Cocaine Bear drops 8-bit promotional tie-in game with Pac-Man vibes

Pac-Man, but it’s illegal

What do you get when you cross a bear with a huge bag of cocaine? Well, the answer’s yet to be revealed, as the upcoming film Cocaine Bear isn’t released until February 27. However, in the promotional run-up to its release the movie’s official Twitter account has unveiled a surprise new game in the form of Cocaine Bear: The Rise of Pablo Escobear.

You play as the bear, in search of red bags of cocaine to help you run faster. The end goal? Catch up to the humans and tear them apart. Delightful, right? This browser-based game requires gamers to be at least 18 to play, which is a much stricter age requirement than Namco’s original Pac-Man. Using simple directional inputs to navigate the maze seeking out your prey, there are ambulances scattered occasionally throughout for additional bonus points and a regular supply of cocaine. Of course.

‘It’s addictive’

The 8-bit style game was announced by the Cocaine Bear himself who Tweeted, “Here’s something to entertain you,” before divulging, “Play as me and share your high scores.” Fans on Twitter have expressed a mixture of emotions in response to the surprise release. “It’s addictive,” said one, whilst another quipped, “Bear of the year. Game of the year.”

Somewhat surprisingly, the movie tells a semi-true story of a bear who consumed too much cocaine after it was dropped by smugglers in 1985. The coked-up mammal went on to terrorize residents of Blue Ridge, Georgia. A huge stash of cocaine was later found by police, estimated to be worth around $20 million at the time. The black bear appeared to have eaten “several million dollars worth” of the stash, says the Associated Press. Sadly, the beast itself had overdosed and died.

Cocaine Bear will be released on February 27, but excited fans can get their paws on the free-to-play Cocaine Bear: The Rise of Pablo Escobear right now at the official website.

Cheri Faulkner

Guides Writer || Cheri is a freelance guides writer for Destructoid having joined in early 2023. She is also published in the likes of NME, Metro, TechRadar, The Loadout, PCGamesN and more as well as writing about music in the pages of Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine.