Play Tic-Tac-Toe online
with a friend

How to play Tic-Tac-Toe online

1. One of you starts a room and gets a short code and a link.
2. Send the link to the other person. They open it and pick a name, and you're ready.
3. You are X and go first; they are O. Take turns claiming squares on the 3x3 grid.
4. First to line up three of their mark in a row, column or diagonal wins. Fill the board with no line and it's a draw.
5. Pick a mode before you start: Classic, Infinite (you only ever have three marks, and your oldest disappears when you place a fourth) or Misère, where lining three up loses.
6. Hit rematch for a fresh board. The other player opens next time, and the running score carries over.

Why Tic-Tac-Toe works over a distance

Tic-Tac-Toe is about as small as a game gets while still being a game. Rounds take thirty seconds, nobody needs the rules explained, and the other person doesn't have to install anything. That's handy when you've only got two minutes with someone who lives far away.

Because moves land on the server and stream straight back to both screens, you never have to refresh or guess whose turn it is. Their mark shows up the moment they place it, and a little dot tells you they're still there.

If you both play perfectly it's always a draw, and that's kind of the fun of it. The first few rounds are a race for the centre, and after that you're just waiting for the other person to slip up.

When that wears thin, switch modes. Infinite keeps only your three newest marks, so the board never fills, the game never draws, and every placement costs you something you already had. Misère keeps the rules but flips the goal, so three in a row loses. It's a lot harder to keep straight in your head than it sounds.

Also known as noughts and crosses, Xs and Os, three in a row.

Questions

What is Infinite Tic-Tac-Toe?

You only ever hold three marks. Place a fourth and your oldest one disappears. The board shows you which one is about to go before you commit. Nothing ever fills up, so the game cannot draw, and a position you have already won can be taken apart under you.

What is Misère Tic-Tac-Toe?

The same rules with the goal reversed: get three in a row and you lose. Avoiding a line on a 3x3 grid is far fiddlier than making one, which is the joke.

Do we need to create accounts?

No. Opening the link signs you in anonymously in the background. You pick a nickname and that's it. There's nothing to install or verify.

Can we play Tic-Tac-Toe on our phones?

Yes. The board is built for touch and works in any mobile browser, so one of you can be on a phone and the other on a laptop.

How many people can play?

Two. The first two people to open the room take the seats; anyone else opening the link is told the room is full.

How long does a room last?

Rooms don't disappear. Reopen the link and you're back in the same seat. Rematches reuse the same link, so you only share it once.

The rest of the arcade

• 💞 How Well Do You Know MeAnswer for yourself, guess for them, then find out who was paying attention.
• 🫶 In SyncThis or that, picked at the same time. See how often you land on the same side.
• 🔴 Connect 4Drop, stack, and pretend you didn't miss the diagonal.
• 🔤 Word DuelSame secret word, two boards, six guesses. No waiting for turns.
• 🔲 Dots & BoxesDraw a line, close a square, go again. Ruthless in the endgame.
• ⚫ ReversiTrap a line, flip it all. The lead changes hands every turn.
• 🚢 BattleshipFive ships, one hundred squares, and no idea where they are.
• 🟤 CheckersForced captures, jump chains, and the long walk to a crown.
• 🎲 Dice DuelFive dice, three rolls, thirteen boxes. Luck you can play badly.

Long distance games for couples · Long distance games to play on your phone · Long distance games to play online with friends · How Long Distance Games works · Back to the arcade