Dots and Boxes

How to play

1. Pick a mode and a board size, then press Play. You draw first, in indigo ink.
2. Click or tap near the gap between two neighbouring dots to draw that line. On a keyboard, move the cursor between lines with the arrows and press Enter or Space.
3. Drawing the fourth side of a box claims it and you must draw again. One line can close two boxes.
4. Avoid drawing the third side of a box: your opponent can close it. Tips (on by default, T) mark those lines with a red ✕ and make ready boxes glow.
5. Late in the game every line gives something away: hand over the shortest chain first. Sometimes giving away two boxes keeps control of the rest.
6. When every line is drawn, the most boxes wins. In Star Boxes, starred boxes count double. Resign (press twice) ends a game early. In Duo, Undo takes back a line.

Controls

Keyboard

• Click near a gap — draw that line (hover previews it)
• Arrows — move the line cursor
• Enter / Space — draw the line under the cursor
• T — Tips on/off
• U / Backspace — undo (Duo)
• ? — how to play
• Esc — pause
• M — mute

Touch

• Tap near a gap — draw that line
• Tips button — mark risky lines and ready boxes
• Undo button — take back a line (Duo)
• Resign (tap twice) — end the game
• ? and pause buttons — help and pause