Slither.io: 6 tips and tricks to staying alive in the multiplayer snake-em-up

Slither.io is a simple, addictive little game currently doing the rounds on desktop, iOS and Android. It’s a bit like a multiplayer version of Snake, although your cheery looking worm doesn’t die when it collides with its own body. It does, however, perish if its head comes into contact with another snake. Here’s how to stop that happening for as long as possible. 

First, the basics:

• Be a colourful snake.
• Eat colourful particles.
• Don’t hit other snakes.
• If you do, you will explode into a shower of colourful pieces.
• Other snakes will then feast on your leftovers, like the glassy eyed vultures they are. 

1. Slither.io tips and tricks: Stick close to the big snakes, but not too close

Big snakes have been playing longer, and therefore have more to lose. This means they’ll be less likely to risk death by charging into you. Sticking close to them also means you’ll be first to scoop up their particles should they die. If they start to circle you you’ll want to scarper off though – more on that later.

2. Slither.io tips and tricks: Avoid the little snakes

The flipside of the previous point is that little snakes have relatively little to lose, and are more likely to flail their sinewy bodies in front of your face in an attempt to make you crash. If a little snake is tailing you there’s not much to worry about, but if it starts to boost close you your head make a sharp turn.

3. Slither.io tips and tricks: …unless you plan on circling them

Circling is the bread and butter of predating in Slither.io, which basically means you need to coil your body around a smaller snake to force it to crash. Make sure you’re big enough before you start ensnaring smaller foe, however, and use your boost to draw a circle before they manage to escape.

4. Slither.io tips and tricks: Use the map

In the bottom right corner of your screen is a map of the game area. The light-grey areas on the map are the most densely populated, while the darker areas are less populated. Generally, most players will be around the centre of the map.

As a small snake with little to loose, it’s best to head into the fray at the centre and gobble up as many particles as you can. Then, when you’re larger, you can drift away from the middle and make a coiling hunting ground for yourself towards the edges of the map.

5. Slither.io tips and tricks: Coiling is also useful for your own safety

Unlike Snake, you won’t die in Slither.io by overlapping your own body. This can be useful if you want to protect your head from other snakes, as you can turn inwards to your own body and use it as a barrier between yourself and others.

6. Slither.io tips and tricks: Boost wisely

Boosting by holding down the mouse button or double tapping the screen on your phone is a useful tool in Slither.io. For starters, it’s very useful if you need to make a speedy getaway. It’s also essential for tricking other players and making them crash into your body – to do this, travel alongside a player and then hold boost to move in front of their face, then slow down.

Most importantly, you’ll want to get into the habit of boosting whenever you see a big pile of particles. Be aware though that other snakes will be doing the same thing, so prepare for a quick turn around if necessary. Also be aware that continued boosting will reduce your length, so don’t overuse it.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump is a video game bad-guy in NES mod “Trumptendo”