Matchbox “machine learning”
In 1961, the MENACE computer used 304 matchboxes and beads to learn Tic Tac Toe through reinforcement—one of the earliest public ML demos.
Analog AI
Tic Tac Toe — Friend or Computer
Board
Ready. Choose options and press New Game to start.
Options & Score
Player (X)
0
Draws
0
Computer (O)
0
About this game
Play vs a friend on the same device or try the computer on Easy, Normal, or Unbeatable. Use Hints to preview the best move, or Undo to rewind. Scores and your preferences are saved on this device only.
Educational Value: Strategy, Patterns & History
Tic Tac Toe—also known in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand as Noughts and Crosses—is more than a quick pastime. It’s a compact lesson in logic, planning, and pattern recognition. Because the board is only 3×3, new players rapidly see how choices lead to consequences, which makes it perfect for classrooms, home learning, and brain breaks at work.
Why it’s great for learning
- Strategic thinking: Players learn to weigh options, anticipate replies, and choose the move with the best long-term outcome.
- Spatial reasoning: Lines, diagonals, and forks (two threats at once) help learners visualise patterns and symmetry.
- Computational thinking: Our Unbeatable mode uses the classic minimax search with alpha–beta pruning—an approachable doorway to AI concepts.
- Turn-taking & SEL: Short rounds encourage good sportsmanship, resilience, and quick reflection (“What would I try next time?”).
- Accessible practice: Keyboard controls, clear contrast, and a simple grid make the game inclusive for a wide range of players.
Quick strategy primer (beating Easy/Normal)
- Start in a corner if you go first. It maximises chances to create a fork later.
- Take the centre if your opponent doesn’t. The centre controls the most potential winning lines.
- Block immediate threats before creating your own. Defence first; then build pressure.
- Make forks (two winning lines at once). If you can’t fork, prevent your opponent from doing so.
- Play for the draw vs. perfect AI. With optimal play from both sides, 3×3 Tic Tac Toe is a forced draw—so focus on avoiding mistakes.
A tiny bit of history
Grid-based “three-in-a-row” games go back a long way. The ancient Romans played a circle-and-stone game often linked to terni lapilli, where each player had three pieces to move on a small grid. The modern pencil-and-paper form gained popularity in the 19th–20th centuries under names like “Tick-tack-toe” (US/Canada) and “Noughts and Crosses” (UK/Ireland). Today it’s a staple warm-up in maths clubs and coding workshops because the full game tree is small enough to understand—and small enough for a computer to solve perfectly.
Classroom & home ideas
- Maths link
- Have learners count winning lines, compare first-move advantage, or chart outcomes across multiple rounds.
- Computing link
- Discuss how the Hints feature mirrors an algorithm that evaluates future positions.
- Language link
- Use regional names—Tic Tac Toe and Noughts and Crosses—to spark a quick GEO/ESL discussion.
Tip: Turn on Hints to see the best move, then try to explain why it’s best. Explaining your reasoning is the fastest way to improve—whether you’re playing in London, Dublin, Toronto, Sydney, or anywhere else in the world.
5 Fun Facts about Tic Tac Toe
Fully solved game
The entire game tree has just 255,168 legal positions. With perfect play it’s always a draw—explorers mapped every outcome decades ago.
Solved space
Forks are checkmate-in-waiting
A fork creates two winning lines at once; if the opponent can’t block both, you win. Spotting forks is the fastest way past beginner play.
Pattern power
Draws got slangy
A tied game is often called a “cat’s game” in the U.S.—as in, “no one gets the milk.” It stuck around from mid-20th-century kids’ slang.
Game slang
Bigger boards change everything
Move to a 4×4 or 3D 3×3×3 board and draws vanish—suddenly there are winning strategies again and fresh AI research puzzles.
Variants