How to play

Choose the computer or two-player mode. Against the computer, choose your symbol and a difficulty.

X goes first. Take turns marking empty squares. Connect three of your symbols in a row, column or diagonal to win.

If all nine squares fill without a winner, the round is a draw. Start a new game to play another round.

Good to know

Easy plays random moves. Normal mixes optimal and random moves. Hard searches wins, losses and draws to choose an optimal move.

Match results last only on this page. Changing the mode, symbol or difficulty, or reloading the page, resets the record.

Play without signing in or submitting a score.

PLAY & LEARN

Tic-Tac-Toe · Rules and strategy

Tic-tac-toe asks two players to alternate X and O on a 3×3 grid. The rules are brief, but each turn involves attack and defense. Practice against the computer or take turns with another person on the same device.

Rules and controls

Complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line of three of your marks to win. Occupied cells cannot be reused. A full board without a winning line is a draw. X makes the first move.

A useful first strategy

Take an immediate win if one is available. Otherwise block any line your opponent can finish next turn. Then look for forks: moves that create two winning threats at once, or prevent the opponent from doing so.

Worked example

If the top row is X, X, empty and it is X’s turn, the final cell wins. If it is O, O, empty and you play X, occupying that cell blocks the immediate threat.

Frequently asked questions

How do I play again after a draw?

Use Rematch when the round ends to begin another round with the same opponent settings. A draw is a normal result when both sides make strong moves.

Does sharing send my current game?

Share sends the game address in the current language. It does not copy your board, nickname or score.