Snake
Guide the snake with arrow keys, eat the red pellets and don't crash into the walls or yourself.
Arrow keys / WASD to move · Space to pause · touch controls on mobile
What is Snake?
Snake is the classic arcade game that shipped on every early mobile phone. Guide a growing snake around a bordered field, eat the red pellets that appear one at a time, and avoid crashing into the walls or your own body. Every pellet adds a segment to the tail and speeds the snake up a little.
It looks trivial until the snake is thirty segments long and moving fast — then it becomes a genuine test of spatial reasoning and reaction time. The high-score chase is where the fun really lives.
This version runs entirely in your browser using a `<canvas>` element. Your best score is saved locally, so nothing about your play travels anywhere.
How to use the Snake
- 1Press an arrow key (or WASD) to start the game.
- 2Steer with the arrow keys / WASD on desktop, or the on-screen arrows on mobile.
- 3Eat the red pellet to grow by one segment and score 10 points.
- 4Avoid the four walls and every segment of your own tail — either ends the run.
- 5Press Space to pause and resume at any time.
- 6Hit "New game" to restart when the game ends.
Key features
- Smooth canvas rendering at any screen size
- Progressive speed increase as your score grows
- Best-score tracking saved in localStorage
- Pause / resume with Space
- Keyboard + on-screen touch controls
- Runs offline
Examples
Beginner target
A score of 100 (10 pellets) is achievable in the first game or two — a good starting benchmark.
Filling the field
A score of 300+ requires disciplined loops. Move along the outer edge and dive in for pellets only when there is a clean escape route.
Speed check
By around 200 points the snake moves twice as fast as the start. Slow, deliberate turns beat impulsive dives.
Why use this tool
- Instant, brainless fun after a difficult work call
- Trains focus and reaction time
- Free, unlimited replays, no ads inside the play area
- Works on desktop and mobile out of the box
Common use cases
- Short breaks between meetings
- A tiny reward after finishing a task
- Teaching kids about programming with a familiar goal
- A shared "beat my score" challenge in team chats
- An offline distraction on flights
Frequently asked questions
How does scoring work?
Each pellet is worth 10 points. Bigger score means more pellets eaten and a longer snake.
Why does the snake speed up?
To keep the challenge escalating. Each pellet trims the tick interval slightly, capped at a minimum so the game never becomes unplayable.
Can I turn 180 degrees instantly?
No — that would kill you instantly. Only 90-degree turns are allowed relative to the current direction.
Is the game paused when I switch tabs?
The game keeps running so you can Space-pause deliberately. Auto-pause on tab blur is on the roadmap.
How is best score saved?
In your browser’s localStorage. Clearing site data will reset it.