Dots and Boxes
Draw a line. Close a box. Take another turn.
How to play Dots and Boxes
Take turns drawing lines between dots. Completing a box claims it and gives you another move. The player with the most boxes wins. Play with the original Nickelbar rules and board drawings. Help below the game lists its keyboard and mouse shortcuts. Your current game stays in this browser tab.
- Hover over a line or select one with the arrows.
- Click or press Space to draw it.
- Avoid giving away long chains of boxes to the computer.
Keyboard & mouse controls
Hover picks the nearest line, click draws it
- Arrow keys
- Move or select a square
- Space / Enter
- Play the selected move, or resume
- N / P
- New game / pause
- H / Tab
- Help and settings / choose a game
- U
- Undo (where available)
Click the board before using keyboard controls. On a phone, you can also use the buttons beneath it.
Common questions
Is Dots and Boxes free?
Yes. Play in your browser without an account or a download.
Can I pause and come back?
Press P to pause. Your current game is kept in this browser tab’s session; your best score is stored on this device. Clearing browser data removes saved progress.
Where is this game from?
The game engine and board drawings come from Nickelbar by Cob Muddybug, adapted to run in a browser. MIT licence and credit.