Surround is a 1977 snake video game programmed by Alan Miller and published by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS). In the game, players navigate a continuously moving block around an enclosed space as a wall trails behind it. Every time the opposite player hits a wall with their block, the other player earns a single point. The first player to reach ten points is the winner.
The game plays similarly to the arcade game Blockade (1976) developed by Gremlin Industries. Blockade was presented at the 1976 Music Operators of America (MOA) Expo, and led to several other game developers creating their own snake-style video games, including Atari with Surround and their arcade game Dominos (1977). The game includes several modes of Surround, which vary the speed and the number of directions the player can move. It also features two modes titled "Video Graffiti" that allow players to create simple digital illustrations.
Surround was among the launch titles for the Atari 2600. Initial reviews noted that it was complex and generally stated it to be a quality game. Retrospective reviews found the graphics and sound for Surround weak, while remaining effective as a two-player competitive game.
Gameplay
In Surround, two players or one player and a computer-controlled opponent attempt to navigate an enclosed space as a block. As the block moves through the space, a wall trails behind them, forming a barricade.