Complete Tutorial: Develop Your Own Snake Game Using Unity

Know how to develop a classic Snake game in Unity with step-by-step guidance from setup and movement to mobile deployment and game publishing.

Highlights

• Unity supports over 20 platforms, making it ideal for cross-platform mobile game development.
• Mobile games account for 50% of global gaming revenue, led by casual games like Snake.
• Over 2.7 billion people play mobile games worldwide, showing massive potential reach.

Co-Founder

Vandana Abrol

5 min read

An enthusiastic developer and skilled business management expert with over a decade of experience in the field

Unity is one of the most powerful and widely used game development engines, providing an excellent platform for both beginners and experienced developers. It supports creating games for a wide range of platforms, including mobile devices, desktops, and even consoles. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the steps of developing your own Snake game using Unity, ensuring a smooth learning experience without overwhelming you with technical jargon.

Why Choose Snake Game Development?

The snake game app development is a perfect choice for beginners. It’s easy to understand yet provides enough complexity to get a good grasp of key game development concepts. This game offers an excellent opportunity to dive into game logic, collision detection, object movement, and scoring. Additionally, as a developer, you’ll also gain experience that can be transferred to more advanced mobile game app development projects.

Whether you are an Android app developer or iOS app developer, this tutorial will provide you with the skills to design, develop, and deploy a classic Snake game on your mobile device. Let’s dive into the process step by step. Unity reports that its engine supports over 20 platforms, making it ideal for mobile game development.

Step 1: Set Up Unity and Create a New Project

First, we need to set up Unity and start a new project.

1. Download and Install Unity: Head to the official Unity website and download the latest version. The Unity Hub will guide you through the installation process.
2. Create a New Project: Open Unity Hub, click on “New Project,” and choose the 2D template. Name your project “SnakeGame” and select a location to save it.

After the project loads, you'll be in the Unity Editor, where you will begin building your game.

Step 2: Design the Game Area

Before writing any code, let’s set up the visual components of the game.

Create the Background:

Right-click in the Hierarchy window and choose Create > 2D Object > Sprite.

Rename the sprite to "GameArea" and resize it to create a clean, bounded area for your Snake to move around in.

Set a dark colour for the background to keep it simple, such as black or green, resembling a traditional Snake game.

Create the Snake:

In the Hierarchy window, right-click again and select Create > 2D Object > Sprite to create the Snake’s head.

Rename the sprite to “SnakeHead.” Adjust the size to fit your design, keeping it small enough for an intuitive experience.

Apply a bright color, like green, to make the Snake’s head stand out.

Create the Food:

Similarly, create another sprite named "Food" for the object that the Snake will eat to grow.

Choose a distinct color, like red, to differentiate it from the Snake.

Optional: Create the Walls:

For added difficulty, you can create walls around the play area. This step is optional, but it can enhance the challenge.

Step 3: Implement Snake Movement Logic

The next step in on-demand snake game development is to implement the movement of the Snake. The Snake will move in four directions: up, down, left, and right. You’ll be handling the input from the user and making the Snake move accordingly.

In Unity, we can use C# to handle the input and movement. Here’s how it works:

Handling User Input:

The player will control the Snake using the arrow keys or swipe gestures, depending on the platform.

Each time a key is pressed (e.g., up, down, left, right), the Snake should change direction and move in the corresponding direction.

Snake Movement:

Every time the Snake moves, it needs to be updated in Unity’s game world. The transform.Translate function will be responsible for updating the position of the Snake’s head based on the chosen direction.

Game Loop:

The Snake’s position will be updated in the game loop, which runs continuously, ensuring the game remains responsive to player input. This loop handles the Snake’s movement and checks for collisions with other objects, such as food or the Snake’s body.

Step 4: Add Snake Growth When Eating Food

One of the core mechanics of Snake is that the Snake grows longer every time it eats food. This part of the game logic involves adding new segments to the Snake’s body.

Increase Snake Length:

Each time the Snake eats food, the length of the Snake increases. The newly added segments will follow the head of the Snake, creating the effect of growth.

To do this, you'll create additional body segments and place them in the appropriate position relative to the Snake's head.

Respawn Food:

Once the Snake eats the food, a new piece of food should appear in a random location within the game area. This ensures the player always has something to chase, keeping the game dynamic.

Step 5: Detect Collisions

The Snake must lose the game if it collides with the wall or itself. This is a critical aspect of the game, making it challenging and fun to play. Newzoo data shows that mobile games account for 50% of global gaming revenue, driven by casual games.

Colliding with Walls:

If the Snake hits the walls, it should trigger a game-over condition. This can be implemented by detecting when the Snake’s head touches any of the boundaries of the game area.

Colliding with the Body:

The game should also detect if the Snake runs into its own body. If the head collides with any segment of the body, it’s another game-over condition.

Game Over Mechanism:

When a collision occurs, you can trigger a game-over screen. This can be a simple message, such as "Game Over" along with the final score, and the option to restart the game.

Step 6: Set Up Scoring

A simple scoring system will make the game more engaging. Every time the Snake eats food, the player should earn points.

Display the Score:

Create a score counter that increments each time the Snake eats food. Display the score in a corner of the screen for easy viewing.

Update the score each time the Snake eats, and show the player’s final score when the game ends.

Step 7: Build the Game for Mobile (Android and iOS)

Once your snake mobile app game is complete and working in the Unity editor, it’s time to build the game for mobile platforms. Unity makes it easy to deploy games to both Android and iOS. Statista reports show that over 2.7 billion people play mobile games worldwide, showing massive potential reach.

Building for Android:

Open Unity’s Build Settings and select Android from the platform list.

Switch to the Android platform and click Build to generate an APK file for your game.

Building for iOS:

Similarly, switch the platform to iOS and click Build and Run to generate an Xcode project.

Once the project is built, you can open it in Xcode and run it on an iOS device or submit it to the App Store.

Step 8: Publish the Game

After building the game for Android or iOS, you’re ready to distribute it. You can upload your game to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, allowing players to download and enjoy your game.

If you want to go beyond the basics and explore monetization, you can implement in-app ads or a purchase system to monetize your game.

Final Words

Building a Snake game using Unity is a fantastic way to learn the basics of game development. From setting up the game area to handling movement, collisions, and growth, each part of the process teaches valuable skills. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a fully functioning Snake game that you can build for mobile platforms like Android and iOS.

Whether you’re an app development company or an individual developer, Unity provides a robust platform to create engaging games. For those considering developing their Snake game mobile app, this tutorial provides a solid foundation for starting your project. If you want to expand the scope further, Unity’s flexibility allows for easy scaling of the game to add new features, making it perfect for anyone interested in on-demand app development or mobile game development.

Develop Your Own Snake Game App Using Unity with Digittrix

Developing a Snake game app is an exciting and rewarding project that combines creativity with technical skills. Whether you’re aiming to create a simple nostalgic experience or a modern take on the classic, the process involves various stages, from game concept and design to development and deployment. The platform (Android or iOS), gameplay mechanics, and visual style all play a vital role in shaping the development timeline and final product.

If you’re ready to bring your Snake game app idea to life, Digittrix is here to help. With over 14 years of experience in mobile game development, we specialize in creating high-quality Snake games that run seamlessly across platforms like Android and iOS. Our team of expert developers ensures every phase of your game’s development, from conceptualization to launch, is executed with precision and care.

Whether you want to create a simple Snake game, add unique features, or enhance the classic experience with modern graphics and advanced gameplay mechanics, Digittrix offers complete, end-to-end solutions. We follow a structured development process, ensuring that your game provides both an engaging experience and lasting user appeal.

Ready to develop your Snake game app? Schedule a consultation with our expert game developers today by calling +91 8727000867. For inquiries, feel free to reach out to us at digittrix@gmail.com.