Free to play, no sign up
Play 5x5 tic tac toe free
The natural next step once 3x3 feels stale. A bigger board and a longer line mean draws almost never happen, and the game turns into a race to build two threats before your opponent builds one.
- Board
- 5x5
- Board
- Goal
- 4 in a row
- Goal
- Typical game
- 3 to 5 min
- Typical game
- Difficulty
- Light
- Difficulty
Move 0
Loading the board
Game review
How to play
How to play 5x5
- 1
Take turns placing marks anywhere on the 5x5 grid.
- 2
Four in a row across, down or diagonally wins.
- 3
A full board with nobody getting four is a draw, though you will rarely see one.
Strategy
What actually wins games
Play towards the middle. Central squares belong to far more four in a row lines than the edges do.
Two in a row with both ends open beats three in a row that is already walled off. Count the space, not the stones.
Check the diagonals. On this size of board they are what people miss.
Can you win it?
On a 5x5 board with four in a row, the first player has a known winning strategy.
Try another board
All twelve gamesClassic
The 3x3 game everyone knows. Free, no sign up.
- Board
- 3x3
- Objective
- 3 in a row
- Typical length
- 1 min
Ultimate
Nine boards in one. Your move decides where they play next.
- Board
- 9x9
- Objective
- Win 3 boards
- Typical length
- 10 to 20 min
7x7
Forty nine squares, five in a row.
- Board
- 7x7
- Objective
- 5 in a row
- Typical length
- 5 to 10 min