Snake Tutorials
Guides for every skill level — from surviving your first run to chasing the highest scores.
How does Snake work?
The snake moves continuously on a 20×20 grid. You control only its direction — it cannot stop. Eating food grows the snake by one segment and increases the score. The game ends if the head hits a wall or any part of the snake's own body.
Step-by-step: Your first game
- Press Space or tap the screen to start the game
- Steer the snake with arrow keys or WASD
- Guide the snake's head to the food item to eat it
- The snake grows by one segment and your score increases
- Avoid hitting the walls or your own body to stay alive
Understanding the speed formula
Snake starts at Level 1 with a 150ms movement interval. Each level reduces this by 10%, following the formula 150ms × 0.9^(level−1). By Level 5 the interval is roughly 98ms; by Level 10 it drops to around 58ms, approaching the 50ms terminal velocity cap.
Leveling system explained
| Level | Food eaten | Interval (ms) | Subjective speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 150 | Relaxed |
| 2 | 5 | 135 | Moderate |
| 3 | 10 | 122 | Noticeable |
| 5 | 20 | 98 | Fast |
| 8 | 35 | 72 | Very fast |
| 10 | 45 | 58 | Near-max |
Food scoring explained
Score increases each time the snake eats food. The amount added scales with your current level, so eating at Level 5 scores more points than eating at Level 1. Playing aggressively at low levels to reach Level 5 quickly is more score-efficient than playing cautiously.
Controls reference
| Action | Desktop | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Space | Tap |
| Move | Arrow keys / WASD | Swipe (30px min) |
| Pause | Space | Pause button |
| Restart | Enter / R key | Play Again button |
Wall-hugging strategy
Moving along the edges of the grid maximises the free space in the center, reducing the chance of accidentally trapping yourself. Hug the wall in a circuit pattern early in the game, gradually filling the center as the snake grows. Avoid cutting diagonally across the grid — straight runs give you more time to react.
Top 5 tips for high scores
- Hug the walls during the early game to preserve open space in the center.
- Plan two or three moves ahead — react to the snake's future path, not just the immediate position.
- Do not panic as speed increases; trust your muscle memory and keep movements smooth.
- Use the full grid — avoiding the center entirely will eventually trap the snake.
- Never reverse into your own tail. If you're heading right and food is to the left, go around rather than reversing.