About Snake Game
Snake is one of the most famous video games ever made: guide a hungry snake around the board, eat apples and grow longer — without running into a wall or your own tail. It's easy to pick up, instantly replayable and surprisingly tense once your snake fills half the screen.
This free online Snake game plays smoothly on phones, tablets and computers. Choose Classic for the traditional walled arena, Fast if you want a quicker start, or No walls to wrap around the edges while you practise. Classic and Fast scores go on the global leaderboard.
How to play Snake
- 1
Start moving
Press Play, an arrow key or swipe to start. The snake keeps moving in the direction it's facing — you only choose when to turn.
- 2
Eat apples to grow
Every red apple adds a segment to your tail and 10 points to your score. A new apple appears somewhere empty on the board straight away.
- 3
Catch the golden apples
Every sixth apple spawns a golden apple that disappears after a few seconds. It's worth 50 points and two extra segments, so it's worth a detour — if it's safe.
- 4
Avoid collisions
Hitting a wall (in Classic and Fast mode) or any part of your own body ends the game. The longer you get, the more carefully you have to plan your path.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys / WASD | Change direction |
| Swipe / on-screen pad | Change direction on touch screens |
| P or Esc | Pause and resume |
| Enter / Space | Start a new game |
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Snake tips and strategy
Hug the edges early
When the snake is short, travel around the outside of the board. It keeps the middle open for later, when you need space to manoeuvre.
Zig-zag through the board
Advanced players sweep the board in rows, like mowing a lawn. It's slower, but it means your tail is always behind you and never in your way.
Queue your turns
You can press two directions quickly (for example up then left) and both turns are remembered. That makes tight U-turns much easier at high speed.
Don't chase every golden apple
A golden apple on the far side of a long tail is a trap. Only go for it if there's a clear path there and back.
Leave yourself an exit
Never enter an area that's only as wide as your snake's body unless you can see how you'll get out. Dead ends are the number one cause of game over.
Practise with No walls
Wrap-around mode is forgiving, so it's perfect for learning to control a long snake before you chase a Classic high score.
Scoring and speed
Each apple scores 10 points and each golden apple scores 50. Your snake gets a little faster with every apple, up to a top speed, so long games test your reflexes as well as your planning. On a 20×20 board, a score above 300 is good and 500+ is excellent.
A short history of Snake
The idea began with the 1976 arcade game Blockade, where two players left trails behind them. Home-computer versions followed in the 1980s, but Snake became a worldwide phenomenon in 1997 when it was pre-installed on Nokia mobile phones — for many people it was the first game they ever played on a phone. Today it's a staple of browser gaming, from search-engine easter eggs to multiplayer remixes.
More classic arcade games
If you enjoy Snake, try the falling-block puzzles of Tetris, the one-button challenge of Flappy Bird or smash some bricks in Breakout. Browse all of our free arcade games.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a high score in Snake?
Plan a route that keeps your tail behind you — sweeping the board in rows is the safest pattern — and only chase golden apples when there's a clear path. Staying calm as the snake speeds up matters more than fast reactions.
Can you play Snake on a phone?
Yes. Swipe anywhere on the board to turn, or use the on-screen arrow pad. The game works in any modern mobile browser with no download.
What is the maximum score in Snake?
In theory the snake can fill the entire 20×20 board — 400 segments. That would take roughly 400 apples and a near-perfect path. Very few players get anywhere close!
Does the snake speed up?
Yes, slightly with every apple you eat, until it reaches a maximum speed. Fast mode starts at a higher speed from the first move.
What does No walls mode do?
In No walls mode the snake wraps around to the opposite side instead of crashing into the edge. It's great for practice, but scores aren't posted to the leaderboard.