# Snake

> Snake is an arcade game in which you steer a growing snake around a walled board. Each piece of fruit you eat makes it longer and faster, and the run ends when the snake hits a wall or its own tail.

- Play it free: https://taprusharcade.com/games/snake.html
- Guide updated: 2026-10-19
- Categories: Classic games, Action games

## Snake at a glance

- **Type:** Arcade action game
- **Players:** 1
- **How long:** 1–5 minutes a run
- **Skills:** Reaction time, spatial planning
- **Daily puzzle:** No, play any time
- **Controls:** Keyboard, mouse or touch
- **Works on:** Phones, tablets and computers in a web browser
- **Price:** Free, no download or account

## Controls

- ↑ ↓ ← →: Turn (or W, A, S, D)
- Touch: Swipe on the board to turn, or use the arrow pad under it.

## How to play Snake

Your snake moves on its own. Steer it to the red fruit; each one you eat makes the snake one square longer. The board has walls on every side, and running into a wall or into your own body ends the run.

Turn with the arrow keys or W, A, S and D. On a touch screen, swipe on the board in the direction you want to go, or use the arrow pad below it. You cannot reverse straight back into yourself, and quick turns are queued so a fast double tap still works.

## Snake scoring

Each fruit is worth 10 points, and the value rises by 5 after every fifth fruit. Every fifth fruit also brings a gold star for six seconds; reach it in time for 50 bonus points. The snake speeds up with every fruit, from about 7 moves a second at the start to 16 at top speed. The clock shows how long you have survived.

## Snake strategy and tips

1. Stay near the edges early and keep the middle of the board open.
2. Plan a way out before you go for the fruit, especially in corners.
3. When you are long, sweep the board in rows so your tail always clears a path ahead of you.
4. Only chase a star when it is close; a risky turn costs more than 50 points.

## Common Snake mistakes

- **Chasing fruit straight across the board.** Long chases leave loops of body in the middle that you will have to steer around later.
- **Running into a corner.** Make your turn a square early so there is room to change direction.
- **Turning too many times too fast.** Turns are queued, so a burst of presses can steer the snake into itself.
- **Going for every star.** A star is worth 50 points but vanishes after six seconds; a risky route can cost the whole run.

## History of Snake

The idea behind Snake goes back to Blockade, an arcade game released by Gremlin in 1976 in which players left a growing trail behind them. Snake became a household name in the late 1990s when Nokia preloaded it on its mobile phones, starting with the Nokia 6110, and for many people it was the first game they ever played on a phone.

Our version keeps the simple rules on a 21×21 board and adds a gold star after every fifth fruit for bonus points. It plays with arrow keys, WASD, swipes or the on-screen pad.

## Snake: questions and answers

### Can the snake go through walls?

No. The board has solid walls, so plan your turns near the edges.

### How do I play Snake on a phone?

Swipe on the board or use the arrow pad below it. Both work in any modern mobile browser.

### Does Snake get faster?

Yes. Each fruit makes the snake slightly faster, up to a top speed.

### Can I pause?

Yes. Use the pause button above the board, or switch tabs and the game pauses itself.

### Why did my turn not work?

The snake cannot reverse straight back into its own body, and only a few turns are queued at once. Leave a moment between quick turns.

### How long can the snake get?

The board is 21 by 21 squares, so in theory the snake could fill all 441 of them.

## Play next

- [2048](https://taprusharcade.com/games/2048.md): Slide and merge tiles to reach 2048.
- [Dodge Dash](https://taprusharcade.com/games/dodge-dash.md): Read the warnings and dodge three waves.
- [Micro Racer](https://taprusharcade.com/games/micro-racer.md): Weave through traffic and charge Nitro.