How to play
Two players take turns putting their mark in a square of the 3 x 3 grid: you are ✕, the other player is ◯. The first to get three marks in a row – across, down or diagonally – wins. When all nine squares are full and nobody has a row, it is a draw.
- Choose who you Play against: the computer at one of three levels, or a friend on the same screen.
- Tap a square to put your mark there, or press the keys 1 to 9 on a keyboard.
- Who starts changes every game, so it is fair.
- Undo takes back your last move (and the computer’s answer).
Three levels
- Easy: the computer plays almost at random. Good for children learning the game.
- Medium: it takes a win when it sees one and usually blocks yours.
- Unbeatable: it looks at every possible game to the end and never loses. The best you can get is a draw.
How not to lose
- Take the middle when you start: it is part of four of the eight possible rows.
- Block at once when the other player has two in a row.
- Make a fork: a move that threatens two rows at the same time cannot be blocked.
- Against a player who never makes a mistake, the game always ends in a draw.
Free, in your browser
No download, no app, no account. The game runs on this page, on a phone, a tablet or a computer, and the tally of your games against the computer stays on your device.