Snake

How it works

You steer a snake around a square board of 17 by 17 cells. It never stops moving: all you decide is where it turns. An apple is always somewhere on the board, and every apple you eat makes the snake one piece longer and a little faster. The run ends the first time the snake's head touches the edge of the board or any part of its own body.

The snake starts four pieces long in the middle of the board, facing right, and waits. It sets off at your first arrow, swipe or tap, so nothing happens until you are ready.

• Arrow keys or W, A, S, D turn the snake. A turn straight back into its own neck is ignored, so you cannot lose by pressing the wrong way once.
• Swipe on a touch screen in the direction you want to go. The turn happens as soon as your finger has moved far enough, and you can keep the finger down and swipe again: a single stroke that goes up and then left gives two turns.
• On a phone held upright, a pad of four arrows sits under the board for anyone who would rather press than swipe.
• P, Esc or Space pauses and resumes, and so does the pause button at the top. N, or the New button, starts again.

Two turns pressed quickly one after the other both count. The game keeps them in order and plays them on the next two steps, which is what makes tight U-shaped turns possible at speed.

Scoring and speed

• 10 points for each apple.
• A star appears with every fifth apple and stays for six seconds. It is worth 50 points the moment it appears, and its value falls steadily to 10 as the ring around it runs out. It makes the snake longer, like an apple.
• Speed goes up with every apple. At the start the snake moves about seven cells a second; each apple brings the next step a little sooner, until it tops out at about fourteen cells a second after roughly two dozen apples.

Your best score is kept in the browser. If you manage to fill every cell of the board with snake, the game ends as won.

Strategy that actually helps

Chasing your own tail is safe. The cell your tail is leaving is free on the same step your head arrives, so following your tail closely is always allowed. When the board gets crowded, heading for your tail is the move that buys time.

Keep the middle open. A long snake that runs through the centre of the board cuts it in two, and one of the halves is usually a trap. Travel along the edges and in wide loops, so the open space stays in one piece.

Never enter a pocket you cannot leave. Before you turn into a gap between your body and the wall, count: if the pocket has fewer free cells than your snake is long, and your tail will not open an exit in time, it is a dead end.

Go for the star only when it is on your way. Fifty points is five apples, but a detour through a crowded board to reach it is the most common way to end a good run. Take it early if it is close, and let it go if it is not.

Use the pause. The game stops the moment the tab is hidden, and waits for you to resume it. It never starts again on its own, so you can take a breath before a tricky part and nothing moves until you say so.

Common questions

Is it free? Yes. It runs in your browser, with no signup and nothing to download.

Does it work on a phone? Yes. Swipe to turn, or use the arrow pad under the board when you hold the phone upright. It works in landscape too, with swipes.

Why did my turn not happen? A turn straight back into the snake's own neck is ignored, and so is a third turn pressed before the first two have been played. Everything else is carried out in the order you pressed it.

What happens when I switch tabs? The game pauses, and stays paused until you come back and resume it.

What language is it in? The game's text is in English and Italian, and it follows the language you chose on the site.