Arduino Uno
The Arduino Uno is a popular microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P. It serves as the brain of this project, managing inputs, game logic, and display output.
Introduction
The retro Snake game, revived for Arduino! Play using pixel graphics on an OLED, dodge your own tail, eat food, and watch your score climb, with authentic joystick controls for a true arcade experience.
Key Features
- Retro pixel graphics on OLED display
- Joystick-based movement and control
- Score and high score tracking
- Sound feedback with buzzer
- Clean, modular code and open-source files
How It Works
Move the snake using the joystick module—each time you eat "food" the snake grows longer, but beware of crashing into your own tail or the walls! The OLED screen updates the snake's position, score, and high score in real time; a buzzer gives sound on food consumption and game over moments.
Components Required
| Component | Model/Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Arduino (Uno/Nano) | Uno, Nano | Main controller board |
| OLED Display | SSD1306, 0.96" or 1.3" | Display game graphics |
| Joystick Module | Analog, KY-023 | Directional player control |
| Buzzer | Piezo, 5V | Sound for game events |
| Breadboard, Jumper Wires | - | Convenient prototyping |
Pin Configuration
| Module | Pin | Arduino |
|---|---|---|
| OLED I2C | VCC / GND / SDA / SCL | 5V / GND / A4 / A5 (Uno/Nano) |
| Joystick | VRX / VRY / SW / VCC / GND | A0 / A1 / D2 / 5V / GND |
| Buzzer + | Connects to D9 (PWM) | |
| Buzzer - | Connects to GND |
Component Details & Connections
OLED Display (SSD1306)
This 0.96-inch OLED module uses I2C communication. It provides crisp pixel graphics for the game. The display connects to Arduino's I2C pins (A4 & A5).
Connection: VCC → 5V, GND → GND, SDA → A4, SCL → A5.
Joystick Module (KY-023)
The analog joystick acts as the input device to control the snake's movement by reading X and Y axis positions.
Connection: VRX → A0, VRY → A1, SW → D2 , VCC → 5V, GND → GND.
Buzzer
The buzzer provides simple audio feedback for game events such as food eaten and game over.
Connection: + → D9 (PWM pin), - → GND.
Wiring Diagram
See schematic below for full prototyping setup.
Game Screenshot
