Play the classic Snake game online for free โ keyboard, swipe or on-screen D-pad, with a global high-score table
How to play Snake
Steer the snake around the board and eat the food. Every bite makes you one segment longer and a little faster. Run into a wall or into your own tail and the game is over. On desktop use the arrow keys or WASD (space pauses); on a phone swipe anywhere on the board or use the D-pad under it. You score points for every piece of food, and your best is saved in this browser.
Step by step
- Press START. A three-segment snake sits in the middle of a 20ร20 board and waits โ it doesn't move until you give it a first direction.
- Steer with the arrow keys or W/A/S/D on a keyboard, or swipe on the board / tap the on-screen D-pad on a phone. A turn is applied on the next step, and the direction directly opposite to your current heading is ignored.
- Eat the pink food: the snake grows by one segment, your score rises and the next piece appears in a random free cell.
- Press space or the Pause button to stop; any direction input resumes.
- Touching a wall or your own body ends the run. The result screen shows score, length and food eaten, and a nickname (up to 12 characters) puts you on the global top 10.
Tips for a longer snake
- Hug the edges and sweep. Move in long horizontal lanes and turn only at the ends, so the empty space stays in one big block instead of getting chopped up.
- Never chase food into a corner. Look at where your tail will be when you arrive, not where it is now.
- Turn early. Speed ramps up as you grow; queue your next turn as soon as the previous one lands rather than waiting for the last cell.
- Pause when you need to. Press space or the pause button โ the timer doesn't matter, only the score.
Scores and the leaderboard
Under 60 points is a warm-up, 150 is a solid run and 300 or more puts you in anaconda territory. Enter a nickname after a game to post your score to the global top 10 โ no account required โ or share a link so friends can see your score and try to beat it.
Points and speed
| Food 1โ4 | 10 points each |
|---|---|
| Food 5โ9 | 15 points each |
| Food 10โ14 | 20 points each |
| After that | +5 per piece for every further five eaten |
Because later food is worth more, two runs of the same length can end with different scores โ the longer run is always worth more per bite. Speed starts at one cell every 0.16 seconds and shortens by 0.004 s per piece eaten, reaching the cap of 0.07 s per cell after 23 pieces. From there the pace stays constant and the challenge becomes your own growing body. The HUD shows score, your best in this browser and current length live.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play on a phone?
Swipe on the board in the direction you want, or use the D-pad (โฒโโผโถ) shown under the board. The D-pad appears only on touch devices and narrow screens; on a desktop with a mouse, use the keyboard.
Does pausing hurt my score?
No. Only the score is recorded โ elapsed time isn't measured. Pause with space or the button and continue with any arrow key or swipe.
Can I follow my own tail?
Yes, as long as you aren't eating on that step. The tail cell is vacated as the snake advances, so moving into where the tail tip was is safe. On the step where you eat, the body grows and the tail stays put โ that is the one moment it can bite you.
What do I need to enter the leaderboard?
Any score of 1 or more โ that is, at least one piece of food. Enter a nickname on the result screen and your score is posted to the global top 10 with no account. Your personal best is also kept in this browser.
A bit of history
Snake dates back to the 1976 arcade game Blockade and became a phenomenon when Nokia built it into its phones in 1997. This version keeps the original one-life rule and adds smooth animation, touch controls and a leaderboard, all running in your browser. Also try 2048 and the block puzzle.
Related tools
- 2048 โ the same swipe controls, in a calm puzzle
- Block Puzzle โ a grid puzzle with no time pressure
- Reaction Time Test โ see how many milliseconds you really need
- Brick Breaker โ another arcade classic built on hand control