Close the box, go again

Take turns drawing a line between two dots. Draw the fourth side of a box and it is yours — scribble it in, then draw again. Two players share one screen, or you can take on a brain that counts chains and knows exactly when to hand two boxes back.

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Genre: Pen and paper
Controls: Touch
Mouse
Keyboard
Devices: Desktop
Tablet
Mobile
Released: 2026

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Dots and Boxes

Dots and Boxes is the margin game everyone learns at school, played here on a sheet of ruled paper with a red margin and two coloured pens. On your turn you draw one line between two neighbouring dots. Close the fourth side of a box and it is yours: it fills with a scribble in your colour and you get another go straight away, so a good position can run off four or five boxes in a row. When the last line is drawn, whoever holds the most boxes takes the match.

The middle of the game is where it gets interesting. Sooner or later every line you could draw hands something over, and the sheet turns into a set of chains — runs of boxes that all fall at once. The player forced to open the first long chain usually loses it, so the real skill is counting the chains, keeping the count on your side, and giving away the shortest one when you finally have to. The classiest trick of all is refusing two boxes on purpose: leave the last pair of a chain alone and your opponent has to take them and then open the next chain for you.

Pick a 4×4, 5×5, 6×6 or 8×8 grid of dots and play with two players on one phone, tablet or laptop — the turn indicator and the score bar say whose pen is out. On your own, choose Doodler, who cheerfully hands you boxes, Clever, who never gives one away without being forced, or Chain master, who counts the chains and double-deals the last two. Solo games get undo, and a hint will highlight a line that costs you nothing. Your match tally is kept in the browser.

Tips for Dots and Boxes

Early in a game of Dots and Boxes, avoid drawing the third side of any box, because that hands your opponent the fourth side and another turn. While safe lines remain, use them up and watch how the sheet is dividing into chains of boxes.

Eventually every line gives something away, and that is when the counting starts. Whoever has to open the first long chain usually loses it, so try to keep the number of chains working in your favour, and when you are forced to give something up, open the shortest chain first. When you take a chain, consider leaving the last two boxes for your opponent: they have to take them and then open the next chain for you. In solo games, the hint shows a line that costs you nothing, which is a good way to learn. Begin on the 4×4 grid against Doodler, then move to Clever and Chain master on the bigger grids.

How to play Dots and Boxes

Dots and Boxes starts with an empty grid of dots, and the aim is to own more boxes than your opponent when the last line is drawn. Players take turns, and on your turn you draw one line between two neighbouring dots.

When your line closes the fourth side of a box, the box is yours. It fills with a scribble in your colour and you draw again straight away, so one good turn can take several boxes in a row. If your line does not close a box, the turn passes to your opponent. Early on there are plenty of safe lines that give nothing away. Later, every line hands over at least one box, and the boxes form chains that fall one after another once someone opens them. The game ends when every line has been drawn, and the player holding the most boxes takes the match.

You can pick a 4×4, 5×5, 6×6 or 8×8 grid of dots, and play with two players on one device or alone against the computer. On a computer you click a line, or use the arrow keys and Enter; H asks for a hint, U rubs out your last line, P pauses and M mutes. On a phone or tablet you tap between two dots, and the hit areas are generous. Undo and the hint are there in solo games, and the turn indicator and score bar always show whose pen is out.

About Dots and Boxes

Dots and Boxes is a classic pencil-and-paper game for two, the kind many people first play in the margin of a school exercise book, and it holds more strategy than its simple rules suggest. Kiloo's Dots and Boxes draws it on a sheet of ruled paper with a red margin and two coloured pens.

It suits two players sharing one phone, tablet or laptop, and anyone who wants to play alone against the computer. Doodler cheerfully hands you boxes, Clever never gives one away unless it is forced to, and Chain master counts the chains and leaves the last two boxes of a chain on purpose, the trick that decides many endgames. The small grids make a quick round for children and beginners, while the 8×8 grid gives a long endgame for players who enjoy counting chains. Your match tally is kept in the browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dots and Boxes free to play?

Yes. Dots and Boxes is free to play in your browser on Kiloo, with nothing to download and no account to create. Your match tally is kept in the browser you play in.

Can I play Dots and Boxes on my phone?

Yes. On a phone or tablet you tap between two dots to draw a line, and the hit areas are generous. On a computer you click a line, or use the arrow keys and Enter. H asks for a hint and U rubs out your last line.

Can two people play Dots and Boxes on one device?

Yes. Two players share one phone, tablet or laptop and take turns, and the turn indicator and score bar show whose pen is out. On your own you can play against Doodler, Clever or Chain master instead.

What grid sizes does Dots and Boxes have?

You can pick a 4×4, 5×5, 6×6 or 8×8 grid of dots. The small grids make a quick round, while the 8×8 grid gives a long endgame with plenty of chains to count.

How do you win at Dots and Boxes?

Hold the most boxes when the last line is drawn. In Dots and Boxes you claim a box by drawing its fourth side, and you then draw again. Avoid drawing the third side of a box, and in the endgame try to make your opponent open the first long chain.

Is Dots and Boxes good for kids?

Yes. Dots and Boxes has simple rules, one line a turn and a box for whoever closes it, and many children know it from school. Start on the 4×4 grid against Doodler, who cheerfully hands out boxes, and use the hint, which shows a line that costs you nothing.