Ultimate tic tac toe

Nine boards.
One winner.

It looks like tic tac toe until you notice the catch. The square you take is also the board your opponent has to play in next, so you are picking your move and their options at the same time.

Play the computer

Pick a difficulty and go. A meter above the board tracks your odds after every move, so you can watch a good position turn bad one square at a time.

Play a friend

Make a room and send the link. Whoever opens it plays you. Neither of you needs an account, and you move first.

See it in action

One move does two jobs

The board below is playing itself, so there is nothing to click. Follow the gold ring: wherever a mark lands inside a small board, that same position is the board the other player has to answer in.

The square you pick decides where your opponent goes next.

Warm up

Know tic tac toe? Then you already know the rules.

Here is the plain 3x3 game if you want a quick round against the computer first. Super Tic Tac Toe is nine of these boards in one grid, and every move decides which one your opponent plays in next.

Your turn.

Questions

Good to know before you start

How is this different from regular tic tac toe?

Nine tic tac toe boards sit in a 3x3 grid. The square you play in sends your opponent to the matching board, so every move also decides where they go next. Plain tic tac toe is solved: two careful players always draw. Adding that second rule opens the game back up.

How do I win?

Win a small board by getting three in a row inside it. Win the match by claiming three small boards in a row. A small board that fills up with no winner counts for nobody.

Why am I sometimes allowed to play in any board?

If your move would send your opponent to a board that is already won or full, they get a free move and may play in any open board. On a free move every open board is highlighted.

What is the difference between Easy, Medium and Hard?

Easy plays mostly at random, though it will still take an obvious win and block yours. Medium looks several moves ahead. Hard runs thousands of simulated games for every move it makes, and it will beat you more often than not.

Why does the win chance meter say about 52% at the start, not 50%?

Two reasons. The game has three results (win, draw, or loss) and the meter counts a draw as half a point. And moving first, which you do as O, is a small advantage, so the simulations put you a touch ahead: roughly 41% win, 22% draw, 37% loss, which comes out near 52%. Hover the bar to see the full split.

How do I play with a friend?

Choose Play a friend, then share the link your browser shows. Whoever opens it joins as the second player. There is nothing to install and no account to make. You play O and move first; your friend plays X.

Do I need an account? Is it free?