Nested Tic-Tac-Toe turns a five-second game into a real strategy battle. Nine small boards make up one big board. Win a small board to claim it, and claim three in a row to win the game — but the square you choose sends your opponent to the matching small board. Think about where you send them as much as where you play. Challenge a computer on three levels or a friend on the same device.
How to play Nested Tic-Tac-Toe
Goal: Claim three small boards in a row.
Keyboard & mouse
- Click a square in the highlighted board
- Arrow keys move across all 81 squares, Enter or Space plays
- P or Escape to pause
Phone & tablet
- Tap a square in the highlighted board
- Options: computer level or a friend
Rules
- Get three in a row on a small board to claim it.
- The square you play in sends your opponent to the matching small board (top-right square → top-right board).
- If that board is already claimed or full, your opponent may play in any open board.
- Claim three small boards in a row — across, down or diagonally — to win. No moves left is a draw.
- Against the computer, wins score 100 + 20 per board you claimed, multiplied by the level.
Tips and strategy
- Before playing, check which board your move sends your opponent to — and what they could do there.
- Avoid sending your opponent to a board they are about to win.
- Sending your opponent to a decided board gives them a free choice — usually a gift.
- The centre board is part of four winning lines, so it is worth fighting for.
