Join dots, close boxes
Dots and Boxes online
Play Dots and Boxes online with a friend or against a bot. Join neighbouring dots with a line, close a box to score it and take another turn.
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Lethal Card · Every game against a person counts toward your Lethal Card — one ELO for every game.
It is the simplest game with the deepest mathematics. Play greedily and you lose: the whole game is decided in the endgame, where you deliberately sacrifice short chains so your opponent has to open the long one.
Players2 players
Game length7 minutes
How to play
- A 6×6 grid of dots, with 60 edges and 25 boxes between them.
- Players take turns drawing one line between two neighbouring dots.
- Closing a box with its fourth side scores it and grants another turn.
- A single line can close two boxes at once.
- When the last line is drawn, the player with more boxes wins.
Strategy
- Never draw the third side of a box unless you have to — you are offering it.
- When safe moves run out, sacrifice the shortest chain available.
- In the endgame it often pays to leave your opponent two boxes to win back the turn. That is the double-cross.
- Count chains before safe moves run out. Whoever has to open the long chain has lost.
Frequently asked
Why do I move again after closing a box?
It is the heart of the game. It lets a single turn harvest an entire chain of boxes, which is exactly why sacrifices matter in the endgame.
What is a double-cross?
Deliberately declining the last two boxes of a chain so your opponent has to open the next one. It is the fundamental endgame technique.
Can the game end in a draw?
Yes. Not with 25 boxes, but on even-sized grids draws are common.
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