Play Classic Snake Online for Free

How to Play

Starting and moving

Press Start Game. Your snake begins moving to the right and never stops, so your job is to steer it. Use the arrow keys or WASD on a keyboard, or swipe and tap the direction buttons on a touchscreen.

Pausing and restarting

Press Pause (or Space) when you need a break, then Resume to carry on exactly where you were. Restart begins a fresh round at any moment, and Play Again appears once a round ends.

How scoring works

Each piece of food is worth 10 points and adds one segment to your snake. Every 50 points the snake speeds up a little, so the longer you survive, the trickier it gets. The round ends if you hit a wall or your own body. Your highest score is remembered on this device.

Playing on a Phone or Tablet

You have two ways to steer on a touchscreen. A short swipe anywhere on the game screen turns the snake in that direction, which is quick once you get used to it. If you prefer something more precise, use the four arrow buttons under the screen; they are large enough to tap with a thumb. The page stops the screen from scrolling while you swipe on the board, so the game will not jump around mid-turn.

Holding your phone upright works best, because the board fills the width of the screen and the buttons sit right below it.

Beginner Tips

• Stay calm early. The opening speed is slow. Use it to grow a little longer without risky turns.
• Look ahead, not at the head. Watch where the snake is going two or three squares ahead, so you can turn before you reach trouble.
• Turn once, then wait. Pressing a key several times quickly can queue turns you did not mean. One deliberate press per turn is more reliable.
• Remember you cannot reverse. To go back the way you came, make two turns, for example up and then left.
• Use pause. If you are interrupted, press Space or Pause. Your round waits exactly where you left it.

Advanced Strategies

• Hug the edges. Travelling along the walls keeps the centre open, giving you room to manoeuvre as you grow.
• Plan your exit. Before grabbing food in a corner, check that you will have a clear way out once your tail gets longer.
• Sweep in rows. When the snake is long, moving in tidy back-and-forth lines across the board stops you from boxing yourself in.
• Follow your tail. If you are unsure where to go, chasing your own tail is safe, because the tail keeps moving out of the way.
• Expect the speed-ups. The snake gets faster every 50 points. Just before you reach a new step, give yourself extra space so the jump in speed does not catch you off guard.

What Makes This Version Different

• Green LCD look. Pixel graphics and a monochrome screen inspired by old handheld displays, drawn fresh for this site.
• Shared Top 10. After a round you can enter a display name to try for the leaderboard. Scores are checked on our server before they count, and everyone sees the same list.
• No sign-up. You can play straight away and skip the leaderboard completely if you like.
• Saved personal best. Your best score is kept on your own device.
• Optional sound. Short beeps for eating and game over, with a button to turn them off.

Frequently Asked Questions