Tic Tac Toe Online

Play Tic-Tac-Toe online for free, the quick X and O game that everyone grows up with. Get three in a row on the 3×3 grid before your opponent does. Play against the computer at three difficulty levels, or against a friend on the same device, and keep a running score of wins and draws. The starting player alternates every round, so the match stays fair. It is the perfect game for a two-minute break.

How to play

1. Players take turns placing X and O on a 3×3 grid.
2. The first to get three marks in a row — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — wins.
3. If all nine squares are filled with no winner, it’s a draw.

Controls

• Click or tap an empty square to place your X or O.
• Press New game to play the next round. The score of X wins, O wins and draws keeps counting.

Tips and strategy

• If you start, take the center or a corner. Both give you the most ways to make three in a row.
• Always block your opponent when they have two in a row.
• Try to set up a fork: a move that creates two winning lines at once, so your opponent can only block one.
• If your opponent takes a corner first, answer in the center.
• Against perfect play the game is always a draw, so a draw on Hard is a good result.

Game modes and difficulty

Choose vs Computer and pick Easy, Medium or Hard. Easy is great for young children, Medium plays sensibly but can be tricked, and Hard plays perfectly: it never loses, so the best you can do is a draw. Choose 2 Players to play with a friend on the same screen. The starting player alternates each round.

History and background

Games of three in a row on a small grid are very old, and similar games have been played in many cultures for centuries. In Britain the game is known as noughts and crosses.

Because it is so small, Tic-Tac-Toe was one of the first games ever played by a computer, and it is still used to teach children and programmers about strategy. With perfect play from both sides, every game ends in a draw, which is exactly why learning not to lose is the first real lesson.

Frequently asked questions