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Tic Tac Toe and Five in a Row – noughts and crosses, big and small

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Quick answer

Tic Tac Toe is a free two-player line-up game (noughts and crosses; Five in a Row / Gomoku) that plays instantly in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download, sign-up or ads. Line up three marks on 3×3, or five on the 15×15 Five in a Row board.

Tic Tac Toe at a glance
What it isTwo-player line-up game (noughts and crosses; Five in a Row / Gomoku)
GoalLine up three marks on 3×3, or five on the 15×15 Five in a Row board
Modes3×3 against Easy, Medium or Unbeatable (full minimax) or 2 players; 15×15 Five in a Row against Easy or Hard
ControlsTap a square; arrow keys and Enter; keys 1-9 on 3×3
Players1 against the computer, or 2 on one device
PriceFree, no ads, no sign-up, no download
Works onPhones, tablets and computers, in any modern browser

Strategy guide: How to Never Lose at Tic Tac Toe (and When You Can Win)

Board games compared

Board games compared
GameTypeModesControls
ChessTwo-player strategy board gameAgainst the computer (Beginner, Club, Tactician: minimax search with alpha-beta pruning and piece-square tables) or 2 players on one device; play White or BlackTap or click a piece, then a highlighted square; arrow keys and Enter; undo
CheckersTwo-player diagonal capture board game (draughts)American rules on 8×8: compulsory jumps, multi-jump chains, kings that move both ways; Easy, Medium and Hard computer or 2 playersTap a piece, then each landing square; arrow keys and Enter; undo
DominoesTile-matching game with a double-six setDraw game or Block game; against 1, 2 or 3 computer playersTap a glowing tile to play it; ◀ or ▶ when it fits both ends; Draw and Pass buttons
BackgammonTwo-player race board game with diceAgainst the computer (Easy, Medium, Hard with a one-roll lookahead) or 2 players; gammons and backgammons count double and tripleRoll, tap a checker, then a highlighted point; undo moves until you press Done
Tic Tac ToeTwo-player line-up game (noughts and crosses; Five in a Row / Gomoku)3×3 against Easy, Medium or Unbeatable (full minimax) or 2 players; 15×15 Five in a Row against Easy or HardTap a square; arrow keys and Enter; keys 1-9 on 3×3
Four in a RowTwo-player vertical strategy board gameAgainst the computer (Easy, Medium, Hard with a minimax search) or 2 players on one deviceTap or click a column, or press 1-7; arrow keys and Enter; undo

Noughts and crosses, and its big brother

Tic Tac Toe is the classic pencil-and-paper game: two players take turns marking a 3×3 grid, and three in a row wins. Five in a Row uses the same rules on a 15×15 board with five needed to win, which turns a quick game into a real strategy battle.

Tips for both games

  • Start in the centre. The centre square is part of four lines in Tic Tac Toe; in Five in a Row, starting near the centre leaves room in every direction.
  • Block at once. Two in a row (or an open four in Five in a Row) must be blocked immediately.
  • Build forks. A move that creates two threats at once cannot be stopped.
  • Mind open threes. In Five in a Row, three in a row with both ends open becomes an unstoppable open four next turn; block it early.

Play the computer or a friend

Tic Tac Toe has Easy, Medium and Unbeatable levels; Five in a Row has Easy and Hard. Or play a friend on one device.

How to play Tic Tac Toe

  1. 1

    Pick a game

    Choose 3×3 for classic Tic Tac Toe (three in a row) or Five in a Row for a 15×15 board where you need five.

  2. 2

    Take turns

    X goes first. Tap an empty square to place your mark, or use the arrow keys and Enter; on 3×3 the keys 1 to 9 work too.

  3. 3

    Line them up

    Three in a row across, down or diagonally wins Tic Tac Toe. In Five in a Row, five or more in an unbroken line wins.

  4. 4

    Swap who starts

    Against the computer, X and O swap each new game, so you play both first and second.

More board games

  • Chess

    The full game of chess against three computer levels or a friend, with move hints and undo.

  • Checkers

    Classic 8×8 checkers with forced jumps and kings, against three computer levels or a friend.

  • Dominoes

    Match the open ends with a double-six set. Draw or Block game, two to four players, first to 100.

  • Four in a Row

    Drop discs and line up four before your opponent. Three computer levels or two players.

  • Backgammon

    Race all fifteen checkers home and bear them off first. Three computer levels or a friend.

Frequently asked questions

Can I beat the Unbeatable computer?

No. It searches every possible game, so the best you can do is a draw. Tic Tac Toe is always a draw when both sides play perfectly.

How do I avoid losing at Tic Tac Toe?

Take the centre or a corner first, block every two-in-a-row at once, and watch for forks, where one move creates two threats.

What is Five in a Row?

The same idea on a 15×15 board, also known as Gomoku. You need five marks in a row. It is much deeper, because threats can be built far ahead.

How strong is the Five in a Row computer?

Hard scores every empty square by the lines it builds and blocks, so it never misses a four and punishes open threes. Easy plays more loosely but still blocks a four.

Can two people play?

Yes. Choose 2 players and take turns on the same device; X always starts.

Prefer a solo puzzle?

Sudoku is pure logic with one solution per grid, in four difficulty levels.

Play Sudoku
More classic games