Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe: Because Tic-Tac-Toe needs some spicin’ up

In order to make Tic-Tac-Toe more fun, we added 8 more playing boards! Can you think ahead enough to play multiple games at once, and strategize in order to block your opponent from making three-in-a-row?

 

Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe is the perfect game for any situation.  As long as you have access to paper and pencils, this is the perfect option for any duo.  Compared to Labyrinth, it is a bit easier to wrap your head around, and really intrigues people because it is a spoof of the classic (but boring) Tic-Tac-Toe.  This game is great because there are so many moving parts which stimulates your brain while also having extremely simple rules to follow.

 

Can you win 9 Tic-Tac-Toe games all at once? Let’s find out…

 

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Players: 2

Gear: Paper, Pencils (Ideally different colored pens)

             (Just recently, I played this on a white board with a friend, using different colored dry-erase markers! Be creative!)

 

 

SET UP

 

Draw one large Tic-Tac-Toe board (minimum of about 7 in. across).  Make sure that there is significant space in between the lines.

 

In each of the nine squares of the Large Board, draw another smaller Tic-Tac-Toe grid.  Your end result should look like this:

 

 

 

To prevent confusion, let’s call the area represented by the green area a “SPACE” and the area represented by the orange area a “SQUARE”

Also, the bigger blue grid will be the “Large Board” and the smaller purple grids will be “Small Boards”

 

HOW TO PLAY

 

The game revolves around this concept: Whatever space you play in inside a small board, is the square that your opponent will play in on the large board on their turn.

 

For example: 

If Parker is X and plays in the 6th space on a smaller board, that means that on Scout’s turn, they can play an O ANYWHERE in the 6th square on the board.

 

 

This pattern continues for the whole game! It might be a bit hard to conceptualize the gameplay, so below are several turns of playing.  The highlighted square represents where the next player can go.

 

Parker (X) plays middle-right of Square 1. Scout (O) must play in Square 6

Scout (O) plays top-middle of Square 6.  Parker (X) must play in Square 2

Parker (X) plays bottom-left of Square 2.  Scout (O) must play in Square 7

Scout (O) plays bottom left of Square 7. Parker (X) must play again in Square 7

Parker (X) plays middle-right of Square 7.  Scout (O) must play in Square 6

Scout (O) plays top-right of Square 6.  Parker (X) must play in Square 3

 

 

SPECIAL CASES

 

When one player gets three-in-a-row on a Small Board, they win that square on the Large Board.  The objective of the game is to be the first player to get three-in-a-row on the Large Board.  To visualize this, let’s continue our gameplay example from the previous section.

 

Parker (X) plays middle-right of Square 3.  Scout (O) must play in Square 6

Scout (O) plays top-left of Square 6.  Parker (X) must play in Square 1

Because Scout got three-in-a-row in Square 6, they draw a large “O” in that square

 

Now that Square 6 is filled, the next time a player is forced to make a mark in Square 6, they can instead play anywhere on the board! Here’s what I mean:

 

Parker (X) plays middle-middle of Square 1.  Scout (O) must play in Square 5

Before, Parker would have to play in Square 6, but Square 6 is filled…

…So instead of playing in Square 6, Parker can play anywhere on the board

 

Now you know everything you need to play!

 

 

WINNING THE GAME

 

The first person to get three-in-a-row on the Large Board wins! As the game goes on, and more spots are filled, the game gets harder and harder to choose spots that won’t give your opponent an advantage. 

 

The game ended with Parker winning!!

 

 

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Author’s Note

I used to play this game ALL THE TIME in freshman year biology.  Whenever my friend and I were bored we would pull out a piece of paper and play! It never got old.  I think the reason why this game is so great is because Tic-Tac-Toe is such a simple game that practically everyone knows, but doesn’t find super enjoyable.  This however, uses the same mechanics but adds so many layers that draws people’s attention.  I think another really cool thing is that while Tic-Tac-Toe can be incredibly analyzed in a mathematical sense, Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe has so many moving parts and possibilities that this isn’t practically feasible.  Anyways, this game is super super easy to set up and explain so if you’re going to try any of the games from this blog, play this one!!

 

 

Analysis

I feel like Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe and Chess are similar in the fact that you have to think several steps ahead in order to make the most strategic move.  Obviously Chess is immensely more complicated, but this game takes advantage of the same game characteristics that make planning ahead so vital.  This game is mostly strategy based, but we’ll take a look at the other categories

Creativity: There is very little about Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe that is meant to stimulate creativity in its traditional definition, since the gameplay solely involves trying to figure out which space to play.  However, I think there is definitely some imagination in trying to use different approaches to gaining an advantage. In order to win, you can’t just rely on one method, instead you have to adapt and try new things.  The importance of this ability to adapt and imagine new methods is what adds a spark of creativity to the game.

Luck: Depending on how you define it, you can argue the role of luck in Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe.  Some may say that because you are forced to play in certain squares, then that is luck since you have no choice.  Personally I think that falls under strategy, but other than that, I don’t see how luck impacts the game.

Strategy: I mean, it’s in the name: Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe.  This game is all about strategy and anticipating how your opponent is going to play.  Every move you make involves forethought and planning about how the move will impact the game. Conversely, perhaps your strategy is to begin by giving no thought about it, confusing your opponent!

 

Tips & Strategies

• • There are two main strategies that I usually use when I play:
    • At the beginning of the game, try to avoid putting your opponent in a place where they have two symbols in a square where you have none.  Try to at least have one symbol in the square before you send them to that square on their turn.
    • It can actually be helpful to give your opponent what they want.  Sometimes it’s necessary to sacrifice a square because it will actual put you in a better position to gain the upper hand in the game.  Most of the time, people won’t expect you to give them the square so they wouldn’t have thought of that sequence of events.
  • Often, the player that has the upper hand will change multiple times throughout the game.  Even as someone who has played dozens of times, there is still a power struggle when I play with someone who has never played before.  Be aware and take notice of who is ‘winning’ at the moment so you can notice when it shifts too.
  • Overall, you need to change your approach to the game very often.  There is no right way to win, as there are so many possibilities.  Keep adapting to the current game situation and come up with imaginative ways to earn small wins.
  • ABSOLUTELY DO NOT think that the way to win Small Boards is anything like winning a regular Tic-Tac-Toe game.  In almost every situation, Tic-Tac-Toe theory and strategies mean nothing when it comes to the mechanics of Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe.

 

Variations: Try this out next time you play!

• I think I originally learned about this a LONG time ago from Coolmathgames.com.  Check out the online version of Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe where I found this amazing game like 5 years ago!

 

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful Halloween weekend!

 

 

 

This is Betrayal at House on the Hill, another game to set the mood for the spooky weekend! This game is VERY well thought out, and is a bit more on the complicated side.  Every time you play, you can end the story differently as you explore a haunted house and one of the players is secretly a traitor.  Ultimately, your goal is to escape the inevitable hoard of monsters that will attack you.  This game is extremely unnerving, but great fun! I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween weekend and enjoys participating in some fun Halloween games!

 

 

Sources

• Anderson, Leigh. The Games Bible. Workman Publishing Company, 2010.
• Anderson, Leigh. “The Games BIBLE: The Ultimate Gamebook… Book by Leigh Anderson.” ThriftBooks, www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-games-bible-the-ultimate-gamebook-for-grown-ups-307-games-to-put-the-fun-back-in-parties_leigh-anderson/571781/#edition=5740103&idiq=12407424.
• https://www.coolmathgames.com/0-strategic-tic-tac-toe
• https://www.boardgamehalv.com/how-to-play-betrayal-at-house-on-the-hill/

Image Sources

• Tic-Tac-Toe Glow
• Betrayal at House on the Hill Box
• Betrayal at House on the Hill Gameplay
• All images related to Strategic Tic-Tac-Toe were  created by Nicholas Bodie