About Tic Tac Toe
Tic Tac Toe takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to stop playing. The classic 3 × 3 grid is here with a Hard robot that plays perfectly, so beating it is impossible and drawing it is the challenge; the Easy and Normal robots leave openings. For a game with more to think about, switch to the 5 × 5 grid, where you need four in a row and the robot searches ahead. Play a friend on the same phone, or invite one online with a code.
How to play Tic Tac Toe
- X goes first. Take turns marking an empty square; the first to make a line across, down or diagonally wins.
- On the 3 × 3 grid a line is three in a row; on the 5 × 5 grid it is four in a row, which gives the game much more room.
- A full grid with no line is a draw. On 3 × 3 the Hard robot plays perfectly, so the best you can do against it is a draw.
- Tap a square, or move with the arrow keys and press Enter. Results are saved on this device.
Tips & strategy
- On 3 × 3, take the centre if you can, then a corner. If your opponent opens in a corner, answer in the centre, not another corner.
- Look for a fork: a move that makes two lines of two at once. Your opponent can only block one.
- On 5 × 5 the centre matters even more, and three in a row with both ends open is already a win: block it early.
- Against the Hard robot on 3 × 3, every game is a draw with correct play. Use it to practise your defence.
Tic Tac Toe: questions and answers
Can the Hard robot be beaten on 3 × 3?
No. It knows the value of every position and never makes a losing move. Easy and Normal can be beaten.
What are the rules on the 5 × 5 grid?
The same, except that a line is four marks in a row rather than three, across, down or diagonally. A full grid without a line is a draw.
Who goes first?
X always goes first. Against the robot you choose whether you play first or second; online the first player is decided by the server.
Can I play with the keyboard?
Yes. The arrow keys move between squares and Enter marks one.