Snake — No Walls

About Snake — No Walls

This is Snake with no walls. Slide off any edge of the board and you come straight back on the opposite side, so the only thing that can end your run is your own tail. It sounds easier, and at first it is, but as the snake grows the whole board becomes one loop and it is easy to meet yourself coming the other way.

Snake is the arcade classic about one thing: getting longer. Steer a snake around a 20×20 board, eat the glowing food, and grow by one segment every time. The catch is that the longer you get, the less room you have, and one wrong turn into a wall or your own body ends the run.

Also called: classic snake, snake game.

How to play Snake

1. Press any arrow key (or W, A, S, D), or swipe on the board, to start. The snake sets off in that direction.
2. Steer with the arrow keys or WASD. On a phone, swipe on the board or use the direction pad under it. You can keep your finger down and swipe again to make several turns in a row.
3. Guide the head onto the food. The snake grows by one segment and a new piece of food appears in a random empty cell.
4. The game ends if the head hits a wall (in Classic) or any part of the snake's own body.
5. Press Space or the pause button to pause. The game also pauses by itself when you switch tabs or windows.

Rules

• The snake moves one cell at a time at a steady pace, and it can never stop.
• It can turn left or right, but it can't reverse straight back into itself. Pressing the opposite direction does nothing.
• Two quick turns pressed between steps are both kept and played in order, so a fast U-turn works.
• The head may move into the cell the tail is just leaving; chasing your own tail is safe.
• Each food is worth 10 points on Normal, 5 on Relaxed and 15 on Fast. The snake speeds up slightly with every piece, up to a limit.
• Classic has solid walls. The No walls version lets you pass through any edge and come out on the opposite side.

Snake tips and strategy

• Use the edges. Running along a wall keeps a whole side of the snake safe and leaves the open middle for turning.
• Don't trap yourself. Before you turn into a pocket, check that there is a way back out that is at least as long as your body.
• Move in long, tidy lines rather than zigzags. A snake folded into neat rows leaves big open areas; a tangled one leaves dead ends.
• Your tail is your friend: the space it leaves behind is the safest place on the board, because it will be empty when you get there.
• Don't chase every piece of food the shortest way. When you are long, a slightly longer route that keeps the board open is worth it.
• In No walls, remember the other side of the board is right next to you. Check both edges before you slip through.