Tic Tac Toe
Shortcuts: Ctrl+P pause · Ctrl+M sound · Enter play again
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Resets every Monday (UTC).
About Tic Tac Toe
Tic Tac Toe is the familiar three-by-three grid where you place crosses and the opponent places noughts, and the first to complete a line of three wins. Here you can face a computer opponent at three skill levels or hand the screen to a friend for a two-player game. Rounds are tiny, but there is more to them than people remember.
It suits everyone, from young players learning to spot patterns to adults who want a very quick game. A round lasts one to three minutes. A good result against the computer is a win in as few moves as possible, and on the hardest setting a draw is a real achievement, because that opponent plays almost perfectly.
How to play Tic Tac Toe
- Choose 1 Player or 2 Players with the button below the board.
- In one-player mode, pick Easy, Medium or Hard with the AI button.
- You are X and you move first; the opponent plays O.
- Place marks in turn and try to get three of your own in a row, column or diagonal.
- If all nine squares fill with no line, the round is a draw.
Controls
| Keyboard and mouse | Click an empty square to place your mark. You can also press the number keys 1 to 9, which map to the squares from the top left to the bottom right, row by row. |
|---|---|
| Phone and tablet | Tap an empty square to place your cross. Two buttons under the board switch between one and two players and cycle the computer's difficulty. |
Scoring
Beating the computer scores 100 times the level (1 for Easy to 3 for Hard), plus 20 for every square still empty at the end of the game, so quicker wins score higher. A draw gives 40 times the level and a loss gives nothing. In two-player mode, the winner earns a flat 50 points.
Tips and strategy
- Open in a corner or the centre. Those squares take part in the most lines, so they give you more chances to build a double threat than an edge square does.
- Aim for a fork, where one move creates two separate lines that each need one more mark. The opponent can only block one, and you take the other.
- Always check for the opponent's two-in-a-row before you attack. A blocked line costs you one move, while a missed block costs you the entire round.
- On Easy the computer often plays at random, so a straightforward plan wins fast. Medium mixes mistakes with good moves, so stay alert for sudden threats.
- On Hard, the opponent never misses a forced win or block. Treat a draw as a success and keep your own threats ready in case it slips.
Tic Tac Toe FAQ
▸Can I play against a friend?
Yes. Switch the button to 2 Players and take turns on the same screen. The first player is X, and the difficulty button disappears because no computer is involved.
▸Can the Hard computer be beaten?
Hard plays a complete search every turn, so it does not make mistakes. With correct play from you, the best outcome is a draw.
▸Do I always go first?
Yes. In both modes X moves first. Against the computer you are X, and the computer replies after a short pause.
▸Does my score count toward the weekly leaderboard?
Yes. After each finished round the score is submitted, so wins on higher levels can earn XP and move you up the weekly leaderboard.
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