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As explain the published article in "Journal of chemical education" [1], Players collect elements while following specific “diets” linked to real-world themes such as smartphone components, DNA elements, or critical raw materials. The design encourages recognition and classification of elements while fostering awareness of their role in technology, sustainability, and daily life. By merging the clarity and classification ideas embodied by Mendeleev’s wonderfully simple, coherent, and comprehensive periodic table with the dynamics of the iconic Snake, Snakeleev transforms the study of chemistry into a playful and interactive experience.

Preliminary classroom trials demonstrated a clear learning effect. After only 10–20 minutes of gameplay, students showed significant improvements in memorization and classification of elements, with Cohen’s d ranging from 1.23 to 2.67. The Friedman test (p < 0.0001) confirmed that these improvements were statistically significant. Over 90% of students found Snakeleev engaging and useful, often recommending it to peers: “It definitely saves me hours of studying” and “Even without trying, you automatically learn the periodic table quickly.” Snakeleev represents the first Snake-based serious game conceived for effective exploration of the periodic table, while also stimulating curiosity and interdisciplinary connections across chemistry, materials science, sustainability, and culture. Future developments include expanding thematic diets, integrating multiplayer challenges, and promoting collaborations with schools, universities, and scientific societies.

The game is free, requires no installation or programming skills, and can be played directly online on computers or smartphones [2], making it highly accessible both in classrooms and during leisure time. Contributions from educators, students, and researchers are welcome.

Let’s join forces to dress Snakeleev in YCN colors and spread it across European classrooms, labs, and beyond. Further developments are coming … don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay hungry, stay periodic!

Pietro Galizia, Ph.D.

Researcher at CNR-ISSMC, Faenza, Italy

pietro.galizia@cnr.it

LinkedIn | Snakeleev game

[1] P. Galizia. “Snakeleev: A Gamified Serious Game for Learning the Periodic Table. J. Chem. Educ. 2025, 102, 5, 1814–1828. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c00029 

[2] Play here: https://snakeleev.github.io