About Tic-Tac-Toe Online
Play tic-tac-toe online with a friend: send an invite link or a six-character code, or use quick match to play someone who is waiting. A rematch swaps who plays X, so you take turns going first.
Tic-tac-toe (also called noughts and crosses) is played on a 3×3 grid. One player is X, the other is O, and you take turns marking empty squares. Three of your marks in a line wins; if the grid fills first, it is a draw.
Also called: noughts and crosses, xo game, tic-tac-toe.
How to play Tic-Tac-Toe
- X always goes first. Against the computer, choose 1st to play X or 2nd to play O, and pick Easy, Medium or Hard.
- Click or tap an empty square to place your mark. Keys 1–9 also work, numbered left to right, top to bottom.
- Players alternate, one mark per turn.
- Get three in a row across, down or diagonally to win.
- If all nine squares are filled and nobody has a line, the game is a draw.
Rules
- A square can hold only one mark, and marks never move.
- There are eight winning lines: three rows, three columns and two diagonals.
- Undo against the computer takes back your move and its reply. With a friend it takes back one move.
- Rematch swaps who goes first.
Tic-Tac-Toe tips and strategy
- Start in a corner as X. It gives your opponent the most ways to go wrong: every reply except the centre loses against good play.
- As O, answer a corner opening by taking the centre, and answer a centre opening by taking a corner. Anything else can lose.
- Win with a fork: a move that makes two lines of two at once. Your opponent can block only one of them.
- Before every move, check two things in order: can I win right now, and must I block right now?
- When you have to block, look for a block that also threatens a line of your own, so your opponent must answer you.
Tic-Tac-Toe questions
Can you beat the Hard computer?
No. Hard plays perfect tic-tac-toe, so the best you can do is a draw. It will win if you slip up, and it prefers the moves that give you the most chances to go wrong.
Is tic-tac-toe always a draw?
With perfect play from both sides, yes. The game is small enough to have been solved completely: neither player can force a win against correct defence.
How do I beat the Medium computer?
Medium always takes a win and always blocks a line of two, but it does not see forks coming. Take a corner, then set up a move that creates two threats at once.
Who goes first?
X always moves first. You can choose to play X or O against the computer, and a rematch swaps who starts so both players get the first move in turn.
Is my record saved?
Yes. Your wins, losses and draws are kept in your browser for each computer level, and a game in progress is saved after every move.
Is Tic-Tac-Toe free to play?
Yes. Tic-Tac-Toe on Kultured Arcade is completely free: no download, no account and nothing to buy. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
Do I need to download Tic-Tac-Toe?
No. It opens instantly in your browser and saves your progress on your device, so there is nothing to install and no sign-up.
Can I play Tic-Tac-Toe on my phone?
Yes. The game fits your screen and works with touch as well as a mouse and keyboard, on iPhone, Android, tablets and computers.
Can I play Tic-Tac-Toe online with a friend?
Yes. Open the Online tab and choose Create invite, then send the link or the six-character code. The game starts as soon as your friend opens it. Quick match pairs you with someone who is waiting.