Snake

How it works

Your snake never stops moving. It turns toward wherever you point, but only so fast, so it swings round in an arc rather than turning on the spot. Beetles and mice scatter when it gets close. Touching them does nothing: you have to bite, and a bite lunges the head forward for a moment before the jaws need a breath to reset.

Every catch makes the snake longer. Early on it is too short to reach its own tail, however tightly it turns. Once it grows longer than its own turning circle, circling in one spot, or leaving the pointer still, becomes the quickest way to bite yourself.

Tips

Beetles are slower and worth a point. Mice are worth three, and as fast as you are when they bolt, but nothing can run for ever: a creature that has been chased for a while tires and slows down, which is your moment. Driving prey into a corner works too.