About Dots & Boxes
Dots & Boxes is the pencil-and-paper game everyone played at school, rebuilt with neon lines. Take turns joining two neighbouring dots. Draw the fourth side of a box and it becomes yours, and you must move again. The tension comes from never wanting to draw the third side of a box and hand your opponent a free point.
Late in the game long chains of boxes appear, and whoever is forced to open the first chain usually loses. Play a 4×4 grid or a big 6×6 grid against the computer, or a 5×5 grid with a friend.
How to play
- Tap between two dots to draw a line.
- Complete a box to claim it and play again.
- Glowing boxes have three sides: whoever moves next can take them.
About Dots & Boxes
Dots and Boxes is a pencil-and-paper game first described by French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889: take turns drawing lines between dots, and whoever completes a box claims it and plays again.
Tips to score higher
- Avoid drawing the third side of a box; it gives your opponent a free box.
- Count the long chains near the end; whoever is forced to open the first chain usually loses.
- Use the double-cross: when taking a long chain, leave the last two boxes so your opponent must open the next chain.
- Glowing boxes already have three sides; whoever moves next can take them.
Dots & Boxes FAQ
Do I get another turn after completing a box?
Yes. Completing a box lets you draw again.
Can two people play?
Yes, 2 Players mode is a 5×5 grid on one screen.
Try next: Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect Four and Sea Battle.
