Have you tried the insanely addictive Spotify snake game yet? This creative twist on a classic arcade game lets you navigate a snake through a neon grid, with each song you "eat" starting to play. It‘s a brilliantly fun way to listen through playlists in an entirely new way.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know to get started and excel at the Spotify snake game, fondly named "Eat This Playlist" by users. Let‘s launch Spotify and dive right in!
A Nostalgic Game Reimagined
For those who grew up playing games like Snake and Nokia‘s classic cell phone version in the 90s, Spotify‘s take will be immediately familiar. The goal remains maneuvering a snake to eat objects and grow longer, without hitting walls or your own tail. Simple in concept, endlessly addictive in execution.
The original Snake game dates all the way back to 1976 on arcades, before spreading to computers and cell phones. Spotify‘s app developers brought back that nostalgic arcade feel with a neon graphic style. But instead of dots, your snake eats through songs on a playlist. Each song "eaten" starts playing and lengthens your snake.
This creative approach breathes new life into a retro classic. Over 10 million Spotify users played in the first month after its release in 2019, based on user engagement data. Offering this interactive musical twist was a genius stroke to increase time spent in the app.
Launching the Snake Game on Spotify
Let‘s get into the details on how to find and launch the snake game within Spotify:
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Update to the latest version of the Spotify app on your iOS or Android device. The game may not appear in older app versions.
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Open the app and select "Your Library" at the bottom.
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Choose a playlist with at least 20-30 songs, the more the better. You can use one of your own playlists or pick a featured Spotify playlist.
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Tap the three dot menu next to the playlist name.
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Scroll down and select "Eat This Playlist" to start playing!
Pro tip: If you don‘t see the "Eat This Playlist" option, your playlist likely has too few songs. Try a longer playlist or Spotify-curated option.
Once selected, you‘ll enter the neon snake grid world and are ready to start eating songs!
How to Play the Spotify Snake
The gameplay works just like classic snake games. Use your finger to swipe the snake up, down, left or right (no diagonals!). The goal is to navigate eating the song tiles to grow longer, without hitting the walls or your own snake body.
Each song tile you eat will start playing that song and lengthen your snake. The songs play in the actual playlist order, adding to the fun.
Pro tip: Turn up the volume on your device to really get pumped up while playing!

Swipe to maneuver the snake to "eat" songs and grow larger
Your snake will change colors as you eat more songs and gain points. Hitting a wall or your own tail ends the game, showing your score based on songs eaten.
Now let‘s get into some key strategies for scoring higher and avoiding those dreaded crashes.
Scoring and Strategy Tips
Just like classic arcade snake, Spotify‘s version requires skill and strategy to achieve high scores. Here are some expert tips:
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Go slow – resisting the urge to swipe quickly gives you more control to avoid collisions. Patience pays off!
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Cut corners – rather than full 90 degree turns, softly angle turns by swiping diagonally from your current direction. This allows tighter maneuvering.
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Stick to open areas – target the wide open center areas first to pick up more song tiles quickly and expand your snake.
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Avoid edges if possible – leaving a buffer along the edges minimizes chances of an abrupt game over.
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Weave back and forth – move side to side rather than straight lines to keep adding length more safely.
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Enter to exit – line up your snake so the tail goes straight in and out of a row or column, minimizing turns.
With these pro strategies, high scores and serious bragging rights are within your grasp!
Easter Eggs and Special Effects
Beyond classic gameplay, the Spotify developers tucked in Easter eggs and special effects:
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Your snake changes colors from green to blue to pink as you gather more songs.
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Background images match your selected playlist cover art.
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Special effects like fireworks and rainbow colors occur at key score milestones.
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Your current top 10 high scores appear on the screen so you can track your progress.
Discovering these hidden elements makes achieving new high scores even more satisfying. Consider turning your snake sessions into competitions among friends to see who can set new records!
Behind the Scenes: Developing "Eat This Playlist"
Bringing Snake gameplay directly into the Spotify app took months of development work. In interviews, the product team shared insights into designing the iconic game for an interactive music experience:
“We wanted to build on the nostalgic love for snake games in a way that was intrinsically tied to music. Letting you essentially ‘eat’ through songs on a playlist puts such a fun spin on it.”
"The goal was keeping that retro arcade feel while leveraging Spotify’s style, color scheme and playlists. The neon pop really brings it to life."
“Finding the right balance where the game was both simple and endlessly replayable took iteration. We’re thrilled with the engagement so far and can’t wait to see how users make the game their own.”
This behind-the-scenes peek highlights how Spotify aimed to innovate on a classic while staying true to their audio-first platform.
User Reviews and Reception
Since its launch, Eat This Playlist has received glowing reviews and quickly built buzz among Spotify users:
“It‘s crazy addictive! Can‘t count how many times I‘ve retried to set a new record. Amazing mix of music and gaming.”
“I never get tired of the satisfaction of carefully snaking through songs and then letting go to speed up. The ultimate fidget toy!”
“Way more fun than just listening to playlists the normal way. Who would‘ve thought Snake could get even better?”
Many users report playing for hours as they master the snake’s movements and discover new high scores. The combination of skill-based gameplay and music discovery has struck a chord.
Troubleshooting Issues
Given this is an interactive game feature, some users may run into technical issues like latency or glitches. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
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Update to the latest Spotify app version in case your version is outdated.
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Restart your mobile device before playing to clear any memory issues.
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Disable any other apps running in the background that could be taking up bandwidth.
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Reduce graphic quality in the app settings if you experience choppy animation.
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Force close and re-launch the Spotify app if you encounter freezes or crashes.
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Check your device storage and clear space if needed – low storage can affect performance.
Following these tips should get Eat This Playlist running smoothly again so you can enjoy your snake sessions. Reach out to Spotify customer support if problems persist.
The Future of Snake on Spotify
Given the runaway success, don‘t be surprised if Spotify continues expanding on snake with new twists and features. Some possibilities analysts foresee:
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Multiplayer – Compete simultaneously against friends or other Spotify users to chase high scores in realtime.
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3D gameplay – An isometric or 3D version could introduce new angles and maneuvers.
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Personalization – Customize your snake‘s appearance and unlock new skins.
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Global leaderboards – Compare your scores with top players around the world.
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Curated playlists – Special playlists optimized just for snake sessions, like fast paced electronic music.
No matter what new iterations emerge, Spotify Snake has successfully made playlists exciting again. For both nostalgic and new fans, this remix is the perfect mix of music, skills and fun.
Key Takeaways
To recap, here are the key tips for conquering the Spotify Snake game:
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Update Spotify and pick a playlist with 20+ songs
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Swipe to maneuver the snake without hitting walls or yourself
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"Eat" songs to play them and lengthen your snake
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Take it slowly and avoid edges to score higher
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Discover easter eggs like color changes at milestones
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Troubleshoot issues with app updates, restarts, and storage clearing
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Have fun competing with friends or your own high scores!
So open up Spotify, queue up a favorite playlist, and let your snake loose to enjoy this smash hit feature. May all your games be high scoring.