Tic-Tac-Toe

games · strategy · two-player

Three in a row wins. A player wins by marking all three spaces in a row, column, or diagonal on the three-by-three grid. The winner traditionally draws a line through those three marks to show their victory.

X goes first. One player uses Xs and the other uses Os, taking turns placing their mark on the grid one space at a time. Since there are nine spaces total, the game moves pretty quickly.

Perfect play ends in a tie. Tic-tac-toe is what mathematicians call a 'solved game,' which means the best move has been figured out for every possible situation. If both players play perfectly, the game will always end in a draw, with no winner.

Strategy matters from the start. Even though the game seems simple, where you place your first mark can change how the game plays out. The center square and corner squares are usually better choices than edge squares.

No luck involved. Tic-tac-toe is a game of pure skill with no dice, cards, or chance. Every result depends only on the decisions both players make.