Controls

You play by drawing lines. Tap the space between two adjacent dots to draw the line connecting them. Players alternate turns, one line at a time.

The scoring rule is what creates all the strategy:

• Drawing a line connects two neighboring dots. Most turns you simply add one line and pass play to your opponent.
• Completing a box happens when your line adds the fourth side of a square. You claim that box, mark it with your color, and immediately take another turn.

Because finishing a box grants another move, you can sometimes complete several in a row, which is where the big swings come from.

The player with more boxes when the grid is full wins. Against the computer, the difficulty rises across eight levels as it learns to control the chains.

Tips

• Avoid drawing the third side of a box. Adding a third wall lets your opponent complete the box on their next move, so early on, keep to lines that don't hand out free squares.
• Understand that boxes come in chains. Long runs of boxes connect, so once someone opens a chain, the other player can take the whole thing. Recognizing chains is the core of the game.
• Learn the double-cross trick. Instead of greedily taking every box in a chain, leaving the last two for your opponent forces them to open the next chain, keeping you in control.
• Count the chains before the board fills. Whether you want an odd or even number of chains depends on who moves first, so counting them mid-game tells you how to steer the endgame.
• Think about who is forced to move. The heart of the game is making your opponent be the one who has to open a chain, so plan the neutral moves so they run out first.
• Sacrifice small to win big. Giving away a short chain of one or two boxes is often worth it if it forces your opponent to hand you a much longer chain in return.

Frequently asked questions