Dots and Boxes: rules and strategy to win
Also known as: La Pipopipette, Boxes, Squares
How to play dots and boxes on paper or online: draw lines, close boxes, take extra turns and use the chain strategy that strong players use to win every time.
- Type
- Board game
- Players
- 2–4
- Age
- Ages 6+
- Play time
- 5–15 min
- First released
- 1889
- Origin
- France
- Designed by
- Édouard Lucas
Dots and boxes is a pencil-and-paper game for two or more players, first described in 1889 by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas. The game starts with a grid of dots. Players take turns drawing a single line between two neighbouring dots, and whoever completes the fourth side of a small square claims it and plays again. Many people know it from school, where it was drawn in the back of a notebook. Its rules are tiny, but the game hides surprising mathematics: strong players think about long chains of boxes and use a clever sacrifice to control the end of the game. Mathematicians have written whole books about it. It is a perfect example of how a simple school game can be studied for a lifetime.
Our verdict
Dots and boxes needs only paper and a pen, so it can be played almost anywhere. It teaches children to look ahead, since every line might give the opponent a box. For adults, it turns into a real strategy game once you discover chains and the "double-cross" trick of leaving two boxes to your opponent to keep control. A full game on a small grid lasts only a few minutes. You can also play it online on Playdonya in our own version, Boxes.
What works
- Needs only paper and pen
- Hidden depth for curious players
- Quick rounds for breaks and travel
What does not
- Beginners often lose without understanding why
- Can feel slow at the start of large grids
How to play Dots and Boxes
Draw a rectangular grid of dots, for example five dots by five dots, which makes sixteen small boxes. Players take turns. On each turn, a player draws one straight line, horizontal or vertical, between two dots that are next to each other and not yet connected. If that line completes the fourth side of one or more boxes, the player writes their initial inside each completed box and must draw another line. A turn ends when a player draws a line that does not complete a box. Diagonal lines are not allowed. The game continues until every possible line has been drawn and all boxes are claimed. The player with the most boxes wins. For a quick game, use a small grid; for a longer and deeper game, add more dots. With more than two players, the same rules apply in turn order.
Tips for new players
- Early in the game, avoid drawing the third side of any box.
- Count the long chains of boxes; the player who controls the chains usually wins.
- When taking a chain, consider leaving the last two boxes to your opponent to keep control of the next chain.
- On small grids, think about which player will be forced to open the first chain.
Good for
Dots and Boxes: common questions
Who invented dots and boxes?
The game was first described in 1889 by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas, under the name La Pipopipette.
Do you get another turn after completing a box?
Yes. Whenever your line completes a box, you claim it and must draw another line.
Can I play dots and boxes online?
Yes. Playdonya has its own free browser version called Boxes, which you can play against the computer or with friends.
Dots and Boxes belongs to its owners. Playdonya is not connected to them and does not sell this game; the cover is our own illustration.
