Play tic tac toe online
Nine squares, two marks and one aim: three in a row. Go first or second, pick a computer from Easy to Master, and watch every X and O go down in chalk in time with the music.
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Why play tic tac toe here
Three computers, three steps up. Easy leaves room for a first win. Hard takes every win and blocks every line, so the way past it is a fork: one move that sets up two lines at once. Master plays every move perfectly, and a draw against it means you did too.
You choose who goes first, and changing either choice wipes the board for a fresh game. Your first visit opens with a short animated lesson on the rules, a game in progress is kept on your device, and every mark is drawn in time with a soft tune, with a switch for the music and another for the sound effects.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play tic tac toe?
Two players take turns drawing their mark in an empty square of a three-by-three grid, X first and then O. The first to get three of their marks in a row, across, down or corner to corner, wins. If all nine squares fill up and nobody has a line, the game is a draw. Here you play the computer and choose whether you go first as X or second as O.
How do you always win at tic tac toe?
When both sides play every move perfectly, the game always ends in a draw, so the aim is to keep every line covered and take each chance you are given. Block any two in a row straight away, and look for a fork: a move that sets up two lines at once, since only one of them can be blocked. Going first, a corner is a strong start, because the centre is then the only reply that holds the draw.
Should I go first or second?
Going first is the easier side: X gets the first choice of square. Going second, take the centre if X opened in a corner, and a corner if X opened in the centre. Against Hard or Master, a draw as O is a fine result.
What is the best result against Master?
A draw. Master looks through every possible game before it moves, so it never leaves a line open, and it chooses the moves that ask the most of you. Holding it to a draw means you played every move right. For a win to aim at, try Hard: it takes every win and blocks every line, so a fork is the way past it.
Is tic tac toe the same as noughts and crosses and the XO game?
Yes. It is one game with many names: tic tac toe in the United States, noughts and crosses in Britain, and Xs and Os or the XO game in many other places. The board, the marks and the rules are the same.
Is it free to play, and does it work on phones?
Yes. Tic-tac-toe here is free, with no download and no account. It runs in the browser on a computer, a tablet or a phone, and Full screen gives the board the whole screen.
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