TIC-TAC-TOE

Tic-Tac-Toe, also called Noughts and Crosses or Xs and Os, is a puzzle game played by two players on a three-by-three square board. One player has a cross as their mark, and the other has a circle. Players take turns placing their marks on the board, and whoever gets three marks in a straight line first wins. The three winning marks can be arranged horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

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Strategy: how to play Tic-Tac-Toe?

Playing the game strategically is essential: the best way is to set traps that will allow you to win no matter where your opponent places their mark. This can be achieved in many ways, two of which are displayed below:

In the pictures above, no matter which of the two fields with a question mark chooses the player with a circle, the other player can place a cross in the other field and win the game. Setting traps is one thing; being able to defend against them is another. You will need to learn both.

The player who makes the first move has the advantage because it is usually easier to win if you take the middle field. The player with the middle field can more easily set traps, although having middle field is not the only way to do that, as the second example above shows. Nevertheless, if you have the first move, starting in the middle is a clever idea.

If you are making a move just after the first player has started in the middle, you should always place your mark in a corner. Otherwise, the first player can implement a winning strategy and easily beat you.

Many games end in a draw. Despite the advantage, the first player does not always have the winning strategy, i.e., is not guaranteed to win. If both players play flawlessly, neither can win, and there is a draw.

You can read more on how to play Tic-Tac-Toe on WikiHow.

Game options

This Tic-Tac-Toe game allows you to play continuously. Players change the order of play after each game but keep their respective marks. Results are tallied next to the players’ marks, and the equal sign indicates the number of draws. To continue playing after the game is over, click anywhere on the board. You can also reset the scores and restart the game using the button with the circular arrows.

There are two game modes available: you can play against a computer or against another human using the same device. To select the first game mode, click the icon with a person and a computer chip. If you want to play against a friend, click on the icon with two people.

You can also decide which symbol will be used by the first player. If you prefer the cross, click the icon with a small X in the bottom-left corner and an O in the upper-right corner. If you prefer the circle, select the icon in which the marks are reversed: the circle is in the bottom-left, and the cross is in the top-right.

To save your eyesight, you can play in dark mode. Dark mode dims the colors and reduces the contrast. If you want to switch it on, click the moon picture. To switch dark mode off, click the sun picture.

While playing against the computer, there are four difficulty levels available. You can choose the desired difficulty level by clicking on the corresponding face: the happy face represents the easiest difficulty, while the suffering face symbolizes the hardest. If you play very well, you should be able to win at all levels except the last one. This is because beating the computer on the hardest level is impossible. Or isn’t it? Let us know if you manage to do it!

Your own Tic-Tac-Toe!

Do you like this game? Do you have a website? Would you like to give your visitors a chance to play Tic-Tac-Toe while on your website? You can easily embed this game using a simple HTML code. You can configure the game to show no ads, no feedback dialog, no navigation, or no other content but the game itself. You can also choose a different frame size. For details, please read our article on how to embed this Tic-Tac-Toe game.

Contact information

You can use the small form below the game rating if you have any feedback about the game. You can also send us an email at contact@solitaires-online.com. Any questions, complaints, thanks, or comments are welcome.

This game was created by the Simiade company. Here is how you can contact us: