The Snake Game: History and How to Play
In Snake you steer a line that grows longer every time it eats, and the run ends when it crashes into itself (or a wall). The idea goes back to the 1976 arcade game Blockade, and it became world-famous after Taneli Armanto programmed Snake for Nokia in 1997; it was first introduced on the Nokia 6110 phone.
How to play Snake
- The snake keeps moving on its own, one square at a time. You can only change its direction: up, down, left or right.
- Eat the food that appears on the board. Each bite makes the snake longer and scores points, and new food appears somewhere else.
- Don't bite your tail. If the head runs into any part of the body, the game is over.
- Watch the edges. Some versions have walls that end the game; others let you pass through one side and come back on the opposite side.
- The goal is a high score, or a long snake. The longer you get, the less room you have to move.
Where Snake came from
Snake wasn't invented by one person for one machine. It grew out of a family of arcade and computer games over about twenty years, before a phone version made it one of the most-played games anywhere.
| Year | Game | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Blockade (Gremlin, arcade) | Two players each steer a line that leaves a solid trail. Whoever crashes into a trail first loses. |
| 1977 | Surround (Atari, home console) | The same two-player trail idea, on a home games console. |
| 1978 | Worm (Peter Trefonas) | The first known version for a personal computer. |
| 1982 | Nibbler (arcade) | A single player steering a snake through a tight maze. |
| 1991 | Nibbles (QBasic) | Included with MS-DOS for a time as a sample program, so it came on a great many PCs. |
| 1997 | Snake (Nokia) | Programmed by Taneli Armanto and first introduced on the Nokia 6110 phone. |
| 2000 | Snake II (Nokia) | Shipped on later black-and-white Nokia phones such as the 3310. |
Notice the shift. The early games were duels: each line left a permanent trail and you tried to make your opponent crash. The single-player version, where the snake grows when it eats and your own body becomes the obstacle, is the one that stuck.
Why the phone version became so famous
Nokia's Snake came built into the phone, so millions of people found a game in their pocket without buying or downloading anything. It suited the hardware perfectly: a small black-and-white screen, a few number keys for steering, and rounds short enough to play while waiting for a bus. Scores were easy to compare, so friends competed to beat each other's best.
That simplicity is why Snake still feels familiar to people who have never played an arcade game. Since then it has turned up everywhere, from browser games to online multiplayer versions where many players' snakes share one arena.
What changes from one Snake to another
The core never changes: steer, eat, grow, don't crash. But versions differ in a few ways, and it's worth checking which rules you're playing before you start:
- Walls or wrap-around. Some boards end the game at the edge; others let the snake pass through to the opposite side.
- Speed. Some versions keep one speed; many speed up as the snake grows or let you pick a level.
- Bonus food. Special food that's worth more points but disappears after a few seconds.
- Obstacles. Maze-style versions, like the arcade game Nibbler, add walls inside the board.
GameLake's Classic look
GameLake's Snake normally swims across a painted lake, eating apples, berries and golden lotus flowers. Turn on Classic look and it switches to a tribute to those old phone screens: a greenish-grey background, a snake made of dark square pixels, pixel-art food, and a snake that blinks a few times after it crashes, as old phones did. The rules and scoring don't change, only the look.
Playing Snake on GameLake
| Speed | Edges | Points per bite |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Wrap around to the other side | ×1 |
| Medium | Wrap around, faster | ×2 |
| Hard | Solid walls, fastest | ×3 |
- Board: 15×15 squares. The snake starts 3 squares long and speeds up a little as it grows.
- Food: apples and berries are worth 10 points and add one square. A golden lotus is worth 50, adds three squares and fades after about seven seconds.
- Combos: eat again within 3.5 seconds to raise your multiplier, up to ×5.
- Controls: swipe, use the arrow keys or W, A, S, D, or tap the on-screen pad. Space pauses.
- Stars: reach a length of 10 for one star (a win), 18 for two and 30 for three.
Tips for your first runs
- Start on Easy, where the snake is slower and the edges wrap around.
- Travel along the edges and keep the middle of the board open.
- Decide your turn a few squares before you reach the food.
- Don't steer into a space smaller than your snake.
For the full set of tricks, including tail-chasing and the zigzag route, read how to beat the Snake game.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the Snake game?
No single person. The idea began with the 1976 arcade game Blockade by Gremlin. The famous mobile version was programmed by Taneli Armanto at Nokia in 1997.
What was the first phone with Snake?
The Nokia 6110, which introduced Snake in 1997. Later Nokia phones, including the 3310, carried Snake II.
What happens when the snake hits the wall?
It depends on the version. In some the game ends; in others the snake comes out on the opposite side. On GameLake, Easy and Medium wrap around and Hard has solid walls.
Why does the snake get longer?
Every bite of food adds length, which is the whole challenge: the longer the snake, the less free space you have, until one wrong turn ends the run.
Can I play the old-style Snake on GameLake?
Yes. Turn on Classic look for a pixel snake on a greenish phone-style screen. The rules stay the same.