Tic-Tac-Toe, or "naughts and crosses," is a classic, go-to game that has been keeping kids, teens and grown-ups entertained since ancient Egypt. So you may be asking, why bother trying to improve on a game with such a stellar track record?
Well, these eight tic-tac-toe variations aren't trying supplant the original so much as they are looking to supplement your collection of go-to boredom busters! The tic-tac-toe variants below include both pen and paper games as well as traditional games with moveable counters.
Whichever game you choose, just remember, that it's all about having a little moment of fun!
NOTE: Every game board can easily be drawn on the fly, but if you would like a printable of the game boards for the first four games, we have one!
Pyramid Tic-Tac-Toe
Materials and set up: You need pen and paper, pyramid board.
Rules: The game board is shaped like–you guessed it–a pyramid. Five squares make the base, then three, then one. Players take turns marking Xs and Os as in traditional tic-tac-toe.
Winning: The first player to get three-in-a-row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally wins. See two examples of winning positions, below.
POPULAR: More Pen and Paper Games
Four-in-a-Row
Materials and set up: You need pen and paper, grid board.
You will recognize four-in-a row as a two-dimensional version of the classic game, Connect Four. The game board consists of a 7x6 grid. Seven columns of six squares each. Instead of dropping counters as in Connect Four, players mark the grid with Xs and Os as in tic-tac-toe.
Rules: The first player places an X in the bottom square of any column. Taking turns, players make their mark in any column, as long as it is in the lowest square possible. See image below for an example of possible first six moves.
Winning: The first player to get four-in-a-row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally wins.
5 x 5 Tic-Tac-Toe
Materials and set up: You need pen and paper, grid board
This tic-tac-toe variation is played on a 5x5 grid. As in the traditional game, players are Xs or Os.
Rules: Players take turns placing an X or an O in one of the squares until all the squares except one are filled. (Each player has 12 turns for a total of 24 squares.)
Winning: Count the number of three-in-a-rows each player has. Sequences can be vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Whoever has the most, wins.
Note: Can one mark be counted in more than one three-in-a-row sequence? Decide ahead of time, yea or nay.
Variation: Block out the middle box as the 25th square. Use this square as either a wild square that can complete a three-in-a-row sequence, or as a blocked square that can't be used. Decide before playing.
Example below: The gray lines indicate successful sequences, the red line indicates a possible sequence if you choose the variation in which a mark can be used in more than one sequence. X has 3 (possibly 4) sequences, O has 2. X wins.
4 x 4 Tic-Tac-Toe
Materials and set up: You need 8 tokens in two colors, grid board.
This version of tic-tac-toe is played on a 4x4 grid. For this version, instead of making Xs and Os, you will use tokens. Use coins, beans, checkers or other objects.
Each player has four tokens. Tokens are placed in the starting positions in which alternating colors face each other in the furthest rows. Note that each player has two tokens on opposite sides of the board.
Rules: Alternating turns, players move their tokens in an attempt to get them into a three-in-a-row position. Players can move to an immediately adjacent open square. They may more forwards, backwards, horizontally and vertically. They may not move diagonally. They may not jump over another token.
Winning: The winner is the first player to achieve three-in-a-row. A winning three-in-a-row may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.
Math Tic-Tac-Toe
This is a fun way to practice math skills and is great for classroom use, too. Watch the how-to video below, or visit our math tic-tac-toe post for the written instructions.
Tapatan
Tapatan is a three-in-a-row game from The Philippines. Watch the how-to video below, or visit our Tapatan post for the written instructions.
Nine Holes
Nine Holes is classic three-in-a-row game that's very easy to learn. It's a forerunner for the game, Nine Men's Morris. Watch the how to video below, or visit our Nine Holes post for the written instructions.
Dara
Dara is traditional three-in-a-row game from Nigeria. Dara is unlike any of the other tic-tac-toe versions listed here. It has a big twist. Watch the how-to video below, or visit our Dara post for the written instructions.
Rota
How about a bonus 9th version of tic tac toe? This time, the game is Rota and it's a game from ancient Rome! Watch the video, or read our how to play Rota instructions while you grab a free printable game board and instruction pdf.
William says
There is a relatively recent game invented back in 1985 and called Chung Toi. It's played on a standard tic-tac-toe board, but each player only has three pieces. Each piece is octaganol and has an X (or a +, depending on its orientation) on it. The player's objective is to win by having their three pieces in a row as in standard tic-tac-toe. Here are the rules.
1. Placement Phase
In this initial phase, players take turns placing their pieces onto the board. Each piece can be positioned in a "+" or "x" orientation, which will affect how pieces can be moved during the subsequent phase.
2. Movement Phase
Once all pieces are placed, the movement phase begins. Players alternate turns, where they can perform one of the following actions:
Sliding: Move a piece of their color into an empty adjacent slot, following orientation rules.
Rotating: Change the orientation of their piece after moving.
Passing: Opt not to move.
Movement rules are unique; for example, pieces in "+" orientation can slide only horizontally and vertically, while pieces in "x" orientation can slide only diagonally. Players can jump over pieces to reach an empty slot as long as the jump maintains a clear path