You, the poor snake, were plucked from the high desert and dumped into this
drab experimental laboratory. Did they ask you if you wanted a change in
lifestyle? Noooo. You break out in no time (being a hyperintelligent snake)
and start looking for a way out. Fortunately there are plenty of goodies on
the way to eat while you’re waiting for a door to open. Can you make it out
of the gigantic university hospital? Can you survive the unrelenting assault
of level after level of NON STOP PARANOIA?? Are you just trying to read the
flipping rules and get on with it? Read on…
Grow longer by maneuvering your snake around obstacles and eating (running
into) the various goodies placed on the screen. The first goodie is a nice
fat rat. Yum yum. (Goodies get progressively stranger as the game goes on)
Avoid hitting anything else, including yourself or other snakes.
If you take too long getting to a goodie, it will begin to blink and
eventually disappear (Strike one). If you allow three goodies to disappear
on a single level, the game is over. In other words, three strikes and
yer out!
After you eat a specified number of goodies (selectable from the main menu)
an exit will open up. Exit right away or stay and eat more goodies for bonus
points.
If you eat all of the goodies on a given level you will receive an extra
bonus. The timer is still running, though, so exit right away or you’ll get
strikes against you.
If you’re about to run into a obstacle or have trapped yourself, hit the Coil
key. This stops the snake — once per level. Don’t hit a direction key until
you want to move. You can wait as long as you like to move, but the timer
keeps running in the two player game.
You get two lives per level, but goodies eaten before you die are not
cumulative. (i.e. if you have eaten 10 goodies and you die, you get set back
to none.)
Another thing that really makes Slither enjoyable for me is how it manages to stay interesting even after playing it multiple times. Many games feel repetitive after a while, but here, the experience still feels fresh because of the small details and different ways you can approach the gameplay. As you continue playing, you naturally start improving and understanding the mechanics better, which makes everything feel more rewarding. I also appreciate the balance the game maintains—it’s not too difficult, but it’s not too easy either. You can play it casually for a short break or spend longer sessions without getting bored. That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons why I keep coming back to Slither. Overall, it’s the kind of game that doesn’t just entertain you for a moment, but actually gives you a consistently enjoyable experience every time you play.
