While it might sound unbelievable for newcomers, Snapchat once had its own collection of in-app games. The Snap Games feature was introduced in 2019 but was later discontinued as part of a major company restructuring that began in 2022. Interestingly, over 200 million people actually played the games during this period.
Today, most people barely remember this era. But for those who were there, it was a lively and chaotic chapter for Snapchat users. This article reminisces about five of the most memorable Snap Games people used to play.
Bitmoji Party
There were about 30 to 40 snap games at the time, but Bitmoji was the most popular, even attracting some people who normally didn’t play mobile games. It was a fast-paced collection of multiplayer mini-games, more like Snapchat’s version of Mario Party. The moment you launch the game inside a chat, your Bitmoji and those of your friends in the chat would appear on a tiny virtual island where you all can engage in a series of mini games or challenges. Each mini-game lasted just a few seconds.
Some challenges will have you dodging falling objects, while others require you to outrun your friends, balance on moving platforms, or compete in clever tapping races. The gameplay wasn’t complex, and that was the charm. It was designed for pure, spontaneous fun, easy to pick up, hard to stop, and even harder not to get competitive.
Snake Squad
Snake Squad was one of the most addictive snap games. It was a multiplayer version of the classic Snake game that many people grew up playing on older Nokia phones. However, instead of guiding a single snake around a small screen, Snake Squad dropped you and your Bitmoji into an open arena where you had to outmaneuver other players in real time. You would control your snake that grew longer as you collected glowing orbs scattered around the map. The more orbs you gathered, the bigger you became, and the more dangerous you were to everyone else.
You could also team up with friends inside the same chat to form a coordinated group that tries to dominate the arena. One friend could trap opponents while another swooped in to consume the orbs they dropped. This ability to work together made the game even more engaging.
Tiny Royale
With Tiny Royale, Snapchat reimagined battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG in a compact, top-down format that fits perfectly inside the app. It delivered the tension and quick decision-making you’d expect from the bigger titles, just stripped down into fast, jump-in-jump-out matches. The appeal was similar to what draws players to quick mobile picks like the Lightning Storm game download, which are easy to start, fast to play, and surprisingly addictive once you’re in.
In Tiny Royale, you and your friends were dropped onto a colorful, miniature map filled with buildings, loot crates, and hiding spots. From the moment your Bitmoji hit the ground, the race for survival began. You would have to scramble for weapons, ammo, and health kits. The more loot you collected, the better your chances of making it through the shrinking circle.
One of the best parts of the game was the squad mode, which would allow players to team up with friends in the same chat. Like a real multiplayer game, they can then form a miniature army and coordinate moves through voice and text. This teamwork added an extra layer of excitement to the game.
Zombie Rescue Squad
Zombie Rescue Squad was a horror-themed zombie-survival game. However, the game’s lighter, cartoonish feel made it a little less terrifying. The zombies here looked more mischievous than scary.
In Zombie Rescue Squad, you played as a rescue operative, with your Bitmoji dropped into a zombie-infested town. Your mission is to rescue trapped civilians, gather supplies, and fight your way through waves of zombies before time runs out. The map was filled with little side areas, obstacles, loot crates, and undead surprises that added an unpredictable feel to the gameplay.
One of the game’s standout features was its co-op squad mechanics. You could form a team with friends in the same chat, and assign different roles to each person. One person can focus on clearing zombies with rapid-fire weapons while another teammate escorts civilians to the extraction point. The more civilians you rescue, the higher your score.
Alphabear Hustle
Alphabear Hustle was the perfect game for anyone who loved word puzzles. It was a team-based word game where you and your friends could work together to form as many words as possible from a scattered grid of letters. Each letter you used transformed into an adorable, animated bear that “grew” to fill the board. The bigger your bears became, the higher your score climbed, and the more powerful your boosts for the next round.
Alphabear Huslte aimed to reward creativity. If players formed longer words or use rare letters, their bears would grow faster. The game’s visual style also made it a memorable experience. The bears were quirky, expressive, and sometimes grew hilariously oversized. That added a layer of humour that kept things lighthearted despite the competition between players.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why Snapchat might have shut down Snap Games, but it wasn’t because the games lacked appeal. These games were entertaining, captivating, and social despite their straightforward designs and less complex graphics. Millions of users genuinely enjoyed playing them while they lasted, and they blended in perfectly with the fast-paced nature of the app.