What you need
A grid of dots (a 4x4 grid of dots makes nine boxes, a good size to start) and two players with different coloured pens. Print a ready-made grid from the dot-grid setting on our graph-paper tool, linked below.
The rules
- Players take turns drawing one short line between two dots that are next to each other (across or down, not diagonally).
- If your line completes the fourth side of a box, write your initial in it, you own that box, and you take another turn.
- If your line does not complete a box, it is the other player's turn.
- Keep going until every box is closed. The player with the most boxes wins.
The one strategy that wins games
At first, avoid drawing the third side of any box, because that hands your opponent the free fourth side. Soon every safe move runs out and someone has to open a chain of boxes.
The trick is the 'double-cross'. When you are given a long chain, do not greedily take every box. Instead, take all but the last two, then draw a line that hands those two back. Your opponent must open the next chain for you. Sacrificing two boxes to control who opens the next chain is how strong players win.
Why it is good maths practice
Dots and Boxes builds planning, counting and thinking ahead, and it quietly teaches parity (whether the number of moves left is odd or even) which decides who is forced to open a chain. It is strategy hiding inside a doodle.
Print a grid and play
Grab a printable dot grid from our free graph-paper tool, choose 'Dot grid' and set the size, then print two copies or share the link. No sign-up needed.