What you need
Complete the setup, drawing, game loop, input, collision, and state lessons first.
Build a small Snake game
This project joins the beginner lessons into one playable loop: input changes direction, each tick moves the snake, food adds score, and a self-hit ends the run.
Runnable mini Snake
Use the arrow keys, then choose Restart after a game over.
What you will learn
How a small state object turns several separate game ideas into a complete playable rule set.
Build order
- Draw a grid and one snake segment.
- Move one grid cell per tick.
- Store a direction from keyboard input.
- Add food, score, and self-collision.
Common mistakes
Do not allow an immediate reversal into the snake’s neck, and reset both the body and direction when restarting.
Use it when
Snake is a good first complete project because the rules are visible and small. It is not a replacement for a larger project architecture once the number of entities and levels grows.
Real game connection
Compare this mini version with the playable Snake game, then return to the beginner route to review any missing step.
Source and update
Canvas drawing and animation concepts are based on MDN’s Canvas tutorial. Updated 2026-07-14; the mini game was checked locally with keyboard input and restart.