Play Dots and Boxes online
with a friend

How to play Dots and Boxes online

1. Start a room and send the link to the other player.
2. Take turns drawing one line between two neighbouring dots.
3. Draw the fourth side of a square and it's yours, and you go again straight away.
4. Chains are how big scores happen, so one good move can be worth six squares.
5. When every line is drawn, whoever owns more boxes wins. The score updates as you go, so you always know where you stand.
6. Pick the grid before you start: 3x3 is a couple of minutes, 6x6 is a proper sit-down.

Why Dots and Boxes works over a distance

Dots and Boxes looks like a doodle, but it gets vicious. The opening hardly matters. The endgame is all counting, and realising you're about to hand over a long chain is a special kind of pain.

On a big grid it's one of the longer games here, so it works well on a call. Keep it going in another tab while you talk.

The strategy worth knowing: count the lines, not the boxes. Whoever is forced to draw the third side of a square gives it away, so the middle of the game is about making the other person run out of safe moves first.

Also known as dot game, squares game, pen and paper game.

Questions

What are the rules of Dots and Boxes?

Players alternate drawing a single line between two adjacent dots. Closing the fourth side of a box claims it and earns another turn. Most boxes when the grid is full wins.

Why did my opponent get several turns in a row?

Because closing a box earns an extra move. A well-set-up chain lets one player claim a run of boxes in a single turn. That's what the game is really about.

Do we need pen and paper?

No. The grid, the lines and the score are all on screen, and both boards stay in sync automatically.

Can we play on phones?

Yes. Line targets are sized for touch, so a phone and a laptop play together fine.

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.
• ❌ Tic-Tac-ToeThree in a row. Thirty seconds a game, and somehow still tense.
• 🔴 Connect 4Drop, stack, and pretend you didn't miss the diagonal.
• 🔤 Word DuelSame secret word, two boards, six guesses. No waiting for turns.
• ⚫ 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