Dots and Boxes

Play dots and boxes, the pen-and-paper game, on screen. Players take turns drawing lines, and whoever draws the last side of a box claims it. Two to four people can play on one screen, or one person can play against the computer.

How to use

1. Open "Settings" and choose "Rows of boxes", "Columns of boxes" and "Play against". For a group, set "Players" and the names and colours; against the computer, set "Computer level".
2. Press "New game". Board size, opponent and number of players apply from the next new game.
3. Tap between two dots, or drag from a dot to its neighbour, to draw a line. When you complete a box, it is filled with your colour and initial, and you draw again.
4. Press "Undo" to remove a line. When every line is drawn, the player with the most boxes wins.

How it works

• The board can be from 3×3 to 8×8 boxes, and the number of rows and columns can differ.
• On "Easy" the computer draws any line, on "Medium" it avoids giving you a box's third side, and on "Hard" it also counts chains and gives away as little as possible when it has to.
• With a keyboard, the arrow keys move the dot cursor and Shift plus an arrow draws a line. The current game and your settings are saved in this browser.

Questions and answers

What are the rules of dots and boxes?

Players take turns drawing one line between two neighbouring dots. Whoever draws the fourth side of a box claims it and draws again, and the player with the most boxes at the end wins.

Is there a strategy to win dots and boxes?

The basic rule is not to draw the third side of a box, because the next player can then take it. Near the end, the game is decided by who is forced to open the first chain of connected boxes.

How many players can play?

Two to four players can take turns on one screen. Against the computer, one person plays.

What does undo do against the computer?

It removes the computer's lines and your line before them, so it is your turn again.