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All gamesThe pencil game with a secret strategy

Dots and Boxes

A grid of dots, take turns drawing lines, own the box when you close it. Easy to learn in a minute, and there's a trick near the end that wins almost every game once you know it.

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Dots and Boxes

Read the full instructions and gather your supplies before starting.

Step 1 of 5

Draw a square grid of dots, 5 across and 5 down. That's 25 dots and it makes 16 boxes.

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Time15 min
Players2 players
DifficultyEasy
SectionGames

This one is all yours

Nothing sharp, nothing hot, nowhere far. Tell someone what you're up to, then go ahead and do it on your own.

How to play

5 steps. Tap one when it's done.

Why it works

Early in the game there are safe moves everywhere. Late in the game, every line opens a box for someone. The player who forces the other to make the first unsafe move usually takes the biggest chain of boxes, and that chain decides it.