Taxman (video game)

Taxman is a single-player maze chase video game developed and published by Yale Baum in 1981. Initially released for the Apple II, it was later ported to other platforms, including the Atari 8-bit family. Taxman is a clone of the arcade game Pac-Man, sharing similar gameplay mechanics and visual design.

The objective of Taxman is for the player, controlling a character resembling Pac-Man, to navigate a maze and collect dollar signs while avoiding four enemies, generally referred to as "taxmen". The taxmen pursue the player and eliminate them upon contact. Scattered throughout the maze are four power pills (referred to as “briefcases”) which, when consumed, temporarily allow the player to turn the tables and chase the taxmen, making them vulnerable. During this power-up period, the player can eliminate the taxmen by colliding with them, awarding bonus points.

Once all the dollar signs have been collected, the player advances to the next level, with increased difficulty. The difficulty progression generally involves faster taxmen and shorter power-up durations. The game continues until the player loses all their lives.

Taxman gained popularity due to its availability on home computers and its close resemblance to the popular Pac-Man arcade game, despite the latter being subject to copyright protection. While not an officially licensed version of Pac-Man, Taxman offered a similar gameplay experience to home computer users at a time when arcade games were highly sought after.