About Tic Tac Toe
Tic Tac Toe (also called noughts and crosses) is one of the oldest and best-known paper games, and it still appears in the top free puzzle charts. It is perfect for a quick break.
Choose your opponent: Easy makes friendly mistakes, Medium thinks most of the time, and Hard plays perfectly.
Tic Tac Toe at a glance
| Genre | Board game |
|---|---|
| Price | Free, no download or sign-up |
| Controls | Tap |
| Typical game length | 3 to 6 minutes |
| Lives | 3 lost rounds |
| Works on | Phones, tablets and computers, in any modern browser |
| Daily challenge | Yes, the same puzzle for everyone each day |
How to play Tic Tac Toe
- Tap a square. Place your X.
- Three in a row wins. Across, down or diagonal.
- Take turns going first. The first move alternates between rounds.
- Play up to 10 rounds. A lost round costs a heart.
Rules
- Losing a round costs a heart; three losses end the game.
- Draws still earn some points.
Levels and difficulty
Easy, Medium and Hard computer opponents.
Scoring
Wins earn the most points and draws some. Harder opponents multiply the points. Daily challenge scores can be shared with friends.
Tips and strategy for Tic Tac Toe
- When you go first, start in a corner.
- Always block the computer when it has two in a row.
- Create a "fork": two ways to win at once, so only one can be blocked.
- Against Hard, a draw is a good result.
History of the game
Games of three in a row are ancient; the name "noughts and crosses" was used in Britain from the 1800s, and "tic-tac-toe" in the United States.
How we built and tested Tic Tac Toe
The Hard computer uses a full game-tree search (minimax) and never lost in 200 test games against random play.
Frequently asked questions
Can I beat the Hard computer?
Hard plays perfectly, so the best you can do is draw.
Who goes first?
You go first in odd rounds and the computer in even rounds.