Play Tic Tac Toe Online
Play Tic Tac Toe free in your browser, also known as noughts and crosses. Take on the computer at three difficulty levels, up to an AI that never loses, or play a friend on the same device. Get three in a row to win. No download and no sign-up.
How to Play Tic Tac Toe
Tic Tac Toe is played on a grid of three rows and three columns. One player is X and the other is O. Players take turns placing their mark in an empty square. The first player to get three marks in a row, across, down or diagonally, wins. If all nine squares fill up with no row of three, the game is a draw.
- Tap an empty square to place your mark.
- X usually goes first, then players take turns.
- Line up three of your marks in a row, column or diagonal to win.
- Block your opponent whenever they have two in a row.
Play on your Phone
Choose your difficulty or play a friend
There are three difficulty levels against the computer. The easier levels make mistakes you can learn to punish. The hardest level plays perfectly and never loses, so the best you can do against it is a draw. Want a human opponent instead? Play a friend on the same device and take turns.
Tic Tac Toe rules explained
- The grid. Nine squares in a 3×3 grid, all empty at the start.
- Marks. One player uses X, the other uses O. Each turn, place one mark in any empty square. Marks never move once placed.
- Winning. Three of your marks in a line wins. There are eight possible lines: three rows, three columns and two diagonals.
- Draws. If the grid fills with no winner, the game is a draw, sometimes called a cat’s game.
How to never lose at Tic Tac Toe
With perfect play from both sides, every game ends in a draw. These tips will get you there, and they will help you beat anyone who makes a mistake:
- Win if you can. If you have two in a row with the third square empty, take it.
- Block if you must. If your opponent has two in a row, block the third square straight away.
- Start in a corner or the centre. As X, a corner or the centre gives you the most winning lines. The centre is part of four lines, and each corner is part of three.
- Answer a corner with the centre. As O, if X opens in a corner, take the centre. Any other reply gives X a forced win.
- Make a fork. A fork is a move that creates two ways to win at once. Your opponent can only block one, so you win on the next move.
- Stop forks early. If your opponent could make a fork on their next move, block it now, or force them to defend by making two in a row of your own.
- Use the opposite corner. If your opponent takes a corner, taking the opposite corner is often a strong reply.
History of Tic Tac Toe
Games of three in a row are very old, and versions of this game have been played around the world for centuries. In Britain, South Africa and much of the Commonwealth it is called noughts and crosses. In the United States it is called tic-tac-toe. In 1952 a version called OXO, written for the EDSAC computer at the University of Cambridge, became one of the first computer games ever made. Because the game is small, it has been fully solved: perfect play from both players always ends in a draw. You can read more on Wikipedia’s tic-tac-toe page.
Tic Tac Toe or noughts and crosses?
They are the same game with different names. Noughts are the O marks and crosses are the X marks. Some people also call it Xs and Os. The rules are the same everywhere: three in a row wins.
More games to try
If you enjoy Tic Tac Toe, try Morabaraba, a Southern African strategy game where you also make lines of three, but with moving pieces and captures. For a classic two-player board game, try Checkers, or relax with a Sudoku puzzle.
Tic Tac Toe FAQ
Is this Tic Tac Toe game free? Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download or sign-up.
Can I play with a friend? Yes. Play a friend on the same device, taking turns.
Can I beat the hardest level? No. The hardest level plays perfectly, so the best result is a draw. Try the easier levels to practise winning.
Who goes first? X usually goes first. Going first gives a small advantage against a player who makes mistakes.
Is tic-tac-toe the same as noughts and crosses? Yes. It is the same game under a different name.
Can I play on my phone? Yes. The game runs in your phone’s browser.