Everyone is crazy about Slither.io, one of the most popular computer games of all time.
Since it came out in 2016, millions of people around the world have signed on every day to improve their snakes, beat their opponents, and try to get to the top of the leaderboard. The idea is easy to grasp. The killing? Deeper than I thought.
About Slither.io: How it came to be, how it works, and how to get good at it are all explained in this book.
From Side Project to Global Phenomenon
Steven Howse, who works alone and runs a small company called Lowtech Studios, made Slither.io.
The game was made over the course of six months and came out on March 25, 2016, for web browsers and iOS. Two days later, on April 2, 2016, an Android version came out.
The game clearly took ideas from two classics: the first Snake game and the incredibly popular web game Agar.io.
Howse’s goal was simple: make something fun for everyone, without any ads or small purchases getting in the way.
Everyone, even Howse himself, was shocked by what happened next. As soon as it came out for mobile devices, Slither.io was number one in both the US and UK App Stores.
By the end of 2016, it was the most-searched-for game on Google in the US. A video from PewDiePie, a YouTuber with almost 100 million viewers at the time, went viral and brought in a huge number of new players. A side project went viral around the world.
Core Gameplay: Eat, Grow, Survive
The rules of Slither.io are easy to grasp. You control a snake in a large arena filled with other players. Your job is to eat glowing orbs scattered across the map, grow as long as possible, and avoid colliding with other snakes.
The moment your snake’s head makes contact with any part of another snake’s body, the game is over. You explode, leaving behind a trail of orbs for other players to scoop up. On the flip side, if you can force another snake to crash into you, they drop all their mass—and you get to feast on it.
Two types of special orbs stand out from the regular ones:
- Death orbs: When a snake is eliminated, it releases a large cluster of glowing pellets. The bigger the snake, the bigger the haul. Rushing toward a fresh kill can rapidly boost your size.
- Floating orbs: These rare orbs drift around the map and will dodge away when you chase them. They offer more mass than standard orbs, so they are worth pursuing when the opportunity arises.
Mastering Movement: Boosts and Collisions
Every person can get a boost that makes their snake move faster for a short time. To use it, left-click on a computer or double-tap on a phone.
What’s the catch? It costs you mass to boost. Every time you speed up, your snake gets a little smaller, and the mass it loses shows up as a line of pellets behind you.
This trade-off makes choices that are interesting. It might be worth it to burn mass to kill a rival snake and get a huge harvest of orbs. But burning too much mass without thinking makes you weak.
To avoid accidents, you have to pay attention all the time. It’s easy for the map to get busy, especially near the middle, where the bigger snakes tend to gather.
For beginners, it’s usually best to stay near the edges at first and get bigger before going into more competitive areas.
Snake Skins and Customization
In Slither.io, you can change how your snake looks before you play. The game lets you change the color and design of your snake’s skin so it stands out in the neon crowd.
You can also use codes to play the game. You can get to a code entry area by typing “Bonkers” into the nickname bar on the main screen.
If the codes work, they let you access more cosmetic things, so you can change how you look even more without spending any money.
Customization in Slither.io is only for looks and doesn’t change how the game is played, but many players like the unique touch it adds.
Where to Play: Platforms and Accessibility
One of Slither.io’s biggest strengths is how easy it is to access. The game requires no download and runs directly in any modern web browser. You can jump in, pick a username, and start playing within seconds.
For those who prefer gaming on the go, dedicated apps are available on both iOS and Android. The mobile version mirrors the browser experience closely, with touch-based controls replacing the mouse and keyboard. Left-clicking becomes a tap, and dragging your finger steers the snake.
Controls across all platforms:
- Mouse/Cursor: Move your cursor to guide the snake
- Left click / Double tap: Activate boost
- Arrow keys: Alternative keyboard controls (best used in full-screen mode)
Tips for Climbing the Leaderboard
Getting to the top of the leaderboard takes more than just eating orbs. Here are the strategies that separate experienced players from beginners:
Start small, stay patient. Resist the urge to engage other snakes immediately. In the early game, focus entirely on collecting orbs and building mass. Picking unnecessary fights when you’re still small is the fastest way to end a run.
Move toward the center as you grow. The middle of the map is where the largest snakes roam and where the most action happens. Once you have enough size to defend yourself, heading toward the center gives you better access to kill orbs and rival snakes.
Use the coiling trap. A popular advanced strategy involves circling a smaller snake and tightening the loop until they have nowhere to go. Once a snake is trapped, they have no choice but to collide with your body. This technique works best when you have a clear size advantage.
Cut off opponents with a boost. When a nearby snake explodes, rather than charging straight at the orbs, try cutting across their orb trail first. This blocks other players from reaching the mass while you collect it. Similarly, boosting in front of a rival snake’s head forces them to crash into you.
Use boosts strategically, not constantly. Burning through your mass for no reason leaves you smaller and more vulnerable. Save boosts for kills, escapes, and competitive orb collection.
Stay aware of the map. The minimap in the lower right corner of the screen shows your position relative to the arena boundaries. Getting cornered near the edge is a common way to die other snakes can use the border to trap you with little room to maneuver.
Ready to Play?
Most computer games only last a few months, but Slither.io has been around for almost ten years. Its draw comes from being both easy to learn and really hard to master. Anyone can pick it up, but it takes real skill to get good at it.
The arena is always open, whether you want to get to the top of the leaderboard or just have some competitive fun.
Start your first game at slither.io. There is no need to sign up or download anything. It’s just you and a few hundred other snakes competing for first place.
Conclusion
Slither.io is an easy but very fun game that combines skill, strategy, and competition. No matter how long you’ve been playing, the thrill of navigating the field, outsmarting other players, and trying to get to the top of the leaderboard keeps things interesting.
It’s easy to play and fun to keep playing Slither.io, which is why it’s still a favorite among gamers all over the world. Prepare your moves, and test your skills to see if you can become the largest snake in the game.
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