Impossible Tic Tac Toe — Play Free Online

Impossible Tic Tac Toe takes the oldest pen-and-paper game there is and sets you against an opponent that is meant to be hard to beat. The board is the familiar three-by-three grid, you place your mark, the computer places its own, and the first to line up three in a row wins. The twist is in the name: the opponent is not a casual player making random moves, so the quick wins you remember from playing on paper rarely appear.

A round lasts well under a minute, which is exactly why it works as a break between longer sessions. There is nothing to install and nothing to learn beforehand; open the page, make your first move and see how long you can hold the line.

It sits a little apart from the rest of the Doodle Jump catalogue. Most games here are about reflexes, timing and height, while this one is pure thinking: no clock pressure, no obstacles, just the position on the board.

How to play

Select an empty square with the mouse, or tap it on a phone or tablet, to place your mark. The computer answers immediately. A win is three of your marks in a row, column or diagonal; if all nine squares fill without a line, the round is a draw. The catalogue listing mentions keyboard keys, but for a grid game the pointer or touch screen is what you will actually use.

Think of each round as a small puzzle. Every move you make either creates a threat the opponent must answer, or it hands the initiative over. Taking a corner or the centre on your first move gives you the most lines to work with, and a corner opening is usually the strongest choice for the player who moves first.

Tips

• Always check for the opponent's two-in-a-row before you look at your own plans. Missing one block ends the round immediately.
• Try to build a fork: a move that creates two separate threats at once, so only one of them can be blocked.
• If the opponent takes the centre, answer in a corner rather than an edge. Edge replies tend to lose quickly.
• Against a strong opponent, a draw is a respectable result. Aim for not losing first, then look for a mistake.

Similar games on Doodle Jump

If you like the quiet, think-it-through feel, Fireboy and Watergirl swaps the grid for co-operative puzzle rooms where two characters must solve each stage together. Bloons Tower Defense 2 is another game of planning and positioning, though over several minutes rather than several moves. For something faster, Doodle Jump itself and Helix Jump are all about timing.

It suits anyone with a couple of spare minutes, on a keyboard-and-mouse computer or a touch screen alike.