Home / Board & Card / Dots and Boxes
Dots and BoxesBoard & Card · Two Player
How to play Dots and Boxes
Dots and Boxes is the classic paper game on a screen. A grid of dots waits on a notebook page. Players take turns drawing one line between two neighbouring dots, and whoever draws the fourth side of a box claims it and goes again. When every line is drawn, the player with the most boxes wins.
Choose a board of 4 x 4, 5 x 5, 6 x 6 or 7 x 7 dots and play against the bot or a friend on the same screen. The easy bot makes human mistakes, the medium bot never hands you a box for free, and the sharp bot works out the endgame exactly, including the trick of giving away two boxes to keep control of a long chain. Undo is free, and an optional video shows a suggested line for your turn.
Your record against each bot and your best winning margin are saved on your device, so you can close the tab and come back later. The game runs in the browser with no download and no account.
Controls
Click between two dots to draw a line. U: undo. H: hint. M: sound. P or Esc: pause.
Tap between two dots to draw a line. Use the Undo, Hint and Menu buttons.
FAQ
How do I score a box?
Draw its fourth side. The box becomes yours and you move again, so closing a box never ends your turn.
What does the sharp bot do better?
It never gives a box away while a safe line exists, and once the board is small enough it searches every continuation, including declining the last two boxes of a chain to keep the move.
Can I take a move back?
Yes. Undo is free. Against the bot it takes back your last turn and the bot's replies; with a friend it takes back one line.
What does the hint do?
After a short optional video it marks one line in gold: the move the sharp bot would pick for your turn. You can ignore it.
Is Dots and Boxes free?
Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download and no account.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. It runs on phones, tablets and computers. Tap between two dots to draw a line. Use the Undo, Hint and Menu buttons.