Tic-Tac-Toe Plus

How to play Tic-Tac-Toe Plus

1. Two players take turns: X always goes first, then O.
2. On your turn, place your mark in any empty square.
3. Get three of your marks in a row — across, down or diagonally — to win.
4. If all nine squares fill up with no winner, the game is a draw.

Strategy tips

• Open in a corner. It gives your opponent the most ways to go wrong: if they don't answer in the centre, you can force a win.
• Answer a corner opening with the centre — it's the only safe reply.
• Every turn, ask two questions: can I win right now? If not, do I need to block?
• Build forks: a move that makes two threats at once can't be fully blocked. Today's puzzles are all about forks.
• Stop forks by forcing: make your own threat so your opponent has to block instead of setting up theirs.

Three ways to play

Solo: daily puzzles — a fresh challenge every day, the same for everyone. vs Computer: four characters from Rookie Robo (easy) to Grandmaster Owl (expert); beat each one to earn its star. vs Friend: pass the device, or send an invite link and play online — no account needed.

Variants

4×4: get four in a row on a bigger board — fewer draws and longer games. Ultimate: nine small boards inside one big board. The square you play in decides which small board your opponent must play next. Win three small boards in a row to win the game; if every board is decided with no line, whoever won more small boards wins.

About Tic-Tac-Toe Plus

Three-in-a-row games are thousands of years old — boards have been found scratched into ancient Egyptian roof tiles, and the Romans played a version called terni lapilli. With perfect play from both sides, 3×3 Tic-Tac-Toe always ends in a draw, which makes it a perfect first strategy game for kids: they can learn to never lose, then move on to Ultimate for a real challenge.

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