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Dots and Boxes, the notebook classic

The pen-and-paper game from the back of the school notebook, now with colours and animals. Draw a line, close a box, and you go again. Most boxes wins.

Dots and Boxes Forest theme: boxes claimed by tiger and elephant pieces Dots and Boxes Classic theme: red and green lines and claimed boxes
Players2
Game time3-6 minutes
ModesAgainst the computer (Easy, Medium, Hard) · With a friend on one phone
ThemesClassic, Water, Forest
PriceFree
Real moneyNever
How to play

Dots and Boxes rules

  1. The board is a 6 x 6 grid of dots, making 25 boxes. Players take turns drawing one line between two neighbouring dots.
  2. Draw the fourth side of a box and it is yours: it fills with your colour and piece.
  3. When you close a box, you play again.
  4. When every box is taken, the player with the most boxes wins.
Tips

How to win more often

  • Never draw the third side of a box if you can help it: your opponent will close it.
  • Count the chains. Near the end, boxes join into long chains. When you must give one away, give the shortest.
  • Take every box you are offered, then look for a safe line to finish your turn.

Playing against the computer? You can watch a short ad to undo your last line. It is always your choice.

A little history

A game from 1889

Dots and Boxes was first described in print by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889. Since then it has been played with pencil and paper by generations of students, and mathematicians still study its strategy today.

Dots & Boxes questions

How do you play Dots and Boxes?

Take turns drawing a line between two neighbouring dots. Draw the fourth side of a box to claim it and play again. Most boxes at the end wins.

Do you get another turn when you close a box?

Yes. Every time you close one or two boxes with a line, you draw again.

What is the best strategy in Dots and Boxes?

Avoid drawing the third side of any box, and near the end give away the shortest chain of boxes.

Can Dots and Boxes end in a draw?

Not on our 25-box board: an odd number of boxes means one player always has more.

Is PlayZoneMasti Dots and Boxes free, and does it use real money?

It is free and never uses real money: no deposits, no cash prizes, no betting.

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