Nine Grid
Play Nine Grid now · free, no download, no sign-up
Nine Grid takes the noughts-and-crosses game everyone learns as a child and turns it into a real strategy puzzle. The board is made of nine small grids arranged in a bigger one, and the square you pick decides where your opponent has to play next.
It is quick to learn and surprisingly deep, so it works for a five-minute break, for a family game night or for players who like to think several moves ahead. A glowing target board and a preview of where your move will send your rival keep everything easy to follow.
How to play
- Players take turns placing X and O in the cells of the small boards.
- The cell you choose inside a small board sends your opponent to the matching small board on the big grid, which glows.
- Get three in a row on a small board to win it and claim that square of the big board.
- If you are sent to a board that is already won or full, you have a free choice of any open board.
- Win three small boards in a row on the big board to win the game.
Controls
On a phone or tablet
Tap a cell in the glowing board to place your mark. The highlight shows where that move would send your opponent.
On a computer
Click a cell with the mouse. Hovering a cell previews the board your rival will be sent to.
Game modes
Vs computer
Easy plays loosely, medium searches ahead, and hard runs a deep search in the background so the board never freezes.
Two players
Take turns with a friend on the same phone, tablet or computer.
Online
Create a private table and send the code or invite link to a friend to play on their own device.
Puzzles and daily
Solve win-in-N positions against perfect defence, plus a fresh daily puzzle.
Classic 3x3
A single plain board for younger players or a quick warm-up.
Tips
- Before every move, look at the board you are sending your opponent to, not just the one you are playing in.
- Avoid sending your rival to a board where they can complete three in a row straight away.
- Sending someone to a finished board gives them a free choice, which is usually a gift; avoid it when you can.
- The centre small board and the corner boards take part in the most lines on the big grid, so they are worth more.
- Sometimes losing a small board is fine if it lets you control where your opponent plays for several turns.
About the game
This nested version of noughts and crosses has been passed around classrooms and puzzle circles for years, often under names like super or meta tic-tac-toe. Its appeal is that one simple rule, your move chooses your opponent's board, changes a solved children's game into one with real tactics.
On phones the big grid fills the portrait screen and each cell is sized for a thumb; on desktop the board sits in a wider room with space for the move preview. Coins earned from wins unlock new board styles.
Questions
- Is Nine Grid free to play?
- Yes, it runs free in your browser with nothing to install.
- Can two people play on one device?
- Yes. Choose the two-player mode and pass the phone or share the mouse.
- Is there an easier version for kids?
- Yes. Classic 3x3 mode is the normal single-board game.
