Free to play, no sign up

Play Misere tic tac toe free

Also called Reverse tic tac toe or Toe Tac Tic. Same board, same moves, opposite goal. You are trying to make your opponent build the line instead of building one yourself. Every habit you picked up from normal tic tac toe is now working against you, which is what makes it fun.

Board: 3x3; Board
Goal: Avoid 3 in a row; Goal
Typical game: 1 min; Typical game
Difficulty: Light; Difficulty

Move 0

Loading the board

How to play

How to play Misere

1
Take turns placing marks the same way you would in a normal game.
2
Making three of your own marks in a row loses on the spot.
3
Fill the board with neither player making a line and it is a draw.

Strategy

What actually wins games

The centre is now the worst square on the board. It sits on four lines you are trying not to finish.
Stop thinking about the squares you want. Think about the squares you are forcing them into.
Late in the game, count the empty squares. Parity decides who runs out of safe moves first.

Can you win it?

Reverse tic tac toe is also a draw with perfect play, but the mistakes are much easier to make, so real games swing far more often than in the normal version.

Try another board

All twelve games

Classic

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

5x5

Twenty five squares, four in a row to win.

Board: 5x5
Objective: 4 in a row
Typical length: 3 to 5 min