How to play
The board is a big tic-tac-toe grid, and each of its nine squares holds a small tic-tac-toe board. X moves first.
- The first move is free. X may play in any square of any small board.
- Your square sends your opponent. Where you play inside a small board decides which small board your opponent must play in next. Play in the top-right square of a small board, and your opponent has to play in the top-right small board.
- Win small boards. Three of your marks in a row inside a small board wins that board. It is painted in your color with a big mark, and nobody can play in it any more.
- Full or won boards set you free. If you are sent to a small board that is already won or full, you may play in any open small board instead. A full small board with no line of three belongs to nobody.
- Win the big board. Win three small boards in a row, across, down or diagonally, to win the game. If every small board is finished without such a line, the game is a draw.
The squares you are allowed to play in are highlighted in yellow. A small glow marks the last move.
At the top, choose your Opponent. Against the Computer you play X and can pick Easy, Medium or Hard. Choose Friend to play two people on one device, taking turns on the same screen. Hint shows a good square for the player to move, and Undo takes back one move against a friend, or your move together with the computer’s answer.
Strategy
- Think about where you send your opponent. Every move is two decisions: the square you take, and the board you hand to your opponent. A great square that sends them to a board where they can win is a bad move.
- Don’t give away free moves. Sending your opponent to a won or full board lets them play anywhere, which is often the strongest thing they can get. Avoid it unless the free move cannot hurt you.
- The center board matters most. It is part of four of the eight lines on the big board, just as the center square is in ordinary tic-tac-toe. Corner boards are part of three lines.
- Count tempo in the endgame. When few boards are left, work out which boards each move forces, a few moves ahead. Sometimes giving up a small board wins the big one.
- A drawn small board blocks lines for both players. Filling a board with no winner can kill an opponent’s big-board line.
In our tests between the computer’s levels, Hard beat Medium in all 8 games and Easy in all 8, and Medium beat Easy in 11 of 12 games (one was a draw).
For another game of lining up marks, play Five in a Row on a 15 × 15 board, or drop discs in Four in a Row.
If you enjoy Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe, try Wall Race or Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) next.
