Byte Snake: The Snake Game With Bits
The classic snake game with a binary twist. Eat the 0 and 1 bits to grow, fill an 8-bit byte for a bonus, and grab the golden FF before it disappears. Do not hit the walls or your own tail. Free in your browser, with arrow keys, swipes or on-screen buttons.
Arrow keys or WASD to steer, swipe on a touch screen, P or Space to pause.
How to play Byte Snake
- Press Start game. The snake starts moving to the right straight away.
- Steer with the arrow keys or W A S D. On a phone, swipe on the board or use the arrow buttons below it.
- Eat the 0 and 1 bits. Each one adds a segment and goes into the byte shown above the board.
- Avoid the walls and your own body. You can turn as fast as you like: quick key presses are queued, so a sharp U-turn works.
Scoring
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Eat a bit | +10, snake grows by one |
| Complete a byte (8 bits) | +20, plus 5 for every 1 in it; the byte’s value is shown in hex |
| Golden FF (appears now and then, for 6 seconds) | +50, snake grows by two |
A byte of all ones, 11111111, is 255 in decimal and FF in hexadecimal, which is why the golden bit is worth the most. When a byte is complete, the game shows its value the way programmers write it, for example 01001011 = 0x4B. Try the Number Base Converter to check the maths.
Tips for a longer snake
- Stay near the edges early on and leave the middle open; a long snake needs room to turn.
- Do not chase the golden FF if the path cuts through your own body. 50 points are not worth the game.
- Press P or Space to pause before you lose track; the game also pauses when you switch tabs.
- The snake speeds up with every bit, up to a limit. Plan two turns ahead rather than one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Byte Snake free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no download, account or in-game purchases.
Can I play snake on my phone?
Yes. Swipe on the board in the direction you want to go, or use the arrow buttons under it.
What is the difference between a bit and a byte?
A bit is a single binary digit, 0 or 1. A byte is a group of eight bits, so it can hold 256 different values, from 0 to 255 (00 to FF in hexadecimal).
Where is my best score saved?
Only in this browser’s local storage. Nothing is sent to us, and clearing your site data resets it.