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Dots and Boxes
Your boxes: 0 · Computer's: 0
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The pencil-and-paper game of drawing lines and claiming boxes, against the computer in three sizes and three levels. Free, with no sign-up.
Also try: Reversi · Mancala · Checkers
How to play Dots and Boxes
Dots and Boxes is the pencil-and-paper game many of us played at school, here against the computer. The board is a square of dots. You take turns drawing a line between two dots that sit next to each other, across or down. Claim more boxes than the computer to win.
- Tap the gap between two dots to draw a line there. Your lines are blue and the computer's are red.
- When a line finishes the fourth side of a box, that box is yours: it fills with your color and shows "You". The computer's boxes show "PC".
- Whoever completes a box must draw another line straight away. One line can finish two boxes at once.
- The game ends when every line is drawn. Whoever has more boxes wins.
- The lines the computer drew on its last turn are marked in yellow until you draw your next one.
Choose how strong the computer is above the board, and the size: 3 by 3, 4 by 4 or 5 by 5 boxes. Undo takes back your last line and the computer's reply, as many times as you like. Hint suggests a line.
Tips
- Try not to draw the third side of a box. The computer will take it, and then draw again.
- Toward the end, every line gives something away. Give away the shortest row of boxes you can.
- Taking every box on offer isn't always best. Sometimes leaving the last two of a row makes the computer open the next, longer row for you. On Hard, the computer knows this trick too.
Keyboard
Tab to the board, then use the arrow keys to move between the lines. Press Enter or Space to draw the line you're on. H shows a hint and Ctrl+Z undoes.
Questions
How do you win at Dots and Boxes?
Claim more boxes than the computer. You claim a box by drawing its fourth side, and then you draw again. Avoid drawing the third side of a box, because that hands it over.
Do I have to draw again after completing a box?
Yes. Completing a box always means another turn, so a run of boxes can be taken one after another.
Which size should I choose?
3 by 3 is a quick game of a few minutes. 4 by 4 is the classic. 5 by 5 takes longer and leaves more room for planning.
How strong is the computer?
Easy often gives boxes away. Medium never draws a third side when it has a choice. Hard also uses the endgame trick of declining the last two boxes of a row, so you have to open the next one. You can change the level at any time.