Snake Pit (2002)

Overview

Snake Pit is a free, downloadable tile-laying strategy game. Players start the game by drawing five tiles which they then keep hidden behind a screen. Each turn, the player lays two tiles and then draws replacements from the bag. Tiles are double-sided (where each side is the mirror image of the other), so tiles can be flipped as well as rotated. The idea of the game is to score points by completing snakes. The longer the snake, the more points you score (and you can score double points by completing two snakes with one move). Because any tiles played must match existing tiles on the table, it is possible to block opponent's plays as well as setting oneself up for a big score. There is a constant anxiety over whether to complete a snake to secure the points, or extend it in the hope of landing a bigger score later on.