Before phones, this was the game people drew in the margins of a notebook during a dull class. Dots and Boxes unblocked keeps that same black-and-white look and the same simple rules, with a computer opponent ready whenever no one is around to play.
It is part of Christopher Müller's PaperGames collection. Rounds can be over in a few minutes on a small grid or turn into a long tug of war on a big one.
How to play Dots and Boxes
Choose a grid of 4x4, 5x5, 6x6 or 8x8 boxes, then pick a two-player match on one screen or a game against the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard. On each turn you draw one line between two dots that sit next to each other, either across or down.
When your line completes the last side of a square, that box is yours and gets your mark, a cross or a circle. Finishing a box also earns you an extra line right away, and that can chain into several captures in a row. Your turn ends only with a line that closes nothing.
Play stops once every line is drawn. The side with more boxes wins, and an even count is a draw. Undo lets you step back through moves if you slip.
Controls
| To… | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw a line | Arrow keys to reach a line, Enter to draw it | Click the gap between two neighboring dots | Tap the gap between two neighboring dots |
| Start a game against the computer | — | Click "vs Computer", pick Player 1 or 2, a level and a grid size, then click "New game" | Tap "vs Computer", pick Player 1 or 2, a level and a grid size, then tap "New game" |
| Play a friend on one screen | — | Click "2 Player (local)" | Tap "2 Player (local)" |
| Take back a move | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
| Open settings | — | Click "Settings" | Tap "Settings" |
Tips
- Do not draw the third side. A box with three sides is a gift to the next player. Early on, the whole game is about avoiding that line.
- Count the chains near the end. Eventually every move opens something. Look at which chains of boxes are long and which are short, and give away the short ones first.
- Learn the double-cross. When you take a long chain, you can stop two boxes short and leave them as a pair. Your opponent gets two boxes but must then open the next chain for you.
- Start small. The 4x4 grid makes the chain idea easy to see. Move up to 6x6 and 8x8 once you can spot it on sight.
Dots and Boxes questions
Why did I get another turn?
You closed a box. Any line that finishes a square gives you one more line, and it keeps going as long as you keep closing boxes.
How does the Hard computer play?
It takes free boxes and refuses to hand you any when it can help it. When every move opens something, it chooses the one that gives you the fewest boxes back.
Can two people play on one device?
Yes. Choose the two-player mode and take turns on the same screen. Each side has its own line style and box mark, so it is easy to see who owns what.
