Snake Game
Play the classic Snake game free in your browser. Steer the snake with the arrow keys, WASD, or a swipe to eat the food and grow as long as you can — without hitting a wall or your own tail. No download, no signup.
How to Play Snake
- 1Press Start (or any arrow key) to set the snake moving.
- 2Steer toward the red food using arrow keys, WASD, or a swipe.
- 3Each bite makes you one segment longer and adds a point.
- 4Avoid the walls and your own tail — one touch ends the game.
A Short History of Snake
Snake is one of the most widely played video games ever made. The core idea — a growing line that must avoid running into itself — dates back to the 1976 arcade game Blockade, but Snake became a global phenomenon in 1998 when Nokia preloaded a version on its mobile phones. For millions of people it was the very first video game they ever played, tucked away on a monochrome handset. The formula has barely changed since, because it never needed to: it is instantly understandable and endlessly replayable.
The genius of Snake is that you build the obstacle course. Early on the board feels empty and forgiving, but every point you score leaves a longer wall of your own body to navigate around. Success and difficulty rise together, which is exactly what makes chasing a high score so addictive.
Strategy: How to Get a High Score
The key to a long game is planning your route before you need it. Rather than reacting to the food, decide in advance how you will reach it and, crucially, how you will get out again. A common expert technique is to move in tight, predictable patterns — following the edges of the board and weaving back and forth — so the snake's body stays neatly packed and always leaves a clear path. Panic and sudden turns are what kill most runs, so keep your movements deliberate, especially on the Fast setting.
Tips for a Longer Snake
Hug the walls
Travelling along the edges keeps the centre open, giving you room to reach food without trapping yourself.
Plan the exit
Before you dive for food, know how you'll leave the spot. Getting the food is easy — surviving after is the trick.
Use a snaking pattern
Weaving back and forth in rows keeps your body compact so you never box yourself into a corner.
Start slow
Learn the controls on Slow, then move up to Normal and Fast as your reactions and planning improve.
Don't chase the tail
The tail cell moves away each step, so it's safe to follow — just never turn into the segment ahead of it.
Pause to think
Tap space or the pause button when the board gets crowded. A few seconds of planning saves a long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play the Snake game?
Guide the snake around the grid to eat the food. Every piece of food you eat makes the snake one segment longer and adds a point. The game ends the moment the snake runs into a wall or into its own tail, so the longer you get, the harder it becomes to avoid yourself. Move with the arrow keys or WASD on a keyboard, or swipe (or use the on-screen pad) on a phone.
What are the controls?
On desktop, use the arrow keys or the W, A, S and D keys to steer, and press the space bar to pause or resume. On a touchscreen, swipe in the direction you want to turn or tap the on-screen direction pad below the board. You cannot instantly reverse into yourself — turns are limited to left, right, and straight ahead relative to your current heading.
Is the Snake game free?
Completely free. There is no signup, no account, no ads interrupting play, and nothing to install. The whole game runs in your browser using plain JavaScript, so it also works offline once the page has loaded.
Does my high score get saved?
Yes. Your best score is stored locally in your own browser using localStorage, so it survives page refreshes and comes back the next time you visit on the same device and browser. It is never uploaded anywhere — we do not have a copy of it.
Can I change the speed?
Yes. Use the Slow, Normal, and Fast buttons above the board to set the pace. Slow is forgiving and good for learning the controls; Fast is a real challenge and the best way to push for a high score, since the snake covers more ground in the same time.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. The board scales to fit your screen, and you can play by swiping across the board or tapping the direction pad. Everything is touch-friendly and nothing is uploaded, so you can play on a phone or tablet exactly like on a desktop.
What is the highest score possible in Snake?
In theory you win by filling every cell of the grid with the snake, at which point there is nowhere left for food to appear. On our 17×17 board that is 289 cells, so the practical maximum score is enormous — long before you get close, threading the snake through the tiny gaps left by its own body becomes the real challenge.
Want to level up? Read our guide on how to play Snake and get a high score.