Snake (video game genre)

The genre originated in the 1976 competitive arcade video game Blockade from Gremlin Industries where the goal is to survive longer than the other player.

The concept evolved into a single-player variant where a line with a head and tail gets longer with each piece of food eaten—often apples or eggs—increasing the likelihood of self-collision.

The "head" of the snake continually moves forward, unable to stop, growing ever longer.

Single-player versions are less prevalent and have one or more snakes controlled by the computer, as in the light cycles segment of the 1982 Tron arcade game.

The Snake genre began with the 1976 arcade video game Blockade[2][3] developed and published by Gremlin Industries.

The first known home computer version, Worm, was programmed by Peter Trefonas for the TRS-80 and published by CLOAD magazine in 1978.

An authorized version of the Hustle arcade game, itself a clone of Blockcade, was published by Milton Bradley for the TI-99/4A in 1980.

In 1996, Next Generation ranked it number 41 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", citing the need for both quick reactions and forethought.