Snake (the Classic Game): 12 Valuable Life Lessons We Can Learn

Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco

Out of the many reasons we play the classic snake game, learning valuable life lessons is one we bet you rarely think about. Instead of always using the classic snake game as a means to pass the time or relieve stress, here are life lessons you can learn from playing the classic snake game.

The most important life lesson the classic snake game teaches its players is control in their day-to-day activities. In addition to this, players also learn about the duality of life and how important it is to focus on a set goal. Furthermore, the game’s outcome teaches us to be ready to be rewarded or punished when we do good or bad.

Here are 12 valuable life lessons the classic snake game teaches.

1. The Importance of Control

When playing the classic snake game, you control everything the snake does. This includes navigating the snake to its food and maneuvering the snake to avoid collision. All of these decisions are dependent on the overall control you have.

This situation is a direct representation of our daily activities. Every little move or decision you take makes up what your life becomes. 

As you play the snake game and control its movement, you get to realize you need control in life. This will, in turn, help you pay more attention to how you control your life.

2. Learning the Duality of Life

The movement in the classic snake game is dual in nature. You either go up or down, left or right, eat or don’t eat, survive or collide. 

These movements are a reflection of reality, as we have the good and the bad, light and darkness, wins or losses, living or dying. 

Playing this game helps us see how things truly are. It is always a case of one way or the other.

3. The Advantage of Focusing on Set Goals

Setting a goal is very easy to do. Having dreams, hopes, and aspirations, all of that is easy. However, achieving all these is where the real work lies. 

The goal in the classic snake game is to have the snake grow as much as you possibly can without colliding with obstacles. So, when you play the game, you need to avoid distractions.

It is important to know how to apply this to reality. When you have a goal, you need to learn to focus and avoid obstacles to reach that goal.

4. Movement is Constant

Life is all about moving. Time doesn’t stop moving forward, and you can’t go back in time. When you click “play game,” the game won’t stop unless you exit the game.

This movement is the reality of life. Life waits for no one; you move with the pace and adjust where necessary. It would be best if you learned that life would not wait for you to get it right, so you need to learn to adapt.

5. The Importance of Self-Care

In the classic game of snake, the only time the snake gets to grow longer is when it eats. If it avoids the food, it will not increase in size. 

Caring for oneself is very important because that’s what makes us grow. Eating at the appropriate time, taking time out, and resting. These self-care routines aid our growth and help us carry on with our lives. You can say the snake keeps going because of the food it gets to eat from every direction.

6. Giving up is not an Option

In the classic game of snake, the game always goes on. Even if you exit the game abruptly, you get to continue right where you left off when you go back. The joy you get from not giving up and the feeling of success after winning is worth it. 

In life, the feeling is the same. When life gets tough, it is better to continue trying until you achieve success. If you give up, you lose the euphoria at the end that makes all the struggles worth it. Like the classic game of snake, you can take a break, but always remember you have to finish what you started.

7. Life is in Stages

The classic game of snakes comes in different levels or stages, with the next level a little harder than the previous. This describes life itself. While you’re younger, many times life is easier, especially when you have people to take care of you. As you grow older, you realize the need to be independent and deal with the challenges that arise. 

In this context, the different stages of life are synonymous with that of the classic snake game because it gets tougher as you move higher and grow bigger. However, do not fret; each stage prepares you for the next.

8. Learning not to Self-Destruct

One way to lose the snake game is to collide with any part of the snake. You have to avoid crashing into the other parts of the snake because this will result in “game over”; hence the end of the game. 

This concept of self-destructing also applies to many people. Self-sabotaging is very common, and from the snake game, you can see how crashing into yourself makes everything end.

9. Life is Endless

When playing the classic snake game, the game often ends when you either crash into yourself or a wall. However, this does not mean the end of the snake game; it is only the end of that particular game. The same way life is, if for any reason a person crashes, it does not mean the end of life. Life will go on. 

10. Attention is Key

One key factor in life is paying complete attention to whatever you do. It is crucial for survival, and just like the snake game, when a player starts, they need to give their undivided attention to the game till the end. Paying attention should be encouraged in reality also because paying attention will help you face and scale through life challenges.

11. Learning about Acceptance

After every game, whatever the outcome is, you must know how to deal with it. If you win, you need to be humble and not gloat; if you lose, you should not feel bad. Life also works this way. At the end of your struggles, you should remain humble at your highest and lowest points and learn to accept what you cannot change.

12. What Goes Around Comes Back Around

When playing the classic snake game, the whole box is the only place the snake moves. The snake, the food, and the obstacles are within that box, so wherever the snake goes, it always has to come back because there is nowhere else to go.

In reality, this concept still holds. If you treat someone good or bad, everything still comes back around. You cannot hide from your decisions, and you have to face them eventually.

Difficulties You Might Experience in Snake that are Relatable to Life

The snake game is quite easy to understand. The objective is clear, direct the snake to where the dot appears so the snake can grow and you can beat your high score. As simple as this objective is, here are some reasons why it might be harder to achieve the goal.

Higher Levels Can be a Tad Bit Difficult

Many classic snake games allow you to set the speed of the game to a level you are comfortable with, but as you progress, you’d find out that you’d have to keep up with the increasing level, which translates to increased speed. 

A player might find that the snake crashes faster on a level they cannot handle. In life, also, things might be going faster than you expect; you need to learn to match the pace.

Lack of Patience 

Not many people have been able to reach the end of the snake game. Many even believe that the snake game has no end; however, like everything in life, it does have an end. It takes discipline and patience to reach that level.

Final Thoughts

Life is full of ups and downs, and the classic snake game is only a digital representation of what life feels like. The control we have when playing the game, if applied to our daily lives, can help us understand life more on a grand scale, and this is why games such as the classic snake game stay relevant.