Three weeks ago, I released my classic browser-based snake game—a project I started 15 years ago—under a free and open-source license.

In my previous post, I introduced the various systems that bring the game to life. In this post, I’ll explore how these systems interact to create a balanced and engaging gameplay experience.

Adaptive game board

The game board has a minimum size of 30 × 20 squares, but it dynamically adjusts to accommodate various aspect ratios.

The final board size directly influences other systems. For instance, the snake can only ever consume up to 30 × 20 food pieces. On boards with larger aspect ratios, each food item contributes additional squares to the snake’s tail, resulting in faster growth.

More examples of this interplay are discussed below.

Movement

The snake’s speed is calibrated so that the average of the board’s width and height is traversed within a specific time frame. This duration is determined by the initial speed setting chosen by the player—ranging from one second at the highest speed to six seconds at the lowest speed.

Food

Consuming gray food temporarily boosts the snake’s speed and triggers earlier spawning of colorful food. Meanwhile, eating colorful food provides an even greater temporary speed boost. The duration of these boosts is calculated based on the average board dimensions, ensuring that players can cover a consistent distance along the board regardless of its aspect ratio.

Balancing risk and reward

At the start of the game, speed boosts from food consumption create a fun, fast-paced experience. However, as the snake grows and covers more of the board, these boosts can become a liability. To mitigate this:

• Growth-based reduction: The boost effect is gradually reduced as the snake’s length increases, helping to prevent accidental collisions in the crowded mid- and end-game.

• Collision prevention: When boosted, the snake will pause before any collision for the duration it would take an unboosted snake to move one cell. This pause gives players a brief moment to adjust their direction and avoid mistakes.

To encourage food-seeking even during the mid- and end-game—when collision risks are higher and players are more cautious—the game increases the spawn probability of rare food items as the board becomes more crowded. Skilled players who successfully consume every colorful food further boost their chances of encountering exceedingly rare items.