Snake Game Tips: 10 Ways to Get a Higher Score (Free)
Snake game tips for a higher score: hug the walls, zig-zag through open space, keep an escape route and use the turn buffer. Play classic Snake free online.
Published · 5 min read
The secret to a high Snake score is space, not speed. Keep the snake tidy along the walls, sweep the board in neat zig-zags instead of chasing every apple directly, and always leave yourself a way out. Most games end because the snake boxes itself in, not because the player was too slow. These ten tips are written for the free Snake game, but they work on any classic version.
Snake game high score basics: know the board
A few facts about our version help you plan:
| Detail | Our Snake game |
|---|---|
| Board | 17 squares wide, 15 high (255 squares) |
| Starting length | 3 squares |
| Score | 1 point per apple; the snake grows by one each time |
| Highest possible score | 252, when the snake fills the board |
| Speeds | Slow, Normal, Fast |
| Edges | Walls (crash) or Wrap around (come out the other side) |
| Speed-up | A little faster every 5 apples, up to a limit |
On Normal, the snake reaches its top speed at 50 apples; on Slow at 70; on Fast at 35. After that it never gets faster, so if you can survive the speed at that point, the rest of the game is about space.
1. Hug the walls early
While the snake is short, travel along the edges and turn along the walls. It keeps the middle of the board open, which is where you'll need room later. A snake that cuts through the middle early splits the board into awkward pockets.
2. Zig-zag, don't chase
Heading straight for each apple works at first, but by 20 or 30 apples your body is scattered across the board. Instead, sweep in tidy back-and-forth rows or columns, like mowing a lawn, and pick up apples as your sweep reaches them. It takes a few more moves but leaves your tail in neat, predictable lines.
3. Always know where your exit is
Before every turn, ask: after I eat this apple, which way can I go? If the answer is "into a space surrounded by my own body", take the long way round. A good habit is to never enter a pocket smaller than your snake.
4. Follow your tail
Your tail is the safest place on the board, because it moves out of the way as you move. In our game you can even move into the square your tail is just leaving. When you're unsure, turn toward your tail and follow it until a safe path to the apple opens.
5. Use the turn buffer for tight U-turns
Our game remembers up to two turns pressed quickly together. So to make a tight U-turn, press Up then Left (or any two turns) in quick succession and the snake takes both, one square apart. You can't reverse straight back into yourself; pressing the opposite direction is ignored.
6. Pick the right speed for practice
- Slow starts at a gentle pace and is perfect for practising the zig-zag pattern.
- Normal is the classic feel.
- Fast rewards planning, because reacting late at top speed is fatal.
Each speed and edge setting keeps its own best score, so you've got six records to chase.
7. Wrap around is a different game
With Wrap around, going off one edge brings you back on the opposite side. There are no walls to crash into, only your own body. It's easier to start but needs a new habit: remember that the board's edges are now connected, and your tail on the left side is just one step from your head on the right.
8. Plan for the late game
Past about 80 apples, the snake covers more than a third of the board and the apple can appear in tight spots. Slow down your thinking: you don't have to eat each apple quickly, only safely. Loop the snake in a tidy pattern until the path to the apple is clear.
A note for perfectionists: some players fill the board by following one fixed loop through every square. On our walled board that's not quite possible, because it has an odd number of squares, and a closed loop through every square of a grid needs an even number. A loop through all but one square works, and the snake can break off it briefly when an apple lands in the last square.
9. Pause instead of panicking
Press space (or P) to pause, and the same key to carry on. The game also pauses itself when you switch tabs or scroll the board off-screen, so a phone notification won't cost you a run.
10. On a phone, use swipes or the arrow pad
Swipe on the board to steer, or use the arrow buttons below it. Short, decisive swipes work best. On a computer, the arrow keys and WASD both steer, and Enter starts a new game after a crash.
A practice routine
| Session | Goal |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes on Slow | Sweep the whole board in zig-zags without crashing |
| 5 minutes on Normal | Reach 50 apples (top speed) with tidy lines |
| 5 minutes on Wrap around | Learn to use the connected edges |
| One run on Fast | Beat your Fast best |
If you enjoy reflex games, Brick Breaker uses the same quick, short sessions. Our post on the history of the Snake game covers where it all started, from 1970s arcades to the phones in everyone's pocket.
Chase your best
Choose a speed, hug the walls and see how long you can keep the board open. The free Snake game runs in your browser with no download, and your best scores are saved on your device only.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the highest possible score in Snake?
- In our game, 252. The board has 255 squares and the snake starts 3 long, so eating 252 apples fills it completely.
- Does the snake speed up?
- Yes, a little every five apples, until it reaches a top speed (at 50 apples on Normal).
- What's the best strategy for Snake?
- Keep the middle open by travelling along the walls, sweep in zig-zags rather than chasing apples, and always follow your tail when unsure.
- Can I go through the walls?
- Choose Wrap around and the snake comes out on the opposite side instead of crashing.
- Why didn't my turn register?
- You can't turn straight back into yourself, and only two quick turns are remembered at once. Press turns one at a time when the snake is moving fast.
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