Dots & Boxes
Play Dots & Boxes now · free, no download, no sign-up
Dots & Boxes is the pen-and-paper game many people played on the back of a notebook. Two players take turns drawing a line between neighbouring dots. Draw the fourth side of a box and it is yours, marked with your colour and a doodle, and you get to move again. When the board is full, the most boxes wins.
The rules take a minute to learn, yet the game hides real strategy about chains and timing. This version has an inky notebook look, three board sizes, puzzle stages for solo play and a computer that ranges from casual to a genuine chain-strategy expert.
How to play
- Tap between two neighbouring dots to draw a line.
- Close the fourth side of a box to claim it, then take another turn.
- Avoid drawing the third side of a box, because that hands it to your opponent.
- Boards come in 4x4, 5x5 and 6x6 boxes.
- When every line is drawn, the player with the most boxes wins.
Controls
On a phone or tablet
Tap the gap between two dots to draw a line. Two players can sit side by side or face to face around one phone.
On a computer
Click between two dots with the mouse.
Game modes
Solo puzzles
Stage by stage, claim a set number of boxes with limited ink. Lines that close a box are free.
Vs computer
Easy takes whatever boxes it sees, medium avoids giving you a third side, and hard plays for chain control with an exact endgame.
2 players
Two players on one device, side by side or in Table mode with player 2's side turned around.
Online
Open a private table and share its 5-digit code or link so a friend can join from their own phone.
Tips
- Early on, draw lines that do not create a third side anywhere.
- Count the long chains forming in the middle of the board; the endgame is decided by who has to open them.
- Sometimes giving away two boxes at the end of a chain (a double-cross) keeps you in control of the next, longer chain.
- Open the shortest chain first when you are forced to give something away.
- In puzzle stages, plan lines that close boxes, since those do not use ink.
About the game
The dots and boxes game has been played on graph paper for well over a century and is a favourite in classrooms and among puzzle fans for its surprising depth. This version keeps the paper feel with ink lines and doodles while adding puzzle stages and an online private table.
On a phone, the board fits portrait and tapping between dots is easy even on the 6x6 grid. On a desktop you click. Coins earned from games unlock new paper styles.
Questions
- Is Dots & Boxes free?
- Yes. You can play it free in your browser.
- Can I play with a friend on another phone?
- Yes. Choose Online, open a private table and send your friend the code or link.
- Can two people play on one device?
- Yes, side by side or face to face in Table mode.
- Does it save my progress?
- Your puzzle stage and coins are saved in your browser on this device.
