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The Original Snake

The Original Snake: Play the Classic 1997 Snake Game Online

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What Is The Original Snake?

The Original Snake is a free, browser-based recreation of the classic Snake game that shipped on the Nokia 6110 in 1997. Every detail has been rebuilt pixel for pixel: the two-tone LCD screen, the grid-based movement, the progressive speed increase, and the simple rule set that made the original so compelling. No download, no account, no app store. Just open the page and play.

Between 1997 and 2007, Nokia shipped over 400 million phones with Snake pre-installed. That makes it one of the most widely distributed video games in history. The game was created by Finnish engineer Taneli Armanto as a side project at Nokia, and it went on to define mobile gaming for an entire decade.

This recreation includes four difficulty modes (Classic, Fast, Impossible, and a rotating Daily Challenge), a global leaderboard, and support for keyboard, touch, and swipe controls. It runs on any modern browser, desktop or mobile.

How to Play

Use the arrow keys or WASD on desktop. On mobile, use the on-screen D-pad or swipe in any direction. The snake moves on its own. Your job is to steer it toward food, avoid the walls, and avoid your own tail. Each piece of food adds one point and grows the snake by one segment. The game ends when you collide with a wall or with yourself.

Looking for strategies? Read the full controls, rules, and strategy guide or check out our 7 tips that actually improve your score.

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Frequently Asked Questions

▸What is the original Snake game?
Snake is an arcade-style game that was pre-installed on Nokia mobile phones starting with the Nokia 6110 in 1997. You control a growing line (the snake) that moves around the screen, eating food to grow longer while avoiding walls and your own tail. Between 1997 and 2007, Nokia shipped over 400 million phones with some version of Snake installed, making it one of the most widely played video games in history.
▸Is this the original Snake game?
This is a faithful browser-based recreation of the 1997 Nokia Snake game. The gameplay mechanics (grid-based movement, wall collisions, food spawning, progressive speed increase) match the original, and the two-tone LCD color palette replicates the Nokia 6110 display. The game runs inside a photorealistic retro phone frame. It works in any modern browser with no download required.
▸What is the highest score possible in Snake?
The theoretical maximum is 297 points. The playing field is a 20 by 15 grid (300 cells), the snake starts at 3 segments, and each food pellet is worth one point. That means 297 pellets before the snake fills the entire board. In practice, a perfect game is extremely difficult because the snake must navigate increasingly tight spaces at progressively higher speeds.
▸Can I play Snake without ads?
Yes. Ads on this site are placed well outside the game area and never appear during active gameplay. There are no pre-roll videos, interstitials, or pop-ups. The game loads instantly. You can also add it to your home screen as a web app for a fullscreen experience on mobile.
▸Is Snake the most played mobile game ever?
Snake is widely considered one of the most played mobile games in history. Nokia shipped over 400 million phones with Snake pre-installed between 1997 and 2007, giving it an install base that few games have matched. Modern titles like Candy Crush Saga and Subway Surfers have since surpassed Snake in total downloads, but Snake held the position of most widespread mobile game for nearly a decade.
▸How do you play Snake?
Use the arrow keys or WASD on your keyboard to steer the snake in four directions. The snake moves on its own, and you can only change its direction. Eat the food pellets that appear on the screen to score points and grow longer. Avoid the walls and your own tail. The game ends when the snake hits either one. On mobile, use the on-screen D-pad or swipe gestures. The how to play guide covers controls, rules, and strategies in full detail.

View all 28 questions

About This Recreation

The Original Snake is a fan-made project built with care for the game that started mobile gaming. It is free, open to everyone, and will always be. The game runs on HTML5 Canvas with no external game frameworks, optimized for fast load times and accurate gameplay. If you remember playing Snake on a Nokia phone, this is the closest you can get to that experience in a browser. Read the full history.