Inkworm is a snake game played on a sheet of squared paper. You steer a line of wet ink around the page, eating drops to grow longer, while the page fills up with your own line. The twist is that your pen can run dry: every square you draw uses ink, so you are racing the cartridge as well as your own tail.
How Inkworm works
- The worm moves one square at a time and never stops. You choose which way it turns.
- Each ink drop makes the worm one square longer, refills the cartridge and scores points. The fuller your cartridge when you eat, the more that drop is worth, from 10 up to 15 points, and a drop eaten on a dry pen scores nothing.
- Running into your own line ends the game. In Classic and Doodles, so does touching the edge of the page or a doodle.
- The worm speeds up a little with every drop, gently at first.
The ink cartridge
The cartridge above the board shows how much ink is left. Every square you draw leaves a fading trail and uses a little ink, and the longer the worm gets, the more each square uses.
As the cartridge runs low the worm starts to hurry, and on a dry pen it races along at its fastest, with a thin, pale line. The next drop refills the pen and steadies the worm, but a drop eaten dry scores nothing, so it pays never to let the ink run out.
Red blots
Every so often a red blot lands on the page. Eat it before it dries up and your worm gets a dashed ring around its head: the next time it runs into its own line it passes straight through, once. A blot is worth 25 points and adds a little ink, but it will not save you from a wall or a doodle.
Game modes
- Classic: pen-drawn walls around the page. Hit one and the game is over.
- Wrap: no walls. Leave one side of the page and you come back on the opposite side.
- Doodles: walls plus fixed pen-drawn obstacles. Eat 10 drops to turn to the next page, with new doodles, a full cartridge and a shorter worm, though your speed carries on.
- Daily page: one page of doodles a day, the same for every player. Eat 20 drops without crashing to finish it, and keep your streak going.
Controls
- On a computer, steer with the arrow keys or W, A, S and D.
- On a phone or tablet, swipe anywhere on the board. You can keep your finger down and swipe again to make another turn.
- If you would rather press buttons, switch on the arrows in the mode panel.
- To pause, press P or Escape on a computer, or use the Pause button on a phone. The game also pauses by itself when you switch tabs, and carries on from the same spot if you reload the page.
Tips for a higher score
- Make the moves early. Two quick turns in a row both count, so you can line up a U-turn before you need it.
- Stay close to the walls and fill the page in neat rows. A tidy worm leaves the middle open for longer.
- Keep an eye on the cartridge. Going straight to a drop saves ink, a full cartridge scores more, and a low one makes the worm hurry just when you need to be careful.
- Save a blot for when you are boxed in, instead of using it the moment you pick it up.
- On Wrap, use the edges as shortcuts to the next drop.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this snake game free?
- Yes. Inkworm is free to play in your browser, with no download and no account.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes. Swipe on the board to steer, or turn on the arrow buttons. It works in portrait and on its side.
- What happens when the ink runs out?
- You do not lose straight away, but the worm speeds up as the ink runs low and races when it is gone, and the drop you eat on a dry pen scores nothing. Eat one and the worm steadies again.
- What does the red blot do?
- It lets the worm pass through its own line once. Eat it before it dries up. It does not protect you from walls or doodles.
- Will I lose my game if I close the page?
- No. Your game and best scores are kept in this browser. When you come back the game is paused where you left it.
- How does the daily page work?
- Everyone gets the same page of doodles and the same drops each day. Eat 20 drops to finish it. Your time and streak stay in this browser, and a new page arrives at midnight UTC.