How to play Tic-Tac-Toe
- The board has 9 squares in a 3 × 3 grid. Orange plays crosses and Purple plays circles.
- Players take turns to put one mark in an empty square. The player who goes first switches every round.
- Get three of your marks in a row: across, up and down, or corner to corner. The first to do it wins the round.
- If all 9 squares fill up with no row of three, the round is a draw.
- Press Play again for the next round. The score at the top keeps count until you close the game.
Controls
| Device | How to play |
|---|---|
| Phone or tablet | Tap an empty square |
| Mouse | Click an empty square |
| Keyboard | Press 1 to 9: left to right, top row first |
Computer levels
The computer sees the same board as you. The levels change how carefully it plays, not what it knows.
| Level | How the computer plays |
|---|---|
| Easy | Mostly plays at random, and sometimes misses its own chance to win. Perfect for young players. |
| Medium | Always takes a win and blocks yours, but doesn't plan ahead. |
| Hard | Plays perfectly most of the time, with the occasional slip you can use. |
| Unbeatable | Never makes a mistake. The best you can do is a draw. |
Tips to win
- Take the centre. The middle square is part of four possible lines, more than any other square.
- Corners come next. Each corner is part of three lines, and corners make it easier to set up two threats at once.
- Make a fork. Try to create two ways to win at the same time. Your rival can only block one of them.
- Always check for a block. Before you play, look for a row where your rival already has two marks.
- Against Unbeatable, aim for the draw. With perfect play on both sides, Tic-Tac-Toe always ends in a draw, so a draw against Unbeatable is a perfect game.
About Tic-Tac-Toe
Tic-Tac-Toe is known around the world under different names. In the United Kingdom it is usually called noughts and crosses. It is often the first strategy game children learn, because the rules are simple but there is still real thinking to do. In 1952, a version called OXO became one of the very first games ever played on a computer. Because the board is small, every possible game can be worked out: if both players make no mistakes, the game is always a draw.
Questions
Can you always win at Tic-Tac-Toe?
No. If your rival plays perfectly, the best you can get is a draw. You win by spotting their mistakes, such as a missed block or a fork they didn't see coming.
Can two people play on one phone?
Yes. Choose 2 Players and take turns tapping the board on the same phone or tablet.
Is the Unbeatable level really unbeatable?
Yes. It looks at every possible move to the end of the game, so it never loses. You can still draw.
Is Tic-Tac-Toe free?
Yes. It's free in your browser, with no download, no sign-up and no ads during a game.
Updated 2 November 2026