How to play

Choose to play as cats or dogs, then decide whether to play against a friend or the computer.
Take turns placing your piece on the 3×3 grid — tap or click any empty square.
Be the first to get three of your pieces in a row — across, down, or diagonally — to win.
If all nine squares are filled with no winner, the game is a draw.

Tips

The centre square is the most powerful position on the board. Take it first if you can.
Watch for forks — a move that creates two winning threats at once. Your opponent can only block one.
Against the computer on Hard, perfect play always ends in a draw. Can you force one?

About this game

Noughts & Crosses — known as Tic-Tac-Toe in North America — is one of the oldest two-player games in existence, with roots in ancient Egypt and Rome. It is thought to be among the first games ever programmed on a computer, in the early 1950s. Our version swaps the traditional Xs and Os for cats and dogs, making it a little more colourful and friendly for younger players. Three difficulty levels mean it grows with you: Easy is forgiving for first-timers, Medium puts up a reasonable fight, and Hard plays the mathematically optimal strategy — so a well-played game always ends in a draw.