Board & classics
Play Tic Tac Toe online
Three in a row is the first strategy game almost everyone learns – and the last one you truly solve. Play on 3×3 or on the far more open 4×4 board, optionally with an unlocked motif instead of the cross. Depending on the level, the opponent looks a few moves ahead, or all of them.
Play Tic Tac Toe nowFree · no download · no sign-up
At a glance
- Category
- Board & classics
- Controls
- mouse or finger
- Price
- free
- Sign-up
- not required
Yes. Tic Tac Toe is played against the computer here, across several strengths from easy to very strong. A win also pays chips into your account.
Where Tic Tac Toe comes from
Three in a row is one of the oldest games there is: the Romans played a variant called terni lapilli on a three-by-three grid, and scratched boards survive in ancient buildings. It is known as noughts and crosses in Britain and as tick-tack-toe in America. In 1952 Alexander Douglas built OXO, one of the very first computer games ever written – and it was tic tac toe.
How it works
Get three (or four) marks in a row – across, down or diagonally. You are X and start.
Three tips for better results
- 1On 3×3 the centre is the strongest square – take it and you can almost always force at least a draw.
- 2Look for double threats: two open pairs at once cannot both be blocked.
- 3On 4×4 the diagonals matter far more, because they are longer and get blocked less often.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tic Tac Toe free to play?
Yes. Tic Tac Toe runs straight in your browser, costs nothing and needs no installation. There is no paywall – the chips in the game are play money and cannot be bought. The site is funded by advertising, which appears only if you agree to it.
Do I need an account to play Tic Tac Toe?
No. The home page offers “play now without an account” – that starts you straight away and your progress stays in this browser. An account is only worth it if you want the same progress on several devices; name and PIN are enough, and we never ask for an email address. A guest profile can be turned into an account at any time without losing anything.
How do you play Tic Tac Toe?
Get three (or four) marks in a row – across, down or diagonally. You are X and start.
Where does Tic Tac Toe come from?
Three in a row is one of the oldest games there is: the Romans played a variant called terni lapilli on a three-by-three grid, and scratched boards survive in ancient buildings. It is known as noughts and crosses in Britain and as tick-tack-toe in America. In 1952 Alexander Douglas built OXO, one of the very first computer games ever written – and it was tic tac toe.
Does Tic Tac Toe work on a phone?
The site adapts to the screen size, and anything you can click can also be tapped. Games controlled with arrow keys do need a keyboard, though.
Do I have to download anything to play Tic Tac Toe?
No. Tic Tac Toe runs in the browser – on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone alike. There is no app, no plugin and nothing to install.
Can I play Tic Tac Toe against the computer?
Yes. Tic Tac Toe is played against the computer here, across several strengths from easy to very strong. A win also pays chips into your account.
Does Tic Tac Toe work without an internet connection?
The page has to load once; after that the game itself runs entirely in your browser and needs no connection. If you use an account, your progress syncs again as soon as you are back online.
Also known as
These are the terms people use to look for Tic Tac Toe.
- tic tac toe online
- noughts and crosses
- three in a row
- tic tac toe 4x4
- tic tac toe vs computer
- free tic tac toe
- xo game
- classic strategy game
- tick tack toe
- two player logic game