⭕ Tic-Tac-Toe

How to play Tic-Tac-Toe

How to play

Tic-Tac-Toe is the purest strategy duel there is: a 3×3 grid, two symbols, and one goal — land three of your marks in an unbroken row, column, or diagonal. You play X and always move on odd rounds; the CPU plays O. After every round the starting player alternates, so on even rounds the CPU moves first and you have to fight back. Tap any empty square to drop your X, then the CPU answers with its O. The round ends the moment someone completes a line, or when all nine squares are filled and nobody has — that's a draw. Every round flows straight into the next with the running tally (your wins, draws, CPU wins) carried along, so a single session becomes a proper series.

Controls

Click or tap any empty square to place your X — touch, mouse, and trackpad all work the same. Keyboard players can press 1 through 9 to target squares, laid out exactly like a phone keypad: 7-8-9 across the top row, 4-5-6 in the middle, 1-2-3 along the bottom. Press Enter or Space on the overlay's button to start or jump into the next round.

Tips

Open in a corner, not an edge — corners are part of three potential lines while edge squares only touch two. If the CPU takes the center, take a corner; if you hold the center, favor corners and watch for forks, the classic double-threat that wins the game no matter what the opponent blocks. Never ignore an immediate threat: if the CPU has two in a row with the third open, you must block it this turn or lose on the next. On rounds where the CPU starts, aim for a draw first and pounce if it slips — a perfect CPU can't be beaten, but this one occasionally can.

Scoring

There is no timer and no point currency here — the score is the series itself. The score bar tracks three numbers across every round you play: your wins, draws, and the CPU's wins, plus the current round number. Bragging rights go to whoever finishes the session ahead. Because the starting move alternates each round, a long series is a fair fight, and the tally tells the honest story of who read the board better.