Snakes by Stake Originals: A Guide to Gameplay, Difficulty Levels and Payout Potential

Snakes is a Stake Originals casino game that gives the familiar Snakes & Ladders concept a fast, dice-driven casino format. Rather than progressing through a traditional board game over many turns, players place a wager, roll two dice and move across a compact 12-space board. Each safe landing can reveal a multiplier, while landing on a snake ends the round.

The appeal is in the game’s direct format: choose a bet amount, select a difficulty level and roll. The difficulty setting changes the number of snakes on the board as well as the available multiplier range, allowing players to choose between a steadier lower-range experience and higher-volatility rounds with bigger potential rewards.

With a published 98.00% RTP, a 2.00% house edge and a stated maximum win of up to 1,851,776.64× the bet, Snakes combines clear mechanics with substantial upside potential. As with all casino games, outcomes are random, and sensible bankroll management remains an important part of play.


What Is Snakes?

Snakes is an original casino game from stake.com, released on 13 May 2025. Its theme takes inspiration from the classic board game often known as Snakes & Ladders, but its gameplay is streamlined for quick online rounds.

The game uses a dark visual design and simple board layout rather than detailed slot-style reels, bonus rounds or animated characters. This clean presentation keeps attention on the central mechanic: the result of each dice roll and the space where the player lands.

Every round begins with a wager. Two dice are then rolled, and their total determines movement across the 12 spaces. Depending on the landing position, the round can produce a multiplier or encounter a snake. A snake represents a losing result for that round.

Snakes Game Information at a Glance

Game detailInformation
Game titleSnakes
ProviderStake Originals
Game typeOriginal dice-based casino game
ThemeBoard game
Board size12 spaces
RTP98.00%
House edge2.00%
Volatility settingsEasy, Medium, Hard, Expert and Master
Maximum winUp to 1,851,776.64× the bet
Core fairness systemRandom number generator and provably fair game information

How to Play Snakes

The game is designed to be approachable for new players while still offering adjustable risk for experienced players. There are no paylines, reel symbols or feature-buy menus to learn. The main choices are the wager amount, difficulty level and preferred betting mode.

Step-by-Step Gameplay

  1. Set a wager. Choose the amount you want to stake on the upcoming round.
  2. Select a difficulty level. Pick Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert or Master. This changes the board’s snake count and multiplier range.
  3. Roll two dice. The combined result moves the game position around the 12-space board.
  4. Reveal the landing result. Safe spaces can display multipliers, while landing on a snake produces a loss for that round.
  5. Review the outcome. If a multiplier is awarded, it determines the return relative to the selected wager.

The compact board and instant outcome structure make Snakes suitable for players who prefer a quick game loop. Each round is separate, with the random result determining where the dice movement leads.

Understanding the 12-Space Board

The Snakes board has 12 spaces. The total from two dice determines how movement is resolved on that board, creating a familiar board-game feel without requiring lengthy play sessions.

The board includes multiplier spaces and snake spaces. Multiplier spaces can return more than the initial bet, while a snake ends the round as a loss. The number of snakes is not fixed across every setting: it rises as the chosen difficulty increases.

This is the key design feature behind the game’s adjustable volatility. Fewer snakes generally support a lower-risk layout with a narrower multiplier range. More snakes create more danger on the board but also allow higher listed multipliers.

Difficulty Levels, Snakes and Multiplier Ranges

Snakes offers five difficulty levels. Each level changes the balance between the number of snake positions and the multiplier range available on the board. This allows players to select a setting that better matches their preferred pace and tolerance for variance.

DifficultySnakes on the boardMultiplier rangeGeneral profile
Easy11.01× to 2.00×Lowest volatility option with the fewest snakes
Medium31.11× to 4.00×Balanced step up in risk and payout range
Hard51.38× to 7.50×Higher volatility with more snake positions
Expert73.82× to 10.00×High-risk board configuration
Master917.64× to 18.00×Highest listed difficulty and volatility setting

Easy Difficulty

Easy has one snake on the board and a multiplier range from 1.01× to 2.00×. It is the lowest-volatility setting, designed for players who prefer the board to contain fewer immediate losing positions. The available multipliers are more modest, which reflects the reduced number of snakes.

Medium Difficulty

Medium increases the snake count to three and lists multipliers from 1.11× to 4.00×. This setting introduces more volatility while expanding the possible multiplier range. It can suit players looking for a middle ground between the more measured Easy setting and the higher-risk configurations.

Hard Difficulty

Hard places five snakes on the board and offers a listed multiplier range of 1.38× to 7.50×. The larger number of snake positions means results can vary more sharply from round to round, while the potential multiplier range becomes broader.

Expert Difficulty

Expert uses seven snakes and a listed multiplier range from 3.82× to 10.00×. The board becomes considerably more challenging, with a greater concentration of losing positions. In exchange, the listed multiplier range is higher than on the first three settings.

Master Difficulty

Master is the game’s most volatile listed setting. It contains nine snakes and displays a multiplier range from 17.64× to 18.00×. This mode is built around a high-risk, high-multiplier board structure and requires particular care when setting wager sizes.

RTP and House Edge Explained

Snakes has a published return to player, or RTP, of 98.00%. In theoretical terms, RTP describes the percentage of wagers a game is designed to return to players over a very large number of rounds. A 98.00% RTP corresponds to a stated house edge of 2.00%.

It is important to understand what this figure does and does not mean. RTP is not a promise that an individual player will receive 98.00% of a specific deposit or session total. A single round can result in a multiplier or a loss, and short-term results can differ significantly from the theoretical long-run model.

The 98.00% figure is nevertheless a useful reference when comparing game mathematics. It provides a transparent, stated measure of the game’s theoretical return framework, while the selected difficulty level determines the volatility profile of the individual experience.

RTP is a long-term statistical measure, not a prediction for the next roll. Every round should be treated as an independent random event.

Maximum Win Potential

Stake lists a maximum possible win of up to 1,851,776.64× the bet for Snakes. This is the game’s headline payout ceiling and demonstrates the scale of potential outcomes built into its mathematical design.

A maximum win is an upper limit rather than an expected result. It should not be treated as a likely outcome or used as a reason to increase a wager beyond a comfortable budget. The game’s higher-volatility settings, especially Master, can involve losing outcomes as well as the opportunity for larger multiplier results.

For practical planning, it is usually more helpful to decide on a stake size first, then view all payouts as a multiple of that amount. For example, a 2.00× multiplier returns twice the stake before considering the original wager structure used by the game, while higher multipliers scale the result accordingly.

Auto Bet and Instant Bet Features

Snakes includes two useful betting options that can make the game flow more convenient: Auto Bet and Instant Bet. These are interface tools, not methods for changing the randomness or underlying odds of a round.

Auto Bet

Auto Bet enables a player to configure repeated rounds in advance. Available controls can include the wager amount, selected game mode, number of rounds, profit stops, loss stops and win or loss conditions. Once configured, gameplay can continue without manually starting each new round.

The strongest practical benefit of Auto Bet is structure. Setting a maximum number of rounds and clear stop conditions before beginning can help keep a session aligned with a predetermined entertainment budget.

  • Set a fixed wager amount before starting.
  • Choose a limited number of automatic rounds.
  • Use profit and loss stop settings where available.
  • Review the selected difficulty before confirming the sequence.
  • Avoid increasing bets automatically in response to previous results.

Instant Bet

Instant Bet removes animations and delays, allowing results to appear immediately. It is useful for players who prefer a faster interface and do not want to wait for the dice-roll presentation or board movement animation.

Because Instant Bet can make rounds progress quickly, it is especially important to keep an eye on bet size, total rounds and the remaining session budget. Faster gameplay does not affect the random outcome, but it can increase the speed at which a bankroll is used.

Random Outcomes and Provably Fair Information

Snakes uses a random number generator, commonly abbreviated as RNG, to determine game outcomes. This means the result of a round is not based on previous wins or losses, and no difficulty setting guarantees a particular future outcome.

The game also presents provably fair information. In general, provably fair systems are designed to let players verify aspects of game-result generation through cryptographic methods. Players who want to understand this system in detail should review the game’s fairness information and learn how server seeds, client seeds and verification processes apply to the platform’s games.

The key takeaway for gameplay is straightforward: past rolls do not create a pattern that can reliably forecast the next roll. Switching difficulty levels changes the game configuration, including snake count and multiplier range, but it does not turn random outcomes into predictable ones.

What Makes Snakes Different From Slots?

Snakes shares the wagering and random-result foundations of online casino games, but its presentation differs significantly from a conventional slot. Rather than spinning reels and matching symbols across paylines, the game uses dice movement and board positions to resolve each round.

FeatureSnakesTypical online slot
Primary mechanicTwo dice and board movementReels, symbols and paylines
Round layout12-space board with multipliers and snakesGrid or reel set with symbol combinations
Volatility controlFive selectable difficulty levelsUsually fixed by the game’s design
Special featuresAuto Bet and Instant Bet toolsMay include free spins, bonus rounds and jackpots
Visual styleSimple, dark-themed board interfaceOften highly animated and feature-heavy

For players who enjoy quick decisions and transparent game settings, Snakes provides a concise alternative to more elaborate slot mechanics. The game communicates its key variables clearly: the wager, difficulty, number of snakes, multiplier range and round result.

Choosing a Difficulty Level

There is no universally best difficulty setting because each option represents a different volatility profile. A thoughtful choice starts with the size of the entertainment budget, the desired pace and comfort with losing rounds.

  • Choose Easy if you prefer the smallest number of snakes and a lower multiplier range.
  • Choose Medium if you want a moderate increase in board risk and potential multipliers.
  • Choose Hard if you understand and accept a more volatile round structure.
  • Choose Expert or Master only if the higher number of snake positions and wider payout potential fit within a strictly controlled budget.

Difficulty selection should be treated as a preference decision, not a strategy for overcoming the house edge. Higher multipliers can be appealing, but they are paired with higher volatility and more challenging board layouts.

Responsible Bankroll Management for Snakes

Snakes is simple to learn and quick to play, which makes establishing limits before a session particularly valuable. Responsible play supports a more enjoyable experience by keeping the focus on entertainment rather than on recovering losses or pursuing a specific result.

Practical Bankroll Guidelines

  1. Set a session budget. Decide the maximum amount you are comfortable spending before opening the game.
  2. Use proportionate bet sizes. Keep each wager small relative to the total amount allocated for play.
  3. Set a time limit. Plan a clear endpoint for the session, especially when using Instant Bet or Auto Bet.
  4. Use stop settings. Auto Bet profit and loss limits can support pre-set boundaries.
  5. Do not chase losses. A losing round does not make a win more likely on the next round.
  6. Take breaks. Stepping away helps maintain perspective and prevents rushed decisions.

Players should only gamble with money they can afford to lose. If gambling stops feeling entertaining, or if it begins to affect finances, relationships or wellbeing, it is important to pause and seek support through appropriate responsible-gambling resources.

Frequently Asked Questions About Snakes

What is Snakes by Stake Originals?

Snakes is a dice-based original casino game inspired by Snakes & Ladders. Players place a wager, roll two dice and move across a 12-space board containing multiplier spaces and snakes.

How do players lose in Snakes?

A round is lost when the dice movement lands on a snake. The number of snakes depends on the selected difficulty level.

How many difficulty settings does Snakes have?

Snakes has five difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert and Master.

What is the RTP of Snakes?

The published RTP is 98.00%, with a stated house edge of 2.00%. RTP is a long-term theoretical measure and does not guarantee results in a single round or session.

What is the maximum win in Snakes?

The stated maximum win is up to 1,851,776.64× the wager.

What does Auto Bet do?

Auto Bet can automate a selected number of rounds based on configured controls such as bet amount, difficulty, profit stops and loss stops. It does not alter random outcomes or improve the game’s odds.

What does Instant Bet do?

Instant Bet removes gameplay animations and delays so that results are displayed immediately. It changes the pace of the interface, not the probability of game outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Snakes brings a recognizable board-game concept into a focused casino format built around dice rolls, multipliers and adjustable difficulty. Its clean 12-space board, five volatility settings and straightforward controls make the core gameplay easy to understand from the first round.

The game’s published 98.00% RTP, 2.00% house edge and maximum win of up to 1,851,776.64× the bet provide useful context for players evaluating its payout structure. Meanwhile, Auto Bet and Instant Bet offer flexibility for those who prefer either structured repeated rounds or a faster display of results.

The best way to approach Snakes is with clear limits, an understanding of the selected difficulty and realistic expectations about random outcomes. Choose a level that fits your comfort with volatility, keep wagers within a planned budget and enjoy the game as entertainment.