How to play Snake

Snake is the timeless arcade grid game: guide a growing snake around a 20x20 board, eat the glowing food squares, and survive as long as you can. Every piece of food you eat adds one segment to your tail and one point to your score. On desktop, steer with the arrow keys or WASD; on a phone or tablet, swipe anywhere on the board in the direction you want to turn. The snake never stops moving, so plan your turns before you need them.

There is no screen wrap in this version — hitting any wall ends the run, as does biting your own tail. The pace picks up slightly every five foods eaten, so the late game rewards calm, deliberate routing. A classic strategy is to hug the outer edge and sweep the board in an S-shaped pattern, which keeps your tail organized and leaves an escape lane open. Avoid boxing yourself into corners when your snake gets long, and never double back: a reverse turn into your own body is the most common way runs end. Your best score is saved in your browser, so keep playing this free online snake game and chase a new personal record.