Dominoes
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Dots & Boxes
HulaGamesAges 13+
- Board game
- Dots and boxes
- Puzzle
Screenshots
Features
Gold chain bands
Every chain of three or more boxes is marked in gold and counted, so the deep strategy is right on the board.
Three bot levels
Easy, Medium and Hard on Quick, Standard and Big boards. Hard plays the chain rule and the exact endgame.
Today's Daily Endgame
A solver-checked puzzle a day: take k of the last boxes. One counted try, then practice it as often as you like.
A short first lesson
Three glowing lines teach drawing, claiming a box and the gold band in under a minute.
Pass and play
Two people, one phone: take turns on any board size.
About this game
Dots & Boxes is the pencil-and-paper classic on your phone. Take turns drawing a line between two dots. Close the fourth side of a box and it is yours, and you draw again. The most boxes when the grid is full wins.
Play the bot on a Quick 3×3, Standard 5×5 or Big 7×7 board. Easy is relaxed, Medium is sharp but makes mistakes when the safe lines run out, and Hard is a chain master that counts chains, plays the exact endgame and leaves you the last two boxes when that keeps it in control.
Long chains are the secret of the game, so HulaGames marks them: a gold band runs through every chain of three or more boxes, and a counter shows how many there are. Whoever has to open a long chain gives it away, so you can see exactly why a game was won.
Today's Daily Endgame is a puzzle board, the same for everyone: take the number of boxes shown against a bot that never slips. One counted try a day keeps your streak, past days wait in the Archive, and 200 practice endgames are there whenever you want them. Pass and play lets two people share one phone.
HulaGames rewards
Play Dots & Boxes on HulaGames to earn Hula Points (HP), badges and daily quests.
Game info
- Developer
- HulaGames
- Publisher
- HulaGames
- Genre
- Board · Dots and boxes
- Modes
- Play the bot, Pass and play, Today's Daily Endgame, Past Daily Endgames
- Players
- Single player
- Controls
- Press near a line to see it glow, and let go to draw it. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move between lines and Enter draws.
- Plays on
- Phone or desktop browser
- Price
- Free
- Categories
- Board Games, Classics
- Short link
- hulagames.com/play/dots-and-boxes
Player ratings
How to play Dots & Boxes
- Take turns drawing a line between two dots next to each other. Draw the fourth side of a box to claim it, then draw again.
- A line that gives a box its third side hands it to the other player. Draw safe lines while you can, and the most boxes at the end wins.
- Gold bands mark long chains: three or more boxes in a row. Whoever has to open one gives it all away, so make the bot run out of safe lines first.
Controls: Press near a line to see it glow, and let go to draw it. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move between lines and Enter draws.
Questions
Can I play Dots & Boxes now?
Yes. It's free on HulaGames, in your browser, with no download. Press Play on this page.
How do you win Dots & Boxes?
Have the most boxes when every line is drawn. Draw the fourth side of a box to claim it, and you draw again straight away.
What are the gold bands?
A gold band marks a long chain: three or more boxes in a row. The first line drawn into a chain lets the other player take all of it, so try to make the other side run out of safe lines first.
How hard is the bot?
Easy is relaxed and sometimes misses a box. Medium takes every box it can but slips when the safe lines run out. Hard counts chains, plays the exact endgame and gives away the last two boxes of a chain on purpose when that keeps control.
What is the Daily Endgame?
A puzzle board that's the same for everyone each day: take the number of boxes shown against a bot that plays perfectly. You get one counted try a day for your streak, and it resets at midnight Pacific.
Can two people play on one phone?
Yes. Pass and play lets two people take turns on any board size. Pass-and-play games don't count toward your stats or the Daily.
Are there ads or anything to buy?
No. There are no ads before or during play, and nothing to buy.
Do I need an account?
No. Press Play and start. Your progress saves in your browser, and follows your HulaGames account if you sign in.
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Play on your phone tooOn your phone, open hulagames.com and add it to your Home Screen. It opens full screen, like an app.