Skip to content

Tic-Tac-Toe

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to introduce this game to someone who never heard about this game (assuming an intelligent person never heard about this game).

Tic-Tac-Toe

Introduction

Tic Tac Toe is a board game played at any time by two players with a paper and pencil. It is also called Noughts (O) and Crosses (X) in British English.

This is a Zero-sum game. If the opponent knows your move, you cannot win the game. If both the opponents play with an optimal strategy, the game will always end in a tie. This game involves looking ahead and trying to figure out what the person against you might do next.This is also a game of chance.

Goal

The goal of this game is to be the first player to get three marks in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).This game can have only three outcomes.

Number of Players: 2

Four players can also play Tic-Tac-Toe, which is an advanced version of this game.

Tools: Pen/Pencil, Paper

Rules

  • Two players play this game.
  • This game is played by drawing a 3X3 grid of squares (three by three squares) on a piece of paper.
  • Players choose their marks X or O.
  • By alternating, each player picks a space.
  • The first player to get the marks in a row (horizontally, vertically, diagonally) wins the game.
  • The game is over when all the nine squares are filled.

If the game ends without a win for any of the players, it is a TIE.

How to play

Following are the steps to play Tic-Tac-Toe:

  1. On a piece of paper, draw a 3X3 grid of squares, which means it has three rows and three columns, as shown in the image below.

Image-1

    Toss a coin to see which player goes first.
  1. Players take alternate turns. They fill in the girds with their chosen mark X or O’s, as shown in the image below.

Image-2

  1. The players play till all the grids are filled with X or O’s as shown in the image below.

Image-5

  1. The player who first succeeds in placing the marks horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row wins the game, as shown in the image below.

Image-3

  1. If all the squares are filled, and none of the players were able to make three marks in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally),then the game ends in a tie.

Image-4