Dots and Boxes — an honest story about a game that owns your evening

Sometimes the simplest-looking game hooks you harder than a blockbuster. This is exactly that case: the rules take a minute to learn, and putting it down is much harder.

What this game is

The classic pen-and-paper game: take turns with the computer drawing lines between dots. Complete a square and it's yours, plus you move again. The player with the most squares when all lines are drawn wins.

Controls

Controls: click (or tap) between two dots to draw a line. The square counter (you/AI) is shown at the top. Sound can be muted with the button on the game page. The "Demo" button starts a mode where the AI plays both sides.

A few final tips

• Check out the demo mode on the game page — the AI shows how it is played, and repeating it yourself gets much easier.
• Play in short sessions: the best results come with a warmed-up head.

Simple on the surface, deep underneath — exactly the kind of game that never ages. Ready to try? "Dots and Boxes"