How to Play Snake

Getting Started

Nokia Snake is a single-player arcade game where you guide a growing snake around a rectangular playing field. The objective is to eat as many food pellets as possible without crashing into the walls or your own tail. Each food pellet adds 10 points to your score and makes the snake one segment longer. The game ends when the snake collides with any obstacle.

To start a game, press the Enter key on your keyboard, tap the Start button on the phone frame, or press the center button on the directional pad. The snake begins moving immediately — there is no countdown.

Controls

Desktop (Keyboard)

• Arrow Keys — Up, Down, Left, Right to steer the snake
• WASD Keys — Alternative directional controls (W up, A left, S down, D right)
• Enter — Start a new game
• Space / Escape — Pause and resume the game

Mobile (Touch)

• On-Screen D-Pad — Tap the directional buttons below the screen
• Swipe Gestures — Swipe in any direction on the screen to steer the snake

Game Rules

1. 1The snake moves continuously in the current direction at a constant speed. You control only the direction, not the speed.
2. 2When the snake's head reaches a food pellet, the snake grows by one segment and you earn 10 points. A new food pellet appears at a random location.
3. 3The game speed increases at certain score thresholds, making the snake move faster as you progress.
4. 4The game ends immediately if the snake's head hits a wall or any part of its own body.
5. 5After the game ends, you can submit your score to the global leaderboard with a nickname (3-12 characters).

Difficulty Modes

Tips and Strategies

For Beginners

• Focus on survival first, high scores second. Get comfortable with the controls before trying to play aggressively.
• Stay near the center of the playing field when the snake is short. This gives you maximum room to maneuver in any direction.
• Move deliberately. It is better to take a longer path to food than to rush into a corner and trap yourself.

For Advanced Players

• Develop a perimeter circuit — travel along the edges of the playing field in a consistent loop. This keeps the interior open and gives you a safe default path when food spawns in unpredictable locations.
• Use zigzag patterns to fill space systematically when the snake gets very long. Alternate between horizontal passes, moving one row at a time, to cover the board without creating dead-end pockets.
• Think several moves ahead. Before turning toward food, visualize where your tail will be by the time you reach it. The most common cause of death at high scores is turning into a section of tail that was not there when you started the turn.
• Do not chase food into tight spaces. If food spawns in a position that would require you to enter a narrow gap between your body and a wall, continue your circuit and wait for the space to open up as your tail moves away.