Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe

Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe expands classic Tic-Tac-Toe with a larger 3×3 board whose nine squares each contain a smaller 3×3 board. You place a mark in a small board, and the square you choose determines which small board your opponent must play in next. Winning three marks in a row takes a small board and its corresponding square on the larger board; winning three small boards in a row wins the game.

Board strategy

Your opponent’s move sends you to the small board matching the square they played in, and your move then determines where they must play. If you are sent to a board that has already been won or drawn, you can choose any open board. A drawn board counts for neither X nor O. Since a move that wins a small board can also give your opponent a useful next move, you may choose to delay or forgo a small-board win to improve your position elsewhere.

In Forget mode, each player’s fourth move in a board erases their oldest mark there. This adds another strategic consideration and prevents boards from ending in ties.

Game modes

Classic and Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe are each available in Forget mode. You can play alone, take turns with another player on the same PC in Hot-seat mode, or play multiplayer through LAN or Steam.

AI difficulty

Against the AI, you can choose from three difficulty levels:

• Easy: The AI tries to send you to boards where it is hardest for you to make a move, even if it could win other boards.
• Medium: The AI always tries to win small boards.
• Hard: The AI aims to win small boards without giving you an advantage on your next move. It balances winning against limiting your opportunities and includes a random element for more varied play.

Rankings and records

Rankings match you with players closer to your skill level. The game also includes leaderboards and achievements.