Dots and Boxes — free online Board game
Draw lines, close boxes and take the last chain from the computer.
Dots and Boxes is the classic pencil-and-paper game, free to play in your browser. Take turns drawing a line between two neighbouring dots; whoever draws the fourth side of a box claims it and must draw again. When the grid is full, the player with more boxes wins. Play on a 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 grid against an easy, normal or hard computer — hard knows about chains and the double-dealing trick — or pass the device to a friend in two-player mode. Undo is always available, and your wins are tracked. No download, no sign-up.
Quick start
- Press Start. Normal on the 4 × 4 grid is a good first game; pick 2 players to play a friend on one device.
- Tap the gap between two neighbouring dots to draw a line.
- When you close a box it turns your colour and you draw again.
- Avoid drawing the third side of a box — the computer will take it.
How to play Dots and Boxes
- The board is a grid of dots: 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 boxes. You (blue) always draw first.
- On your turn, draw one line between two dots that are next to each other, across or down.
- If your line closes the fourth side of a box — or two boxes at once — those boxes are yours and you must draw another line.
- If your line closes nothing, the turn passes.
- The game ends when every line is drawn. Whoever owns more boxes wins; equal boxes is a draw.
Controls
- Draw a line: tap or click between two dots
- Keyboard: arrow keys step through the free lines, Enter or Space draws
- Take back your last move: the Undo button or U
- New game: the New game button, a difficulty button or a grid size
Strategy tips
- Early on, draw lines that do not give any box its third side. Late in the game such safe lines run out, and someone has to open a chain.
- A chain is a row of boxes that can be taken one after another. When you must give something away, give the shortest chain.
- The double-dealing move: when taking a long chain, stop two boxes short and draw the line that hands those two boxes over. Your opponent takes two, then has to open the next chain for you.
- Hard uses that trick, so count the chains before you start capturing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to take a box when I can?
No. Taking a box is optional — sometimes leaving the last two boxes of a chain to your opponent wins the game. But if you close a box, you must draw again.
How strong is the computer?
Easy often misses free boxes and gives boxes away. Normal takes every box it can and avoids giving away boxes while it has a choice. Hard also gives away the smallest chain when it must, and uses the double-dealing move to keep control of long chains.
Is Dots and Boxes free?
Yes. It is completely free to play in your browser, with no download, no account and no in-game purchases.
Can two people play?
Yes. Choose 2 players and take turns on the same screen: blue draws first, then red.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Every line has a large tap area, and the board resizes for portrait and landscape screens.