snakension - a browser extension for playing snake when you're offline
Source: Dev.to
Play snake when your internet dies with this extension.
Ever lost your internet connection and wished you had something to do? That’s what Snakension is for. It’s a browser extension that gives you the classic Snake game right in your browser, and it automatically notifies you to play when you go offline.
What it does
Snakension is straightforward. It sits in your browser extensions and lets you play Snake whenever you want. The neat part is that it detects when you lose your internet connection and sends you a notification suggesting you play the game while you wait for your connection to come back.
The extension saves your high score locally, so you can keep track of your best performance. The game itself is clean and responsive with smooth controls.
How to install it
Since this isn’t on the Chrome Web Store yet, you’ll need to install it manually:
- Download the zip file from the latest release.
- Unzip the file somewhere on your computer.
Open your browser’s extensions page:
- Chrome:
chrome://extensions/ - Edge:
edge://extensions/ - Brave:
brave://extensions/
- Enable developer mode (usually a toggle in the top right).
- Click Load unpacked.
- Select the unzipped snakension folder.
That’s it—the extension will now appear in your toolbar.
Features
- Offline detection that sends notifications when you lose internet
- Saves your high score locally
- Responsive controls for smooth gameplay
- Clean, simple interface
- Works on Chrome, Edge, and Brave
What makes this different
You might be thinking, “I can just play Snake in a browser tab.” True, but here’s why Snakension stands out:
- Automatic offline detection – Actively notifies you when you go offline, turning a frustrating moment into an opportunity to play.
- Always accessible – Pinned to your browser toolbar; no need to bookmark a site or remember a URL.
- Works completely offline – Once installed, it needs no internet connection at all.
- No distractions – Just the game, no ads, no tracking, no unnecessary features.
It’s about having something useful built right into your browser that’s actually there when you need it.
What’s coming next
I’m planning to expand it into a mini arcade with more classic games added over time. The goal is to make this a go‑to offline gaming hub in your browser. Contributions are welcome—if you have suggestions for games or want to help build them, open an issue on GitHub.
The tech
Snakension is built with vanilla JavaScript, HTML, and CSS—no frameworks, no dependencies. The game logic is classic Snake: you move around collecting food, growing longer, and trying not to crash into yourself or the walls.
The background script handles offline detection by listening to the browser’s connection status. When it detects you’ve gone offline, it triggers a notification that opens the game.
Open source
The whole project is open source under the MIT license. You can check out the code, fork it, modify it, or contribute on GitHub.
If you’re interested in building browser extensions or just want a simple game to play when your internet drops, give it a try.