Dots & Boxes
Draw the fourth side, claim a box and keep the turn. Play the computer or a friend beside you.
Enable JavaScript to play. Rules and practice advice are available below.
No account or download needed. Records, where provided, stay in this browser; clearing site data removes them. Games remain playable without storage. Local friend modes share one screen.
How to play Dots & Boxes
- Tap an unused horizontal or vertical line between neighbouring dots. Yellow moves first; Purple is the other player.
- Completing the fourth side of a box claims it for your colour and grants another move. A line can complete two boxes at once. A line that claims no box ends your turn.
- The nine-box board ends when every box is claimed. Most boxes wins. Use Opponent to choose computer or same-screen friend; changing it starts a fresh board.
Dots & Boxes practice guide
A third side creates an opportunity for the other player
An empty box with two drawn edges is usually safe to inspect, but drawing its third side lets the next player complete it. Before adding a line, examine both boxes touching that line. A move that looks harmless on one side can create a fourth-edge opportunity on the other. Once a chain of nearly completed boxes exists, turns can contain several captures in a row.
One line completes two boxes
Two neighbouring boxes are each missing the same shared edge. Drawing that edge claims both boxes together and keeps your turn. Count two points, then inspect the remaining board before making the next move. Treating each click as an automatic turn change would make you miss this continuation.
A focused practice session
- For each candidate line, count existing sides of its adjacent boxes.
- Look for a line that finishes two boxes at once.
- Try a same-screen round and explain why each capture grants another move.
What to keep in mind
The computer prioritises immediately available boxes and uses a simple fallback otherwise. It is a practice opponent, not a claim of perfect chain strategy. Local friend mode uses one device.