I love the pacman variant idea! The aesthetic works well as well!
I think it would be interesting in later levels to add some environmental obstructions, so it's a bit harder to navigate.
I didn't like too much how my character slows down as it grows bigger. Towards the end of the level, it ends up being a bit of a slog, as I am just moving towards the monster. I know I will catch, it just takes time, which isn't very fun.