Dots & Boxes
Shortcuts: Ctrl+P pause · Ctrl+M sound · Enter play again
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About Dots & Boxes
Dots and Boxes is a pencil-and-paper classic turned into a quick board game. A five by five grid of boxes sits between 36 dots. Players take turns drawing a single line between two neighboring dots, and whoever draws the fourth side of a box claims it and plays again. When all 25 boxes are taken, the player with more boxes wins.
It is simple enough for kids to learn in a minute, yet it hides real strategy about when to avoid giving your opponent a third side. Games last three to eight minutes. You can play the computer or share one screen with a friend. A great game means taking long chains of boxes at the end.
How to play Dots & Boxes
- Gold goes first. Tap or click any open line between two adjacent dots.
- When a line completes the fourth side of a box, that box takes your color and you move again.
- If your line does not finish a box, the turn passes to the other player.
- Try not to draw a third side of any box, since that lets your opponent close it.
- Keep going until all 25 boxes are claimed. The higher box count wins.
Controls
| Keyboard and mouse | Move the mouse near a gap between two dots and the line is previewed. Click to draw it. Use the buttons under the board to switch between 1 Player and 2 Players or to restart. Ctrl+P pauses and Ctrl+M mutes. |
|---|---|
| Phone and tablet | Tap close to the space between two neighboring dots to draw that line. The buttons below the board switch the mode or restart the game. |
Scoring
Every completed box counts as one point on the scoreboard. Against the computer your final score is 10 points per box, plus 100 for a win and 10 more for each box of winning margin. In two-player mode the winner's box count times 10 is recorded.
Tips and strategy
- Early on, draw lines that leave every box with at most two sides. Boxes with two sides drawn are safe, and a third side hands boxes over.
- When safe lines run out, the player forced to open a chain usually loses. Count the safe moves left and try to leave an even number for the opponent.
- When you are handed a chain, think about taking all but the last two boxes and then passing control back with a double-cross, rather than grabbing everything.
- The computer almost always takes a free box and avoids giving away boxes when it can, so do not count on it making a careless mistake.
- Hover (on desktop) to preview your line before clicking, because there is no undo once a line is drawn.
Dots & Boxes FAQ
▸Can I play with a friend?
Yes. Press 1 Player to switch to 2 Players. Both people use the same screen, and the scoreboard labels them P1 (gold) and P2 (green). Switching modes restarts the board.
▸Who goes first against the computer?
You do, as gold. The computer plays green and takes its turn after a short pause, and it also moves again whenever it completes a box.
▸Why did I get another turn?
Closing a box earns an extra move. You keep playing until you draw a line that does not complete a box.
▸Can the game end in a tie?
Not on this board. There are 25 boxes, an odd number, so one side always finishes ahead. A draw can only be declared if the scores are somehow level, which does not happen when every box is claimed.
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