How to play Snake

Snake is one of the oldest and most addictive arcade games there is, and it plays beautifully in a browser. You guide a hungry little snake around a walled board, gobbling up food. Every bite makes the snake one segment longer — and the longer it grows, the harder it gets to avoid running into yourself. There is no finish line. You play for a high score, and the game quietly remembers your best.

The goal

Eat as much food as you can. Each piece of food is worth one point and adds a new segment to your tail. Your highest score is saved on this device, so every game is a fresh attempt to beat your own record.

How to play

• The snake is always moving — you cannot stop it, only turn it.
• Steer toward the food. When the head lands on it, you grow and a new piece appears somewhere else.
• The snake gets faster as your score climbs, so the board feels more frantic the better you do.
• The game ends the moment the head hits a wall or crosses any part of the tail.

Controls

On a keyboard, steer with the ←↑→↓ arrow keys or WASD. Press Space to pause and unpause, and N to start a new game. On a phone or tablet, swipe across the board in the direction you want to turn. You cannot reverse straight back on yourself — a left turn while heading right is ignored, so you will not accidentally crash into your own neck.

Tips for a longer snake

• Use the edges. Hugging the walls keeps the middle of the board open and gives you room to manoeuvre.
• Plan an escape before you turn. As the tail grows, every bite can box you into a corner.
• Do not chase food into a dead end — sometimes the safer route is the longer one.
• When the speed ramps up, make smaller, calmer adjustments instead of sharp last-second turns.

It is free, needs no download or sign-up, and works on any modern phone, tablet, or computer. Take a breath, pick a clear lane, and see how long you can get.