Snafu

There are games that need neither story nor complex graphics to nail you to the controller, and Snafu is a perfect example. This sharp, tension-filled duel rests on a single, brutally simple rule: make your opponent crash before you do. It is a digital version of a snake that leaves an insurmountable trail behind it, and you pit speed and foresight against one another.

Each player controls a growing line that moves continuously and leaves a solid wall behind it. The goal is to surround your rival or force him to crash into a wall, into the edge of the playing field or into your trail. With every moment the space shrinks, maneuvering grows ever harder, and the duel enters a hectic phase where a single wrong move decides everything. Snafu offered play against the computer as well as splendid multiplayer duels, which made it a great choice for parties.

Snafu was released for the Mattel Intellivision and was made by the Mattel Electronics division itself. It belongs among the titles that perfectly illustrate the game design of the early eighties, when hours of fun could be struck from a minimalist idea. The concept of the growing trail, familiar to you also from later games like Tron Light Cycles, was given a clean, polished form here.

Culturally Snafu is interesting for how it shows the power of a simple competitive principle. No narrative, no showiness, just pure reflexes and cold calculation. It is precisely this directness that makes the game a title that is instantly understandable and yet deep enough to hold attention even today. Duels between two people at one screen were among the best the console had to offer.

For retro enthusiasts Snafu is a pleasant reminder of a time when a game's value was not measured by the volume of content but by how well its core works. It is small proof that a timeless gameplay principle does not age and still entertains even after decades.

Why play: For instantly graspable, addictive competitive action that is best with two players and recalls the roots of the growing-trail battle genre.