Play Tape Worm Online

Tape Worm came out for the Atari 2600 in 1982, published by U.S. Games. It was one of those simple, straightforward arcade-style games that fit right in with the console's library at the time, not trying to be anything more than it was.

You control a segmented worm that moves continuously around the screen, eating beans to grow longer while avoiding birds, spiders, and your own tail. The main goal is to survive as long as possible and clear each stage by consuming all the beans. Two mechanics stand out: the screen occasionally goes completely dark, leaving you to navigate by brief flashes of light, and the longer your worm becomes, the more you risk colliding with yourself. The pacing is steady, and the difficulty ramps up quickly as hazards multiply. It feels tense and a little frantic, especially when you're squirming through the dark.