Arcade / Dots and Boxes

πŸ”² Dots and Boxes

Take turns drawing lines between dots. Close the fourth side of a box to claim it and go again. Play the computer or a friend on a 3 by 3 or 5 by 5 board.

Dots and Boxes
HOW TO PLAY

How to play Dots and Boxes

  1. Choose vs Computer or 2 players and a board size.
  2. Tap between two dots to draw a line.
  3. Finish a box to claim it and take another turn. Most boxes wins.
HOW SCORING WORKS

The rules in detail

Players take turns drawing one line between two neighbouring dots. Drawing the fourth side of a box claims it (marked with your colour) and gives you another turn, so one move can win a whole chain. When every line is drawn, the player with more boxes wins. The computer always takes a box it can complete, avoids drawing a third side that would hand you a box, and when it has no safe move it gives away as few boxes as it can. Scores are kept until you leave the page.

Tips

  • Avoid drawing the third side of any box: your opponent will take it.
  • Late in the game, count the chains: the player forced to open the first long chain usually loses.
  • Sometimes giving away two boxes on purpose keeps control of a longer chain.
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