

Real-Life Pac-Man Game (Church Sanctuary Edition)

Transform your church sanctuary into a real-life Pac-Man maze where players navigate through pathways created using rope barriers while collecting “dots” and avoiding “ghosts.” This interactive game is a perfect blend of strategy, movement, and fun for a youth group night!

Supplies Needed:

Glow Sticks or Paper Plates – Represent the dots that Pac-Man must collect.
Colored Vests or Shirts for Ghosts – Four different colors to distinguish the ghosts (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde).
Pac-Man Costume or Vest – A yellow vest or T-shirt to make Pac-Man easily identifiable.
Rope and Chairs – To create walls of the maze, use rope strung between chairs at the ends of the pews or rows. This will form paths and barriers like in the arcade game.
Masking Tape or Chalk – For marking the floor paths where rope can’t be used.
Cones or Extra Chairs – To create additional barriers within the maze.
Timers – To set a game duration.
Buzzer or Whistle – To start and end the game.
Music (optional) – Play the Pac-Man theme to add energy!

Setup:

1. Create the Maze with Ropes

• Tie rope at the ends of rows of pews or between chairs to form a maze-like grid.
• Leave specific openings in the rope where players can pass through.
• Ensure paths are wide enough for players to move but narrow enough to create a challenge.

2. Place the Dots (Glow Sticks or Plates)

• Scatter them along the open paths in the maze.
• Ensure an even distribution so Pac-Man must move throughout the entire maze to collect them all.

3. Assign Player Roles:

• Pac-Man (1 player) – Their goal is to collect all the dots.
• Ghosts (4 players) – Their goal is to catch Pac-Man before all dots are collected.
• Game Master (Leader) – Oversees the game and keeps track of lives/time.

Rules:

Pac-Man’s Goal:

Collect all the dots while avoiding ghosts.
Pac-Man can only move through open pathways and must follow the maze.
If Pac-Man is tagged by a ghost, they lose a life and restart at the beginning.
Pac-Man has 3 lives before the game is over.

Ghosts’ Goal:

Ghosts must stay on the pathways and work together to trap Pac-Man.
If a ghost tags Pac-Man, they must return to their starting point before continuing.

Power Pellets (Optional)

• Place four large dots (colored glow sticks or plates) at key points in the maze.
• If Pac-Man collects a power pellet, ghosts must freeze for 10 seconds before resuming.

Winning the Game:

• Pac-Man Wins if they collect all the dots before time runs out.
• Ghosts Win if Pac-Man loses all lives before collecting all the dots.
• Set a time limit (5-10 minutes) for each round.

Game Variations:

Team Pac-Man: Multiple players act as Pac-Man, working together to collect dots.
Extra Ghosts: Add more ghosts for an increased challenge.
Speed Round: Decrease the time limit to make it more intense.

This game provides an immersive, strategic, and active experience for your youth group while making use of the church sanctuary in a fun and respectful way.