Remember the Snake game we used to play on our Nokia phones?
The thrill of the first mobile game we played and won is definitely something we can’t forget.
Before Candy Crush or Angry Birds, there was a simple iconic game on the basic mobile phone change the landscape of mobile gaming forever. The famous retro game Snake 1997 is still a refreshing memory to many even in 2025. Different generations played the game in different versions. It initially appeared as a little pixelated snake that was slithering across the screen and consuming dots. With classic sounds and simple controls it captured the nostalgia of the era. But do you know the story behind it? Let’s dive in.
Before achieving its status as a global mobile phenomenon, its roots trace back to the 1976 arcade game Blockade and earlier home versions like Worm. Blockade, a 1976 arcade game developed by Gremlin, was the first Snake-style game. In 1997, Snake game was launched in Nokia 6110. Developed by Nokia Design Engineer and User Interface Software designer Taneli Armanto, this pre-installed game provided an addictive experience.
The rules were simple:
You control a snake that moves around the screen, eating food to grow longer.
The game ends if the snake hits itself or the edges of the screen.
The goal is to eat as much food as possible and achieve a high score.
Snake was one of three games introduced in 1997. The other two were called as Logic and Memory. Taneli Armanto, the game’s developer, modified the idea to accommodate the early mobile phones’ black-and-white screens and small memory. But this straightforward game was a turning point in the development of mobile entertainment. The idea of playing games on a mobile device was groundbreaking at the time. Although communication was still the main use of mobile phones, Nokia’s Snake game demonstrated that phones could also be used for pleasure.
The maximum possible points on level one is 312 and on level is 2008.
In 1998 Nokia 7110 owners introduced a a local two-player version, in which palayers connect through their phones’ infra-red. When the game was added on the legendary Nokia 3310 in 1999, with an enhanced version that included bonuses and mazes, its popularity skyrocketed. A more recent, colorized updated version of Snake was made available on the re-released Nokia 3310 in 2017. This version, called “Snake Xenzia”. The bright colours and additional visual details lend a new element of energy to the game while maintaining its retro roots.
Google has incorporated Snake games into its applications. In 2010, YouTube added Snake as a hidden game inside of their video player. Google surprised its users by featuring a playable version of the classic game on its homepage to celebrate the 2013 Chinese New Year, which was the Year of the Snake. The game was hidden behind the usual Google logo, which would transform into the game when clicked.
In 2005, Taneli Armanto, received a special award from the Mobile Entertainment Forum for his contribution to the growth of the mobile entertainment industry. The Snake game was a nostalgic throwback due to its simplicity and addictive nature.
