If you've been studying Chinese with flashcards, you know the routine: flip, recall, repeat. Flashcards work, especially when mixing them up with some different modes (reverse cards, fill in the blank, etc.) — that's why Moya Chinese is built around them. But sometimes you just want to do something fun with all those HSK words you've been learning. That's why I played around a bit this week and ended up making Word Snake (字蛇).
How it works
Word Snake drops you into an 8×8 grid of Chinese characters. You guide a snake through the grid by chaining two-character HSK words — each move forms a word from the character you're on to the one you pick next. Every turn gives you three options to choose from.
The catch? You can't cross your own path. As your snake gets longer, the grid gets tighter, and picking the right move becomes a genuine puzzle. The game ends when you run out of moves.
Most of the words come from the HSK word lists (levels 1–6), so you'll be seeing real Chinese vocabulary the whole time — from everyday HSK 1 basics to trickier HSK 5 and 6 words. I also mixed in some common dictionary words to keep the game flowing smoothly, since HSK words alone would have created too many dead ends on the grid.
Spot words you know
The fun part is recognising HSK vocabulary you've drilled in your flashcard sessions. You'll spot familiar words from your Chinese studying sessions and think — oh, I know that one. And you'll also stumble across words you haven't studied yet, which is a nice way to get a first look at new vocabulary before it shows up in your flashcard deck.
Word Snake supports both simplified and traditional Chinese characters, so you can play whichever way you prefer. However, since simplified has more links, the game always uses that behind the scenes to decide which next characters to show. Which is technically not correct, I know, but I wanted to support traditional, even if imperfect.
A nice break from flashcards
Word Snake isn't trying to replace your flashcard routine — it's just a fun thing to do alongside it. After a Moya Chinese flashcard session, for me, switching to Word Snake is a satisfying change of pace. You're still seeing HSK vocabulary and Chinese characters, but it feels like a game rather than study.
It's also a good way to kill a few minutes. Games are quick, and competing with friends on the longest chain can be pretty fun. I've been competing with my kids!
Give it a try
Play Word Snake now and see how many HSK words you can chain together. It's free, works on your phone, and pairs nicely with your next Chinese flashcard session.