Play Tic Tac Toe Online Free
Free online tic tac toe. Play vs computer, locally, or with friends.
How to play tic tac toe
About this game
Tic tac toe looks simple. Two players, a 3x3 grid, first to line up three marks wins. Most people learn it before they can read. But the game has been interesting enough to survive for at least 2,000 years, which is longer than most things that seem simple.
The history goes back to ancient Rome, where a nearly identical game called Terni Lapilli was scratched into stone floors across the empire. The modern version with pencil and paper spread through Britain in the 19th century, where it was called noughts and crosses. In 1952, OXO became one of the first computer games ever written, a tic tac toe program that ran on a vacuum tube machine at Cambridge and never lost.
This version has three modes: vs computer on easy or hard, pass and play for two people on the same device, and online multiplayer where you invite a friend with a room code or get matched with a random opponent.
Is tic tac toe a solved game?
Yes. Mathematicians proved it decades ago. With perfect play from both sides the game always ends in a draw. Every position has been analysed. There is no sequence of moves that beats a perfect opponent.
In practice this rarely comes up, because most people do not play perfectly. Beginners miss forks, skip obvious blocks, and hand the game away without noticing. The Hard mode AI on this site does play perfectly using the minimax algorithm, which means the best outcome you can get against it is a draw. If you want to understand why, the strategy guide walks through the key positions.
Strategy
The centre is the single most valuable square. It appears in four winning lines: two diagonals, one row, one column. Every other square appears in two or three. Take the centre on your first move when you can.
After the centre, corners beat edges. A corner appears in three winning lines; an edge square only appears in two. Corners also set up forks, which are positions where you have two different ways to win at once. Your opponent can only block one of them.
The real point of tic tac toe strategy is not memorising moves. It is learning to see two moves ahead. Once you can do that consistently, the game becomes much harder to lose. Read the full strategy guide →
Frequently asked questions
Can you always win at tic tac toe?
No. With perfect play from both sides the game always ends in a draw. The Hard mode AI plays optimally using minimax, so the best you can do against it is force a tie. Against a human who makes mistakes, winning is possible. Learn the key moves that guarantee a draw →
What is the best first move in tic tac toe?
The centre. It appears in more winning lines than any other square, and taking it limits your opponent's options immediately. If the centre is taken, a corner is the next best choice. Edges are the weakest opening move.
Who goes first in tic tac toe?
X goes first by convention. On TicToe.org the starting player alternates each round so both sides get an equal first-move advantage over a session. Curious about where the name comes from? See why it's called tic tac toe.
How do I play with a friend online?
Pick Online then Invite a Friend. Share the room code or link that appears and your friend joins automatically. No account needed on either side. Read the full multiplayer guide →
What's the difference between Easy and Hard mode?
Easy plays random legal moves, so you can win by paying attention to the board. Hard runs the full minimax algorithm and evaluates every possible position. It never loses. Once you can beat Easy without thinking, Hard is the real test.
Is it free?
Yes. No account, no download, no cost. Works in your browser on any device including mobile. 5 reasons tic tac toe is good for kids →