Play Snake in Your Browser’s Address Bar — The Ultimate URL Hack
What Is “URL Snake”?
Imagine turning your browser’s address bar into a mini-game console.
That’s exactly what URL Snake does. It’s a creative web experiment that lets you play the classic Snake game directly inside your URL bar — no graphics, no canvas, just pure text and Unicode magic.
You can try it here:
https://demian.ferrei.ro/snake
Screenshots
| Example | Description |
|---|---|
| The Snake rendered as Braille symbols inside the URL bar |
 | Each game frame creates a new URL in your browser history |
 | The URL stops updating when you crash |
💡 How It Works
At first glance, this seems impossible — the URL bar is just text!
But here’s the genius part:
- Unicode Braille as Pixels
Each Braille character represents an 8-dot grid (2×4). The game uses these dots as pixels to draw the snake and food. - Rendering via the URL Hash
Every frame of the game is encoded into the#part of the URL — for example:https://demian.ferrei.ro/snake#⠠⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤As the snake moves, the page updates this section of the URL to redraw the game. - Keyboard Controls
You move with arrow keys (or WASD). The game listens for key presses and updates the snake’s position. - Browser History Overflow
Each change updates the URL → meaning every frame is a new entry in your browser history.
Tip: Use Incognito mode to avoid clutter.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these simple steps to play:
| Step | What to Do | What You’ll See |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Chrome, Firefox, or Edge (desktop preferred) | A blank tab |
| 2 | Visit https://demian.ferrei.ro/snake | Minimal web page loads |
| 3 | Wait for the game to start or press any arrow key | URL changes to include Braille characters |
| 4 | Use ← ↑ ↓ → or WASD to move | Snake moves as the URL updates |
| 5 | Eat the dot “food” to grow | Score increases |
| 6 | Avoid hitting walls or yourself | Game resets on collision |
Known Quirks
- Works best on desktop browsers with full URL bars visible
- Mobile browsers often hide or shorten URLs, making the game unplayable
- Some browsers may throttle frequent URL updates
- Expect rapid history growth (hundreds of entries)
Why It’s Brilliant
- Turns the address bar into a display
- Uses Braille Unicode for efficient text-based graphics
- Totally client-side, no data tracking or network calls
- Open-source and hackable — the code is on GitHub
- It’s a fun way to learn about URL hashes, Unicode, and browser behavior
Want to Explore the Code?
The project is open source — you can view it here:
https://github.com/epidemian/snake
Try forking it and rendering your own mini-games using the same URL-hash method.
URL Snake is a perfect example of how playful creativity meets web engineering.
It’s not just a game — it’s a lesson in what’s possible when you think outside the canvas.
“The web is full of hidden art — sometimes, it’s right in your address bar.”
