Tic-tac-toe

Your turn00

Get 5 in a row!

Doodle thinks a little. Watch his lines!

Wins: 0
Ties: 0
Games: 0

Paused

You win!

You 1 · Doodle 0 · ties 0

X or O, three in a row. Tic-tac-toe is many children’s first real strategy game, and Doodle loves a game. Draw your red X on the paper, watch him think and draw his blue O, and try to get three in a row before he does. When three gets easy, the same game goes up to 4 and 5 in a row.

How to play

Tap a square.
You are X. Your red crayon X draws itself in.
Doodle takes a turn.
He thinks for a moment, then draws his blue O.
Get three in a row!
Across, down or corner to corner. Or block Doodle before he does.

Controls

Touch: Tap a square to draw your mark.
Mouse: Click a square.
Keyboard: ↑ ↓ ← → move the yellow square, Enter or Space draws your mark. H shows a good move, U takes back, P or Esc pauses.

Doodle’s levels

Easy: Doodle often misses a win or forgets to block, and sometimes plays a silly move, so young players win a lot.
Medium: He takes every win and blocks every line of two. You need a plan!
Hard: He never makes a mistake. Can you get a tie every time?

Or pick “A friend” to play each other on one screen. Whoever starts swaps each game.

Why is it so often a tie?

When both players make no mistakes, tic-tac-toe always ends in a tie. That’s why it’s such a good first game: children win by spotting the other player’s mistake, and they learn to stop making their own. Try it on Hard. When ties get boring, caro has room for much bigger plans.

Tips for winning

Start in the middle or a corner. The middle square is part of four lines, and each corner is part of three.
Block two in a row. When Doodle has two marks in a line and the third square is empty, put your X there.
Make a fork. One move that makes two lines of two at once: Doodle can block only one of them.

Boards to print

Take the game away from the screen: print a page of boards and play with a pencil. Each fits on A4 or Letter paper.

Six boards
Six 3 by 3 boards on one page: best of six!
4 in a row board
A 6 by 6 board for the next step up.
Caro board
15 by 15 squares for five in a row.

What kids practice

Thinking a step ahead. “If I go here, where will Doodle go?”
Seeing lines. Rows, columns and the two corner-to-corner lines.
Taking turns. Waiting for the other player, and being a good sport: Doodle cheers whoever wins.

For grown-ups

Tic-tac-toe has no ads, no accounts and no trackers. Wins and ties against Doodle are counted only in this browser on this device. Sound stays off until your child turns it on with the speaker button. There’s no timer, and a move can be taken back.

Questions

Can you beat Doodle on Hard?

Not at tic-tac-toe. On Hard, Doodle plays every move perfectly, so the best anyone can do is a tie, and you can get a tie every time if you play perfectly too. To win, try Medium, or play 4 or 5 in a row on a bigger board.

Is tic-tac-toe good for young children?

It’s short, the rules fit in one sentence and every game is different, so it’s a gentle first game for taking turns and thinking a step ahead. On Easy, Doodle makes mistakes, so 4- and 5-year-olds win often.

Can two children play together?

Yes. On the start card, pick “A friend” and take turns on the same screen. X starts the first game and O starts the next, and the score is kept as you play.

Is it free?

Yes. Tic-tac-toe is free to play in the browser and the boards are free to print. There are no ads, no sign-up and nothing to download.