Munchman (tabletop electronic game)

Munchman was a tabletop electronic game released by Milton Bradley in the early 1980s. It was a single-player game that involved navigating a small, self-propelled robot called Munchman around a game board filled with pegs. The objective was to collect all of the pegs without being caught by two robotic pursuers, known as the "Meanies."

The game board was a rectangular grid with holes designed to accommodate small plastic pegs. Munchman itself was a battery-powered wheeled robot that could move forward, backward, and turn. It was controlled by the player using buttons located on the side of the game. The Meanies were also battery-powered robots but had simpler movement patterns, primarily moving forward and turning.

The gameplay involved strategically planning Munchman's route to collect all the pegs while anticipating the movements of the Meanies. The player had to use skill and timing to avoid collisions, which resulted in a loss. A limited number of "Energizers" were present on the board. Picking these up allowed Munchman to temporarily "eat" the Meanies, removing them from the board for a short period, giving the player a tactical advantage.

The game was known for its electronic sound effects, which included beeps and boops to indicate Munchman's movements, collisions, and the "eating" of the Meanies. Munchman, while a product of its time, is notable for its early attempt to translate arcade-style gameplay into a tangible, tabletop experience, combining electronic components with physical interaction. The game required dexterity, strategic thinking, and spatial awareness.