Dots and Boxes – Play Free on One Phone

Take turns joining two dots. Close a box to claim it and go again. Most boxes wins.

The classic dots and boxes game

Dots and Boxes is the pen and paper game from the back of every school notebook. Draw lines between the dots, close the boxes, and take another turn each time you do. It looks simple, but the best players plan the end game from the first move.

👥 2–4 players
⏱️ 3–15 minutes
📱 One phone or tablet
🆓 Free, works offline

Put the phone in the middle of the table or pass it round. The whole screen turns the colour of the player whose turn it is, so everyone can see who is next.

How to play

Pick a grid. Squares (3×3 to 8×8 boxes) or Triangles (a hexagon of 24, 54 or 96 triangles).
Add players. 2 to 4, each with their own colour.
Draw a line. Touch near the side you want: it lights up in your colour. Let go to draw it, or slide off the board to cancel.
Close a box, go again. The box fills with your colour and you draw another line.
Fill the board. When every line is drawn, the player with the most boxes wins.

Rules

On your turn, draw one line between two dots that are next to each other, across or down (on Triangles: in any of the three directions).
If your line closes a box (all four sides drawn), the box is yours and you must draw again. One line can close two boxes at once.
A line that closes nothing ends your turn. The next player round the table goes.
When every line is drawn, the most boxes wins. Equal top scores are a tie.
Undo takes back the last move, until the next move is made.

Modes and variants

Triangles

The dots sit in offset rows, so every three dots make a triangle. A triangle is yours when you draw its third side. Triangles close fast, so the board gets tense sooner.

Long lines

Draw one straight line as long as you like: drag from a dot along a row or column (or along any of the three directions on Triangles), or tap one dot and then another. The line may go either way from the dot you start on. It may also run over lines that are already drawn (think of the dots as pegs and the line as a rubber band): only the new parts count, and it must add at least one new side. Every box the new parts close is yours, and you go again. A short tap near a side still draws one side.

Auto-complete chains

When you close a box and that leaves the next box with only one side missing, the game draws it for you, and the next, and the next, like dominoes falling. It makes long chains quick to collect, but it also takes away the double-cross, so it is off by default.

Tips and strategy

Never draw the third side of a box if you can help it: the next player just closes it.
Chains decide the game. Late on, the board breaks into chains (rows of boxes that all fall once one is opened). Count them: you want the other players to be the ones forced to open them.
The double-cross. When you are handed a long chain, take every box except the last two, then draw the line at the far end that leaves those two as one pair. You give away 2 boxes, but the other player must take them and then open the next chain for you.
Open the short chains first. If you must give something away, give away a chain of one or two boxes, not a long one.
With 3 or 4 players, watch who plays right after you: every box you leave open is theirs.

FAQ

How do you play Dots and Boxes?

Players take turns drawing one line between two dots that are next to each other. Whoever draws the fourth side of a box claims it and draws again. When every line is drawn, the player with the most boxes wins.

Do you get another turn when you close a box?

Yes. Closing a box (or two at once) means you must draw again. Your turn only ends with a line that closes nothing, or when the board is full.

How many players can play?

2 to 4 players on one phone, tablet or laptop. Pass it round the table, or put it in the middle. The screen turns the colour of the player whose turn it is.

What does Auto-complete chains do?

When you close a box and the boxes next to it can now be closed with one more line each, the game draws those lines for you and gives you the boxes, one after another like dominoes. It is off by default, because it takes away the double-cross.

What are long lines?

With Long lines on, a turn can be one straight line over several dots: drag from a dot along a row or column, or tap two dots. It may run over lines that are already drawn, like a rubber band over the same pegs, but it must add at least one new side. Every box it closes is yours, and you go again.

How do triangles work?

The Triangles grid is a hexagon of dots in offset rows. Lines go in three directions, and a triangle is yours when you draw its third side. The same rules apply: close one and you go again.

Is it free? Does it work offline?

It is free, with no account and no download. Once you have opened it, it keeps working with no connection, and a game in progress is saved if you close the page.

Dots & Boxes.

Grid

Lines

Players