Score

Best

Normal speed. Swipe to turn.Normal speed. Arrow keys to turn, space to pause.

Arcade classic

Eat, grow longer, and don't crash into your own tail.

Snake is a classic arcade game where you steer a growing snake around the board. It became a household name on Nokia mobile phones in the late 1990s, and it still plays best on a phone.

Updated 4 October 2026

⚡ Loads instantly · 🚫 No ads, ever · 💾 Progress saved locally · 📶 Works offline

Why you will love it

Easy to learn

Four directions and one goal, eat the food. You are playing in seconds.

Gets faster

Speed climbs with every level, so your reflexes are always tested.

Saves your best

Your top score is stored on your device, no account needed.

How to play

Learn Snake in a minute

Snake is the timeless arcade game where you steer a hungry snake around the board, gobbling up food to grow longer, completely free and ad-free right in your browser.

Swipe anywhere, tap the arrow buttons, or use the arrow keys or WASD to steer. Your first move starts the game.

Guide the snake onto the food to grow one segment longer and score points.

Avoid the walls and your own body. Every five foods the snake speeds up.

Start playing ↑

Rules

Game rules

Snake runs on a simple set of rules, from how the snake moves to what scores points and what ends your run.

Movement: the snake keeps moving in the direction it faces. It can turn left or right, but never straight back into itself.
Scoring: each food is worth 10 points and makes the snake one segment longer.
Levels: every 5 foods (50 points) is a new level, and each level is a little faster.
Game over: the game ends when the snake runs into a wall or its own body. Just before a crash the snake waits one beat, so a turn made a moment late still saves it.
Winning: fill the whole board with snake and you win.
Pausing and saving: the game pauses when you switch away, and an unfinished game is saved on your device, ready to resume.
Records: each speed keeps its own best score on your device.

Strategy

Tips & strategies

A few good habits keep you alive longer and help you rack up higher scores as the snake speeds up.

Plan ahead: think about your path so you never trap yourself in a corner. Always keep a way out.
Use the edges: moving along the walls makes your patterns predictable and leaves the middle open.
Stay calm: at higher speeds, smooth turns work better than frantic ones.
Make space: keep your body in tidy loops rather than scattered across the board.
Be patient: a longer path to the food is often better than a risky shortcut.

Techniques

Advanced techniques

Once the basics feel natural, these techniques help you squeeze the most out of every inch of the board.

Wall following: use the walls as guides for steady patterns. It is safe but slow.
Zigzag rows: sweeping the board in back and forth rows uses space well once the snake is long.
Corners: only go into a corner when you know how you are getting out.
Chained turns: on a phone, one continuous drag can make two turns in a row, such as up then left, without lifting your finger.
Pick your speed: start on slow to learn the moves, then step up to normal and fast.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers to the things players ask most about the Snake game.

What happens when I eat food?

You gain 10 points, the snake grows by one segment, and new food appears on a random free square. Every 5 foods is a new level, and the snake speeds up.

Can I change the game speed?

Yes. Tap New game to choose slow, normal or fast. Your choice is remembered for next time, and each speed still gets faster as you level up.

Can I pause the game?

Yes. Tap the pause button next to the arrows, or press space or P on a keyboard. The game also pauses by itself when you switch tabs or apps, and it waits for you to resume.

How do I play on a phone?

Swipe anywhere on the game area to turn, including the space under the board, so your thumb never hides the snake. You can also tap the arrow buttons.