Snake is a fast reflex game on a 20×20 grid. Steer the snake to the food; every piece you eat makes it one square longer and a little faster. The game ends if you hit a wall or run into your own body. It is easy to learn in a few seconds and surprisingly hard to master once the snake fills half the board.
How to play
- Press Play, or simply press an arrow key, to start.
- The snake keeps moving forward. Change its direction to steer it towards the red food.
- Each piece of food adds 10 points and one segment to the snake.
- Avoid the four walls and your own tail. Touching either ends the round.
- Fill the entire board and you win, although very few games get that far.
The snake cannot reverse straight back into itself, so pressing the opposite direction does nothing. You can, however, move into the square your tail is just leaving.
Controls
- Keyboard: arrow keys or W, A, S, D to steer.
- Pause: Space, P or Escape, or the Pause button. The game also pauses automatically if you switch tabs.
- Touch screens: swipe on the playing field, or use the direction buttons below it.
- Sound: turn effects on or off with the Sound button. Your choice is remembered.
- Fullscreen: available in browsers that support it.
How the speed works
The snake starts at a relaxed pace and gets slightly quicker with every piece of food. After 20 meals it reaches its top speed and stays there, so the challenge from then on comes from how much of the board your body is taking up rather than from speed alone.
Tips for longer games
Use the edges, but leave yourself a way out
Running along a wall keeps your body tidy and out of the middle. Turn away from the wall a square before the corner rather than at the last moment.
Do not chase food in a straight line
The shortest route to the food is often the one that traps you. Think one move past the food: where will your head be after you eat, and is there open space there?
Keep your body in lanes
Once the snake is long, sweep back and forth in rows, like mowing a lawn. Neat parallel lanes leave large open areas, while random loops create small pockets you cannot escape.
Avoid sealing off open space
Before you turn, check that you are not cutting the board into two parts with your body. If the food appears in the smaller part, you may not be able to reach it safely.
Pause when you need to
There is no penalty for pausing. Use it to look at the board when things get tight.
Common mistakes
- Turning twice too quickly. Rapid key presses are queued, and two fast turns can swing the head back into your own neck. Press deliberately.
- Hugging the middle. A long snake coiled in the centre leaves no safe space anywhere.
- Racing the clock. There is no timer. Only the score counts.
Where Snake comes from
The idea behind Snake goes back to the 1976 arcade game Blockade by Gremlin. It reached a huge audience in 1997, when a version adapted by Nokia engineer Taneli Armanto came built into the Nokia 6110 phone. The Snake on Gamdie is our own implementation with smooth movement, touch controls and saved high scores.
Frequently asked questions
Is Snake free to play?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no download, account or payment.
Can I play Snake on my phone?
Yes. Swipe on the board or use the on-screen arrows. The field scales to fit your screen.
Does the game get harder?
Yes. It speeds up with each piece of food until it reaches top speed after 20, and the longer snake leaves less room to move.
Is my high score saved?
Your best score is stored in this browser on this device. Clearing browser data or using a private window resets it.
