How to play
The big board is made of nine small tic-tac-toe boards. Players take turns, X first, putting their mark in one square of a small board. Get three in a row on a small board to win it, and win three small boards in a row (across, down or diagonally) to win the game.
The twist: the square you pick decides where your rival plays next. Play in the top-right square of any small board, and your rival must play somewhere in the top-right board. The boards your rival may play in are lit up.
- If you’re sent to a board that has already been won, or is full, you may play in any open board.
- A small board that fills up with no line belongs to nobody.
- If nobody can make a line of boards any more, the game is a draw.
Play a friend
Pick A friend, on this screen to pass one device back and forth, or Play online (when it’s available) to play from two phones: one of you makes a room and shares the code or link. X swaps every game.
Tips
Every move is two decisions: the square you take, and the board you send your rival to. Avoid sending them to a board where they already have two in a row. Sending your rival to a board that’s won or full gives them a free choice, which is usually a gift. The middle board and the corner boards sit in the most lines, so they’re worth more than the edges.
The computer has three levels. Easy mostly plays on instinct. Normal and Hard try out thousands of quick games in their heads before each move, and never leave you an instant win if they can help it; Hard thinks the longest.