PortalSnake

PortalSnake is a setup-and-play puzzle game about placing portals and walls on a grid layout, enabling a snake to slither its way towards apples. Once the objects have been positioned, the player presses the play button to set the snake in motion and see the outcome of their setup. First created as a game jam entry and then turned into a full release, PortalSnake shuns polished graphics in favor of difficult puzzles and mind-bending mechanics.

The main purpose of portals is to transport objects from one point to another. In most levels, you will find two portals which can be moved around, pairing in the usual entry/exit fashion. But portals can also be stretched, altering the size of anything that enters them. For example, if you plan to use a portal as an exit and you make it two times larger than the entry one, then the snake will come out twice as large upon exiting. This works the other way too, meaning that you can decrease the width of the snake by having it come out of a portal that is smaller than the one it entered.

Multiple types of blocks are involved along with the portals. Many levels have walls which the snake will automatically try to avoid, changing its trajectory. A frequent setup involves bouncing off walls and reentering a portal with a different angle. Some levels also feature tiles on fire, which instantly destroy snakes trying to go over them, or grayed out areas, which don’t allow the player to position anything within them. You’ll need to carefully plan the path of the snake so that the conditions of the level are met in proper sequence.

PortalSnake leverages these mechanics in many different combinations to create challenging puzzles. Trial and error is necessary to figure out the mechanics, as many objects are introduced without explanation. All the levels require spatial visualization to come up with creative solutions. Stretching the portals—as well as the limits of every object—leads to puzzling outcomes that are often uncertain until the play button is pressed and the snake is let loose.

This description was written by Cay Macres and edited by Oriane Tury.