Developer Creates Chaotic Browser Snake Game Using 576 Separate Windows
An extreme idea from a web developer stitching together 576 browser windows to form a Snake game, while revealing its practical use for checking broken links.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A developer built a browser-based Snake game using a total of 576 sub-windows.
- Requires enabling popup permissions and must be run via Google Chrome on Windows.
- This window-control technique can be extended to check for broken links instead of using iframes.
- The creator warns users to click the clear windows button at the end of the game to avoid cluttering the screen.
A software developer has published a quirky experimental project on Dev.to by building a Snake game. However, the catch is that the game is not rendered within a single standard tab; instead, it uses a technique of opening 576 separate browser windows combined to form the game's display area.
This chaotic idea came about after the developer discussed with a colleague the ability to control one browser window from another. This feature was originally designed for practical tasks like checking broken links screen by screen, but it ultimately led to a tech experiment that the creator admits is both fun to play and a massive headache for users.
For those who want to try out this project, there are strict technical and usage requirements that must be followed:
- The supported operating system and browser for this test is Google Chrome on Windows only.
- Users must press the start game button and configure their browser to always allow popups from the website.
- Warning: Do not click randomly with the mouse on the sub-windows. Control direction using the arrow keys only.
- When the game ends, you must click the clear all windows button on the high score screen, otherwise you will have to manually close hundreds of windows one by one.
Even though this creation looks comical and hurts the eyes of viewers, from a coding perspective, controlling browser windows by setting their size and position, as well as window naming, opens up opportunities for exciting new tricks in web application development.
"Turning 576 browser windows into Snake is such a ridiculous idea, but I love that it somehow leads to a genuinely useful workflow for checking broken links."
Sarah Pan
In web architecture, controlling multiple browser windows via JavaScript (Window.open API) is often overlooked due to popup blocker risks and performance issues. However, when applied correctly, it helps overcome the limitations of traditional iframe technology, which frequently encounters blocking issues from website policies like Same-Origin Policy or X-Frame-Options. This project reflects out-of-the-box thinking in repurposing fundamental browser APIs into practical working tools, such as queue systems for checking website status behind paywalls.
Source: Dev.to
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