diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ec3a0e1..78aacae 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ go 1.25.4
 require (
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.6.0
 	github.com/pressly/goose/v3 v3.26.0
-	github.com/ryanhamamura/via v0.3.1
+	github.com/ryanhamamura/via v0.4.0
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.47.0
+	maragu.dev/gomponents v1.2.0
 	modernc.org/sqlite v1.44.0
 )
 
@@ -42,7 +43,6 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.18.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/time v0.14.0 // indirect
-	maragu.dev/gomponents v1.2.0 // indirect
 	modernc.org/libc v1.67.4 // indirect
 	modernc.org/mathutil v1.7.1 // indirect
 	modernc.org/memory v1.11.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index f0139b2..6884081 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ github.com/remyoudompheng/bigfft v0.0.0-20230129092748-24d4a6f8daec/go.mod h1:qq
 github.com/rs/xid v1.6.0/go.mod h1:7XoLgs4eV+QndskICGsho+ADou8ySMSjJKDIan90Nz0=
 github.com/rs/zerolog v1.34.0 h1:k43nTLIwcTVQAncfCw4KZ2VY6ukYoZaBPNOE8txlOeY=
 github.com/rs/zerolog v1.34.0/go.mod h1:bJsvje4Z08ROH4Nhs5iH600c3IkWhwp44iRc54W6wYQ=
-github.com/ryanhamamura/via v0.3.1 h1:op/t/0YzpPhA68+FOyazMpdZVOCA6S7DGz0eWhXXQAA=
-github.com/ryanhamamura/via v0.3.1/go.mod h1:w6dKEB+TYAyg2VTGh01doTjYP3xjDX7UO5Bis8nFt1A=
+github.com/ryanhamamura/via v0.4.0 h1:/8gfjcPhTl+SEYTPF+Guc6qB2vuW+FtNRQv+HpkV2k8=
+github.com/ryanhamamura/via v0.4.0/go.mod h1:w6dKEB+TYAyg2VTGh01doTjYP3xjDX7UO5Bis8nFt1A=
 github.com/sethvargo/go-retry v0.3.0 h1:EEt31A35QhrcRZtrYFDTBg91cqZVnFL2navjDrah2SE=
 github.com/sethvargo/go-retry v0.3.0/go.mod h1:mNX17F0C/HguQMyMyJxcnU471gOZGxCLyYaFyAZraas=
 github.com/starfederation/datastar-go v1.0.3 h1:DnzgsJ6tDHDM6y5Nxsk0AGW/m8SyKch2vQg3P1xGTcU=
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 51d9671..4346e43 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1,19 +1,13 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
 	_ "embed"
-	"fmt"
-	"html"
-	"io"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
-	g "maragu.dev/gomponents"
 
 	"github.com/ryanhamamura/c4/auth"
 	"github.com/ryanhamamura/c4/db"
@@ -33,37 +27,6 @@ var queries *gen.Queries
 //go:embed assets/css/output.css
 var daisyUICSS []byte
 
-// dataExpr renders an h.H attribute node and extracts the raw Datastar expression.
-// h.Data/h.Attr HTML-escape values, so we unescape to get the original expression.
-func dataExpr(node h.H) string {
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	node.Render(&buf)
-	s := buf.String()
-	start := strings.Index(s, `="`) + 2
-	end := strings.LastIndex(s, `"`)
-	if start < 2 || end <= start {
-		return ""
-	}
-	return html.UnescapeString(s[start:end])
-}
-
-// rawDataAttr outputs an unescaped data attribute. Needed because gomponents
-// HTML-escapes attribute values, which double-escapes expressions extracted
-// from rendered nodes. Implements gomponents' attribute interface so it
-// renders in the element's opening tag rather than as a child.
-type rawDataAttr struct {
-	name, value string
-}
-
-func (a rawDataAttr) Render(w io.Writer) error {
-	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, ` %s="%s"`, a.name, a.value)
-	return err
-}
-
-func (a rawDataAttr) Type() g.NodeType {
-	return g.AttributeType
-}
-
 func DaisyUIPlugin(v *via.V) {
 	v.HTTPServeMux().HandleFunc("GET /_plugins/daisyui/style.css", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/css")
@@ -627,35 +590,18 @@ func main() {
 				content = append(content, ui.SnakeInviteLink(sg.ID))
 			}
 
-			// Build keydown attributes with unique __suffix names so the
-			// browser doesn't deduplicate them (all share data-on:keydown).
-			type keyBinding struct {
-				suffix string
-				key    string
-				dir    snake.Direction
-			}
-			bindings := []keyBinding{
-				{"arrowup", "ArrowUp", snake.DirUp},
-				{"arrowdown", "ArrowDown", snake.DirDown},
-				{"arrowleft", "ArrowLeft", snake.DirLeft},
-				{"arrowright", "ArrowRight", snake.DirRight},
-				{"w", "w", snake.DirUp},
-				{"s", "s", snake.DirDown},
-				{"a", "a", snake.DirLeft},
-				{"d", "d", snake.DirRight},
-			}
-
 			wrapperAttrs := []h.H{
 				h.Class("snake-wrapper flex flex-col items-center gap-4 p-4"),
-				h.Attr("tabindex", "0"),
-				h.Data("on:load", "this.focus()"),
-			}
-			for _, kb := range bindings {
-				expr := dataExpr(handleDir.OnKeyDown(kb.key, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(kb.dir))))
-				wrapperAttrs = append(wrapperAttrs, h.H(rawDataAttr{
-					name:  "data-on:keydown__" + kb.suffix,
-					value: expr,
-				}))
+				via.OnKeyDownMap(
+					via.KeyBind("w", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirUp))),
+					via.KeyBind("a", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirLeft))),
+					via.KeyBind("s", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirDown))),
+					via.KeyBind("d", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirRight))),
+					via.KeyBind("ArrowUp", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirUp)), via.WithPreventDefault()),
+					via.KeyBind("ArrowLeft", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirLeft)), via.WithPreventDefault()),
+					via.KeyBind("ArrowDown", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirDown)), via.WithPreventDefault()),
+					via.KeyBind("ArrowRight", handleDir, via.WithSignalInt(dirSignal, int(snake.DirRight)), via.WithPreventDefault()),
+				),
 			}
 
 			wrapperAttrs = append(wrapperAttrs, content...)
diff --git a/snake/loop.go b/snake/loop.go
index 77aafed..208fdc8 100644
--- a/snake/loop.go
+++ b/snake/loop.go
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	tickInterval     = 500 * time.Millisecond
+	targetFPS        = 60
+	tickInterval     = time.Second / targetFPS
+	snakeSpeed       = 7 // cells per second
+	moveInterval     = time.Second / snakeSpeed
 	countdownSeconds = 10
 	inactivityLimit  = 60 * time.Second
 )
@@ -91,6 +94,7 @@ func (si *SnakeGameInstance) gamePhase() {
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
 	lastInput := time.Now()
+	var moveAccum time.Duration
 
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -104,7 +108,7 @@ func (si *SnakeGameInstance) gamePhase() {
 				return
 			}
 
-			// Apply pending directions (iterate all 8 slots)
+			// Apply pending directions every tick for responsive input
 			inputReceived := false
 			for i := 0; i < 8; i++ {
 				if si.pendingDir[i] != nil && i < len(si.game.State.Snakes) && si.game.State.Snakes[i] != nil {
@@ -128,6 +132,14 @@ func (si *SnakeGameInstance) gamePhase() {
 				return
 			}
 
+			// Only advance game state at snakeSpeed
+			moveAccum += tickInterval
+			if moveAccum < moveInterval {
+				si.gameMu.Unlock()
+				continue
+			}
+			moveAccum -= moveInterval
+
 			state := si.game.State
 
 			// Advance snakes