About Tic Tac Toe
Tic Tac Toe is the game almost everyone learns first. Two players take turns marking squares on a 3x3 grid, and the first to line up three in a row wins.
Nine squares and eight winning lines sound trivial, but the game rewards clear thinking. Once you know how to take the center, block a threat, and set up a fork, you will never lose a game again.
Play Tic Tac Toe vs AI
Play Tic Tac Toe online against the computer, from a beginner opponent that misses simple threats up to a perfect player that can never be beaten.
Use the easier levels to practise spotting forks, then take on the hardest level and see if you can hold every game to a draw.
How to play Tic Tac Toe
Players alternate placing one mark on any empty square of the 3x3 grid. Marks stay where they are put and are never captured.
The first player to make a line of three across a row, down a column, or along a diagonal wins at once. A full board with no line is a draw.
Improve by learning strategy
Good Tic Tac Toe is about counting lines. The center touches four winning lines, each corner touches three, and each edge only two, which is exactly the order in which you should want those squares.
Winning comes down to the fork: one mark that opens two lines of two at the same time. Defending comes down to seeing that fork one move before it lands.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Tic Tac Toe is a solved game, and perfect play by both sides always ends in a draw. You can only win if your opponent makes a mistake, which is why the computer on the hardest level can never be beaten, only held to a draw.
Similar games you might like
If you enjoy Tic Tac Toe, you will probably like these other abstract strategy board games.
Learn, Play, and Have Fun!
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