Arcadópolis
Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe
Free ultimate tic-tac-toe against the computer
Ultimate tic-tac-toe is a free game in your browser, with nothing to download: nine tic-tac-toe boards inside one big board. Get three in a row in a small board to win it, and three small boards in a row to win the game.
The trick is one rule: the square you play in sends your opponent to the small board in that same position. Play in the top-right corner, and your opponent has to play in the top-right board. So every move is an attack and also a decision about where you let your opponent play. Play against Michi, the computer, on Easy, Normal or Hard (you choose who starts), or two players.
The board is a quilted cushion of nine fabric patches: one side plays paw prints and the other balls of yarn. Each patch is a chord and each square a note. It’s one of the 51 games in the Arcadópolis Games folder.
Free, no ads, nothing to install.
Install Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe on its own on your home screen
What it has
- 81 squares in nine small boards.
- Against Michi, the computer, on three levels, or two players.
- You choose who starts.
- The patch where you must play glows with gold thread; once won, a big paw or yarn ball is embroidered on top.
- Undo, hints and keyboard play.
- Your unfinished game is saved; six achievements and records in your profile.
How to play
- Open the Games folder, tap Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe and choose your opponent.
- Play in the small board that glows; the first move can go anywhere.
- The square you choose sends your opponent to the small board in that same position.
- Win three small boards in a row to win the game.
Full rules
If you’re sent to a small board that’s already won or full, you can play in any board that’s still open. A full small board with no three in a row belongs to nobody. If no one can move and no one has three small boards in a row, it’s a draw.
It’s the tic-tac-toe you know, but you can no longer draw out of habit: you have to think about where you send your opponent before you take a square.
How to play better
Before taking a square, look at which small board you’re sending your opponent to: if they already have two in a row there, you’re handing them that board. Sometimes it pays to give up a small board to control where your opponent goes next. The center board and the corner boards count toward more lines of the big board, so they’re worth more.
Common questions
What is ultimate tic-tac-toe?
A version of tic-tac-toe with nine boards inside one big board. Where you play decides which small board your opponent plays in, and to win you need three small boards in a row.
Can two people play?
Yes, on the same device, taking turns: one with paw prints and the other with balls of yarn.
Is it hard to beat the computer?
On Easy, Michi plays almost at random; on Normal it thinks; on Hard it simulates a huge number of games before each move and is a serious opponent.
Also in Arcadópolis
Four in a RowDrop pieces into a 7-column frame and get four in a row before the computer or another person.
ChessAgainst the computer on three levels, two players, or the daily puzzle: a mate in 2, the same for everyone.
ReversiTrap your opponent’s pieces on a 64-square board, against the computer or two players.
Arcadópolis has 66 more apps on the same desktop: games, music, a 3D museum and a 3D library.