Tic-Tac-Toe is a short classic: two players, a 3×3 grid and one goal, three of your marks in a row. A round takes a minute or two, which makes it a good fit for a short wait, a car ride or teaching a child how turn-taking games work. Play it here with a friend on one phone, tablet or computer, or take on the computer at three levels. It is free, there is nothing to install, and it keeps working offline.
How to play Tic-Tac-Toe
- One player is X and the other is O. X usually goes first, but you can choose either player to start.
- Players take turns placing one mark in any empty square.
- The first player to get three marks in a row wins. A row can go across, down or corner to corner.
- If all nine squares are filled and nobody has three in a row, the game is a draw.
- Marks never move once they are placed, and you cannot skip a turn.
That is the whole game. For setup tips, the history of the name and popular variations like 4×4 and ultimate tic-tac-toe, read the complete tic-tac-toe rules.
Play Tic-Tac-Toe on one device
This version is built for pass and play. Type both names, decide who goes first and start. The bar above the board always shows whose turn it is and which mark they play, and the winning line lights up at the end.
- Pass screen (optional): turn it on in the setup or in the More menu, and a “Pass to Maya” screen appears between turns.
- Undo: tapped the wrong square? Undo takes back the last move. Against the computer it takes you back to your own turn.
- Rematch and score: after each game, Rematch starts a new round where the other player goes first, and a running score for your session is kept.
- Auto-save: the game saves after every move, so a refresh or a closed tab doesn’t lose it.
- Offline: once loaded, it works with no Wi-Fi or mobile data.
You can play with a mouse, by touch, or with the keyboard: use the arrow keys to move around the grid and Enter or Space to place your mark.
Play against the computer
No one around? Choose vs Computer and pick a level:
- Easy plays mostly at random and often misses your threats. Good for young players learning the game.
- Medium always takes a winning square and always blocks yours, but it can still fall for a fork.
- Hard plays perfectly. Tic-tac-toe is a solved game, so with best play from both sides it always ends in a draw. Holding the computer to a draw on this level is the real test.
Quick tips
- Start in the center or a corner. The center square is part of four lines, more than any other square.
- Block first. Before every move, check whether your opponent has two in a row with an empty third square.
- Make a fork. A fork is a move that creates two threats at once. Your opponent can only block one of them.
Want to see these ideas move by move? The tic-tac-toe strategy tutorial walks through the best first moves, how forks work and how to never lose. If you enjoy lining up marks, try Four in a Row or the bigger 15×15 board of Gomoku next.